Antelopes & Gazelles of Tanzania

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Thomson’s Gazelle

Eudorcas thomsonii Swala tomi

The tail-flicking "tommie" of the short-grass plains — the Serengeti’s most abundant gazelle and the staple prey of the cheetah.

Mammal · Bovidae Serengeti National Park and the Ndutu plains Ngorongoro Conserv… Very common on short grass; visible throughout the day.

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Grant’s Gazelle

Nanger granti Swala granti

Larger and paler than the "tommie", with long lyre-shaped horns and no need to drink — it stays on the plains when others leave.

Mammal · Bovidae Serengeti National Park Ngorongoro Conservation Area Tarangire… Common and seen year-round, including on plains other grazers h…

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Impala

Aepyceros melampus Swala pala

The elegant, athletic antelope of the woodland edge — abundant in almost every Tanzanian park and able to leap ten metres in one bound.

Mammal · Bovidae Tarangire and Lake Manyara national parks Serengeti National Pa… Very common and visible throughout the day near cover and water.

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Kirk’s Dik-dik

Madoqua kirkii Dikidiki / Digidigi

A knee-high antelope with an elongated flexible snout, living in lifelong pairs in dry thicket — Tarangire and Manyara are excellent for it.

Mammal · Bovidae Tarangire and Lake Manyara national parks Serengeti National Pa… Common in thicket country; usually seen in pairs at the roadsid…

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Klipspringer

Oreotragus oreotragus Mbuzi mawe

A rock specialist that stands on the tips of its hooves, balanced on outcrops in the Serengeti kopjes and Ruaha’s hills.

Mammal · Bovidae Serengeti National Park — the kopjes Ngorongoro Conservation Ar… Localised but reliable wherever there are rocks; often silhouet…

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Oribi

Ourebia ourebi Taya

A slender golden grassland antelope with a black tail tip and a bare dark patch below the ear — a Serengeti grassland speciality.

Mammal · Bovidae Serengeti National Park — western corridor and northern grassla… Localised and uncommon; regular in the right grassland.

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Steenbok

Raphicerus campestris Dondoro

A neat, bright-rufous dwarf antelope with huge dark eyes and outsized ears, always alone and always alert.

Mammal · Bovidae Serengeti National Park Ngorongoro Conservation Area Tarangire… Fairly common but solitary and easily overlooked; usually a sin…

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Bohor Reedbuck

Redunca redunca Tohe

A shaggy, buff antelope of damp grassland and reedbeds, the male’s horns hooked sharply forward at the tips.

Mammal · Bovidae Ngorongoro Conservation Area Serengeti National Park — northern… Fairly common in wet grassland; usually seen at dawn and dusk.

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Bushbuck

Tragelaphus sylvaticus Pongo / Mbawala

A solitary, richly marked forest antelope — the most widespread antelope in Africa and a regular in Manyara’s groundwater forest.

Mammal · Bovidae Lake Manyara National Park Arusha National Park Mahale Mountain… Fairly common in forest and thicket, but shy and usually seen a…

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Red Forest Duiker

Cephalophus natalensis Funo

A deep chestnut forest dwarf antelope that dives into cover at the first sound — the "duiker" name means diver.

Mammal · Bovidae Arusha National Park Mahale Mountains National Park Eastern Arc… Uncommon and secretive; brief sightings on forest tracks.

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Harvey’s Red Duiker

Cephalophus harveyi

An East African forest duiker with a dark face blaze and black legs — a speciality of Arusha National Park’s montane forest.

Mammal · Bovidae Arusha National Park — Mount Meru forest Ngorongoro Conservatio… Uncommon and shy; localised to montane forest.

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Common Eland

Taurotragus oryx Pofu / Mbunju

The largest antelope on earth — a bull can exceed 900 kg, yet still clear a two-metre fence from standing.

Mammal · Bovidae Serengeti National Park Ngorongoro Conservation Area Mikumi Nat… Fairly common but wary; herds usually keep their distance.

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Greater Kudu

Tragelaphus strepsiceros Tandala mkubwa

The grey ghost of the woodland: a tall, striped antelope whose bulls carry the longest spiral horns of any animal.

Mammal · Bovidae Ruaha National Park Nyerere National Park and Selous ecosystem… Fairly common in dry woodland; most reliably seen in Ruaha.

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Lesser Kudu

Ammelaphus imberbis Tandala mdogo

A smaller, finer, more heavily striped kudu of arid thornbush — shy, beautiful and largely restricted to Tanzania’s dry north and centre.

Mammal · Bovidae Ruaha National Park Tarangire National Park Mkomazi National Pa… Uncommon and very shy; a prized sighting in dry bush.

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Fringe-eared Oryx

Oryx beisa callotis Choroa

A boldly masked desert antelope with rapier horns and tufted ear tips — Tarangire and Mkomazi are its Tanzanian strongholds.

Mammal · Bovidae Tarangire National Park Mkomazi National Park The Maasai Steppe… Uncommon and localised; regular in Tarangire and Mkomazi.

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Gerenuk

Litocranius walleri Swala twiga

The "giraffe-necked antelope", which stands upright on its hind legs to browse two metres above the ground.

Mammal · Bovidae Tarangire National Park Mkomazi National Park The northern arid… Uncommon and localised to dry northern bush.

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Roan Antelope

Hippotragus equinus Korongo

A big, horse-like antelope with a black-and-white face mask and long tasselled ears — a prize of the southern and western woodlands.

Mammal · Bovidae Ruaha National Park Nyerere National Park and Selous ecosystem… Uncommon and localised; a genuine highlight of a southern or we…

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Sable Antelope

Hippotragus niger Palahala / Mbarapi

Jet-black bulls with scimitar horns sweeping back over the shoulders — widely held to be Africa’s most handsome antelope.

Mammal · Bovidae Nyerere National Park and Selous ecosystem Ruaha National Park… Uncommon and localised to woodland; a highlight of the southern…

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Waterbuck

Kobus ellipsiprymnus Kuro

A shaggy, water-loving antelope famous for the white ring on its rump — and for an oily coat with a smell all its own.

Mammal · Bovidae Nyerere National Park and Selous ecosystem Ruaha and Mikumi nat… Common near water and easy to see by day.

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Puku

Kobus vardonii

A golden floodplain antelope of the Rufiji and Katavi wetlands — the northern edge of its world range is in Tanzania.

Mammal · Bovidae Nyerere National Park and the Rufiji floodplain Katavi National… Localised but locally common on southern and western floodplain…

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Topi

Damaliscus lunatus jimela Nyamera

A glossy purple-sheened antelope that stands sentinel on termite mounds across the western and northern Serengeti.

Mammal · Bovidae Serengeti National Park — western corridor and northern plains… Common in the right grassland, and conspicuous on termite mound…

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Coke’s Hartebeest

Alcelaphus buselaphus cokii Kongoni

The "kongoni" of the northern plains — a long-faced, high-shouldered grazer with sharply hooked horns.

Mammal · Bovidae Serengeti National Park Ngorongoro Conservation Area Tarangire… Common on northern-circuit plains and visible all day.

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Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest

Alcelaphus lichtensteinii

The miombo hartebeest of southern and western Tanzania — richer in colour than the kongoni, with a dark saddle on the back.

Mammal · Bovidae Nyerere National Park and Selous ecosystem Mikumi National Park… Fairly common in the southern and western woodlands.

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