The Antelope of africa

Lechwe

Kobus leche

Medium-sized antelope with hindquarters which are considerably higher than their forequarters. They have chestnut upper parts and flanks, and white on the under sides.

Distribution Found in the swamps and waterways of southern Africa, from western Zambia, northern Botswana and the eastern Caprivi in Namibia to the Bangwelu swamps in north-eastern Zambia.

Social structure

Rams are territorial and do not share space, but males which fail to establish territories congregate in bachelor herds. Territories are actively defended.

Ewes and their offspring form breeding herds and move freely between territories of contesting territorial rams, who will compete for mating favours only while receptive ewes are within their domains.

Territorial behaviour may last up to a few months during the mating season.

Range differentiation Three subspecies occur in the swamps and waterways of southern Africa. The red lechwe (Kobus leche leche) occurs in separate populations in western Zambia, northern Botswana and the eastern Caprivi in Namibia.[/p]

The Kafue lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis) is found on the floodplains of the Kafue in Zambia , and the black lechwe (Kobus leche smithemani) occurs in the Bangwelu swamps of north-eastern Zambia.

Habitat Found on floodplains and seasonal swamps, seldom moving far from the water.

Feeding Lechwe feed on semi-aquatic plants found on the floodplains of their habitats.

Breeding Breeding is not strictly seasonal, especially not amongst the Botswana populations. However, there is a tendency for ewes to drop their calves during late winter and early summer when water levels recede. Gestation period is two-hundred-and-twenty-five days.

Click to enlarge

Lechwe are adapted to water and this is where they head when threatened.

Click to enlarge

A male approaches one of his females to initiate mating.

Click to enlarge

Lechwe are built for the water and have great strength in the hindquaters allowing them to move effortlessly in the water.

I have observed lechwe in the Okavango delta moving ahead of the floodwaters. As many of the floodplains dry up the lechwe move off following the water. However, when the flood moves in the lechwe follow in order to establish their territories (often in the same areas as before).

In the Okavango Delta, a specific male I observed held the same territory for three years running.