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African Game Species
These tables contain ecological and biological information of some common African wildlife species. A good knowledge of your quarry makes your safari more interesting and it will optimize your hunting experience. While some species are wide spread throughout southern Africa, others are endemic to a specific biome or are found only in certain vegetation types or countries. Please note that not all the species can be hunted in all regions or countries.
Ecological Information
Species |
Natural Habitat |
Important Food |
Water Dependent |
Small Game |
|
|
|
Damara Dik-Dik |
Dense thickets and shrubs |
Browse |
No |
Duiker - Blue |
Forest, coastal dense thicket |
Browse |
Yes |
Duiker - Common |
Thickets, shade, cover |
Browse |
No |
Duiker - Red |
Forest, dense thickets |
Browse |
Yes |
Grysbok - Cape |
Dense shrub bushveld |
Browse |
No |
Klipspringer |
Hills, mountains |
Browse |
No |
Steenbok |
Open grassland, bushveld |
Browse, some grass |
No |
Suni |
Thickets, dense shrub and underbrush |
Browse |
No |
Medium Sized |
|
|
|
Bushbuck |
Thickets, dense shrub near water |
Browse |
Yes |
Bushpig |
Bushveld, grassland, forest |
Omnivorous |
Yes |
Impala - both spp. |
Open bushveld |
Browse & grass |
Yes |
Oribi |
Open grasslands with slopes, floodplains |
Short grass |
No |
Reedbuck - Common |
Tall grasslands and floodplains near water |
Grass |
Yes |
Reedbuck - Mountain |
Mountain slopes with grass cover |
Grass |
Yes |
Rhebuck - Grey |
Mountain slopes with grass cover |
Browse, some grass |
No |
Springbok |
Dry open short grasslands, Open bushveld |
Browse & grass |
No |
Warthog |
Open bushveld, floodplains |
Grass & browse |
Yes |
Large |
|
|
|
Blesbok |
Highveld grassland |
Grass |
Yes |
Bontebok |
Coastal plains, fynbos |
Grass |
Yes |
Hartebeest - Red |
Open bushveld, grassland |
Grass, some browse |
Yes |
Kudu |
Bushveld, rocky terrain |
Browse, some grass |
Yes |
Lechwe - Red |
Floodplains |
Grass, sedges |
Yes |
Nyala |
Dense bushveld |
Grass & browse |
No |
Oryx (Gemsbok) |
Open dry bushveld |
Grass and browse |
No |
Roan Antelope |
Open bushveld, tall grass in floodplains |
Grass |
Yes |
Sable Antelope |
Open bushveld with tall grassland |
Grass, some browse |
Yes |
Tsessebe |
Bushveld - grassland ecotone |
Grass |
Yes |
Waterbuck |
Open bushveld, floodplains |
Grass |
No |
Wildebeest - Black |
Open grassland |
Grass |
Yes |
Wildebeest - Blue |
Open bushveld |
Grass |
Yes |
Zebra - Burchell's |
Open bushveld, grassland |
Grass, some browse |
Yes |
Zebra - Hartman & Cape Mountain |
Mountains, dry areas |
Grass, some browse |
Yes |
Very Large |
|
|
|
Cape buffalo |
Open bushveld, tall grass |
Grass |
Yes |
Eland |
Bushveld to open dry areas |
Browse & grass |
No |
Elephant |
Bushveld, forests |
Browse & grass |
Yes |
Giraffe |
Open bushveld |
Browse |
No |
Hippo |
Open water in savanna biome |
Grass |
Yes |
Rhino - Black |
Bushveld |
Browse |
Yes |
Rhino - White |
Bushveld with short grassland |
Grass |
Yes |
Biological Information
Note: Mass, age at maturity, calving season and life expectancy are approximated and these may vary amongst regions.
Species |
Adult male mean mass
Kg (=2.2lbs) |
Horns present on females |
Age at sexual maturity - males (months) |
Peak calving season |
Life expectancy in nature (years) |
Small Game |
|
|
|
|
|
Damara Dik-Dik |
5 |
No |
8 - 9 |
- |
4 |
Duiker - Blue |
4 |
Yes |
9 |
Sept.-Nov. |
6 |
Duiker - Common |
16 |
No |
12 |
- |
12 |
Duiker - Red |
12 |
Yes |
12 |
- |
15 |
Grysbok - Cape |
10 |
No |
17 - 18 |
Spring? |
8 |
Klipspringer |
10 |
No |
12 |
Dec.-Jan. |
8 |
Steenbok |
11 |
No |
9 |
Sept.-Oct. |
8 |
Suni |
5 |
No |
8 - 9 |
- |
- |
Medium Sized |
|
|
|
|
|
Bushbuck |
50 |
No |
10 - 11 |
Oct.-Nov. |
10 |
Bushpig |
62 |
- |
18 - 21 |
- |
15 |
Impala - both spp. |
50 - 63 |
No |
16 - 18 |
Dec.-Jan. |
14 |
Oribi |
14 |
No |
14 |
Oct.-Dec. |
13 |
Reedbuck - Common |
78 |
No |
18 - 24 |
Dec.-May |
9 |
Reedbuck - Mountain |
30 |
No |
10 - 11 |
Aug.-May |
12 |
Rhebuck - Grey |
20 |
No |
- |
Nov.-Dec. |
9 |
Springbok |
41 |
Yes |
11 - 12 |
Sept.-Jan. |
10 |
Warthog |
100 |
- |
17 - 18 |
Nov.-Dec. |
17 |
Large |
|
|
|
|
|
Blesbok |
70 |
Yes |
28 |
Nov.-Dec. |
12 |
Bontebok |
61 |
Yes |
28 |
Sept.-Oct. |
12 |
Hartebeest - Red |
150 |
Yes |
30 |
Sept.-Nov. |
15 |
Kudu |
250 |
No |
21 - 24 |
Feb. |
15 |
Lechwe - Red |
118 |
No |
15 |
Aug.-Dec. |
- |
Nyala |
108 |
No |
18 |
Aug.-Dec. |
15 |
Oryx (Gemsbok) |
240 |
Yes |
18 - 24 |
Aug.-Sept. |
20 |
Roan Antelope |
270 |
Yes |
30 - 36 |
None |
19 |
Sable Antelope |
230 |
Yes |
30 - 36 |
Feb.-April |
18 |
Tsessebe |
140 |
Yes |
40 - 42 |
Oct.-Nov. |
15 |
Waterbuck |
260 |
No |
14 |
Oct.; Feb.-Mar. |
16 |
Wildebeest - Black |
180 |
Yes |
36 |
Dec.-Jan. |
18 |
Wildebeest - Blue |
250 |
Yes |
36 |
Nov.-Dec. |
18 |
Zebra - Burchell's |
320 |
- |
30 - 36 |
Dec.-Feb. |
22 |
Zebra - Hartman & Cape Mountain |
235 - 300 |
- |
42 -54 |
Oct.-April |
20 |
Very Large |
|
|
|
|
|
Cape buffalo |
800 |
Yes |
30 - 36 |
Jan.-Feb. |
22 |
Eland |
650 |
Yes |
15 - 24 |
Aug.-Nov. |
18 |
Elephant |
5500 |
- |
156 |
Jan.-March |
65 |
Giraffe |
1200 |
Yes |
32 - 40 |
Feb.-March |
20 |
Hippo |
1500 |
- |
84 |
March-June |
45 |
Rhino - Black |
850 |
Yes |
96 |
Jan.; June-July |
35 |
Rhino - White |
2100 |
Yes |
60 |
March-April |
40 |
Reference: Bothma, 1996. Game ranch management. Van Schaik. Pretoria. |
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