The tsessebe is a bizarre-looking animal and the fastest antelope species in Africa. Visitors can encounter these animals in various national parks in South Africa.
Need Advice?They have a rich and dark red coat, with a dark undertone and darkly colored underparts and light areas at the back of their hind legs and their abdominal areas. Both sexes have horns.
Within Southern Africa, the distribution of these animals is limited. They occur in the Kruger National Park and parks in the drier western regions of South Africa. They inhabit parts of Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, with a separate population in East Africa.
Currently, these animals are labeled as 'of least concern.' However, their populations have considerably declined in the last century due to hunting and habitat loss. Their substantial population of 300 000 does not justify their current status or tell the whole story of a species that once flourished as one of the prime antelope species in Africa. About 25% inhabit protected areas, with some more vulnerable subspecies found almost solely in protected parks and nature reserves south of the Sahara. In the past 30 years, their populations have become regionally extinct in countries like Mozambique, Mali, and Senegal.
They favor open grassland areas where their tremendous speed and light-footedness can offer an escape from predators. It is the reason for their wide distribution throughout Tanzania, the lowland areas of Kenya, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and the central plains of the Kruger National Park in South Africa. Savannah areas and regions with scattered acacia trees or shrubs also provide good habitat.
They form herds on large open plains where they flourish as a species. Their structure is based on family groups in areas with limited populations. Males generally have a territory and fight to protect the females in this area, only leaving their territory to feed. On the open plains in East Africa, they number in the thousands. Here their population density is up to 50 individuals per square kilometer. In South Africa and Kruger Park, family groups typically total less than 30 animals.
We recommend the following National Parks and Private Reserves for the best chances of spotting the tsessebe on safari game drives and bush walks.
They are territorial and regularly mark their territories by secreting a substance from their pre-orbital glands onto grass stems. They like to cover themselves with mud, using their horns to spread and sling mud rather than their heads like hartebeests. After significant rains, you will see them with mud-covered horns. There is usually a termite mound within their territories, something they find oddly desirable, as a lookout point.
During the short period in which a Tsessebe cow is in heat, she will often mate with the same or different bulls. Pre-mating rituals start when a male identifies a female in heat and starts making a bleating sound when approaching her. He puts down his ears and stands in an erect pose. They have a gestation period of eight months. The birthing peak is in the early parts of the rainfall season.
Predators often overlook tsessebe as prey species due to their speed. They display aggressive behavior when threatened by smaller predators, such as single hyenas, jackals, or small cat species. It is done by raising and straightening their posture, grunting, or going on the offense. If they stand no chance against their attackers, they take flight, running up to 80km/h.
