Klipspringer

These rock-jumping antelopes are not currently threatened as a species. They have healthy populations in many habitats, with a total overall population of 40 000. However, this number may change and is less stable because a mere 25% of the total population of these antelope occurs within protected areas. Their most robust populations are found in the highland regions of Ethiopia, where over 4000 individuals exist in mountainous terrain, browsing on local vegetation, not having to compete with domestic livestock like many other antelope species.

They prefer areas of rocky, mountainous terrain, as long as there is a steady supply of food locally available, but sometimes travel as far as 500m in search of sprouts or grass. Their skill set in moving around on big boulders that make up most of the terrain and the smaller rocks that may slip loose puts them in a prime position when scurrying away from predators. Water isn’t a problem for them as they consume enough moisture from food sources to survive. .

Klipspringers live in pairs that mate for life in a conjoined territory in which they live. These territory sizes differ depending on the overall population density in an area. It is affected by the availability of food, rainfall, temperatures, and predator populations in the area. In the Ethiopian mountains, where the population density is at its peak, the average territory size is a minute 9 ha or 0,09 square kilometers. At the same time, in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, where there is a vast landscape available for foraging, the average territory size is 49 ha or 0,49 square kilometers.

They are predominantly nocturnal and more active on nights when the moon is brightest, resting during the hot hours of the day. They like to bask on rocks in the sun during the day, warming their bodies as a form of relaxation. They also practice monogamy, always staying within a 5-meter radius of one another. They take turns feeding while their mate keeps a lookout for predators. Klipspringers devote a lot of time to maintaining their territory. Like Steenbok and Oribi, they secrete a black substance from certain glands and exchange greetings by rubbing their cheeks against one another.

Klipspringers typically breed seasonally, but they can bread year-round. Births peak in late spring and early summer, when most mothers reach the end of their 6-month-long pregnancy. This mating process starts when both sexes reach sexual maturity at roughly a year old. Their courtship is more complex than other small antelope, and a complete study has yet to be published. They have been observed circling one another and engaging in physical acts, such as lifting the foreleg by the male.

Klipspringers almost always spot predators on the prowl because pairs are together virtually all the time, with at least one keeping a lookout. When a predator wanders into the sight of one of these antelope, their immediate reaction is to flee and give out a call to others nearby, informing them of the presence of danger. After they have run out of the company of the carnivore in question, they usually look back to see if it’s gone. If not, they give another alarm call.