Female Impalas ewes gazelle attractive antlers Northern Akagera National Park game reserve Rwanda Central Africa
Female ewes Impalas and young form herds of up to 200 individuals. When food is plentiful, adult males will establish territories. Females pass through the territories with the best food resources. The breeding season of the impala, also called the rut begins toward the end of the wet season in May. The entire affair typically lasts about three weeks. While young are usually born after six to seven months, the mother has the ability to delay giving birth for an additional month if conditions are harsh. When giving birth, the female will isolate herself from the herd, despite numerous attempts by the male to keep her in his territory. The female will keep the fawn in an isolated spot for a few days or even leave it lying out in hiding for a few days, weeks, or more, before returning to the herd. There, the fawn will join a nursery group and will go to its mother only to nurse or when predators, lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs are near. When frightened or startled, the whole herd starts leaping about to confuse their predator. Able to jump distances of more than 10 m (33 ft) and 3 m (9 ft) into the air, threatened impalas will explode in a magnificent spectacle of leaping. Sometimes this is done with the animals holding their leg stiffly and the neck arched downwards, a behaviour known as stotting or pronking. The impala can reach running speeds in a zig-zag of about 60 km/h (37 mph) on average with the peak on 80 km/h (50 mph), to escape its predators. When escaping from predators, it can release a scent from glands on its heels, which can help it stay with the group. This is done by performing a high kick of its hind legs. The common impala is one of the most abundant antelopes in Africa, with about one-quarter of the population occurring in protected areas.
Size: 4287px × 2555px
Location: Northern Akagera National Game Park Rwanda Central Africa
Photo credit: © Roland Pargeter / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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