Impala Black Faced

An impala (Aepyceros melampus comes from the greek meaning high horn black foot) is a medium-sized African antelope. The name impala comes from the Zulu language and are found in open woodlands and grasslands of Africa and they tend to inhabit areas close to a water source. The impala weighs on average 50kg (20-25lbs) and stands approximately 90cm to the shoulder they are reddish-brown in colour with lighter flanks and have white underbellies with a characteristic 'M' marking on its rear. Male Impala have long slender horns reaching up to 60cm (longest recorded horns were 80cm).

Females and their young will form herds consisting of between 15-100 individuals. They have a range of between 80 and 180 hectares and will defend this during the wet season but are more likely to overlap territories with other herds during the dry season. Bachelor herds of young males are formed consisting of up to 30 individuals. Males have smaller territories in the breeding season which they will defend and during the dry season they can be found mixed with female herds.