Sable Antelope in Game Haven, Malawi

Believe it or not, I am still posting from my second day in Malawi when I  visited the Game Haven Park just outside Blantyre.  This is the second of the antelope I saw.  The sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) is an antelope which inhabits wooded Savannah in East Africa south of Kenya, and in Southern Africa.

The sable antelope is sexually dimorphic, with the male heavier and about one-fifth taller than the female.  The head-and-body length is typically between 75–100 ins.  Males reach about 46–55 in at the shoulder, while females are slightly shorter.  The tail is 16–30 in long, with a tuft at the end.

Female above

The sable antelope has a compact and robust build, characterised by a thick neck and tough skin.   It has a well-developed and often upright mane on its neck as well as a short mane on the throat.  Their general colouration is rich chestnut to black. Females and juveniles are chestnut to dark brown, while males begin darkening and turn black after three years.  However, in southern populations, females have a brown to black coat. Calves below two months are a light tan and show faint markings.  

The underparts, cheek, and chin are all white, creating a great contrast with the dark back and flanks.  Long, white hairs are present below the eyes, and a wide, black stripe runs over the nose.

Both sexes have ringed horns which arch backward. In females, these can reach 24–40 in, while in males they are 32–65 in long.  The average lifespan of the sable antelope is 16 years in wild and 19 years in captivity.  

I have a a short video which you can access at

http://youtu.be/qDGeq0m-Qog

If there is a black space below, click it and the video will appear.

I hope you enjoyed this post.

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