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Impala

Scientific name: Aepyceros melampus

Field notes

Appearance

Slender, gazelle-like antelope with reddish-fawn upper parts and white underside. Males are noticeably larger and carry long, lyre-shaped horns; females are hornless. Black markings along the spine, flanks, and hindquarters are distinctive.

Size and weight

Males 50–65 kg, females 40–50 kg. Body length 150–180 cm; shoulder height 70–95 cm.

Habitat

Impala occupy open and lightly wooded savanna, grassland margins, and thornbush country. They favour areas with permanent water and mixed grass-shrub vegetation, typically at elevations below 1,500 m.

Distribution

Found across East and southern Africa from Kenya through Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia to South Africa. Prefer savanna zones with access to water and mixed vegetation.

Diet

Primarily mixed grazer-browser consuming fresh grasses, forbs, leaves, and shrub shoots; diet shifts towards browse during dry seasons when grass quality declines.

Behaviour

Highly gregarious, forming herds of 6–30 individuals (larger in dry season). Active at dawn and dusk; rest during midday heat. Explosive, bounding escape gait with unpredictable leaps when alarmed.

Hunting tips

Look for slot-shaped tracks (goat-like) and small, oval pellets in aggregated dung piles. Approach from downwind using cover of bush and grass clumps; stalk toward water sources at dawn or dusk when herds drink. Use terrain folds and scattered trees for concealment—impala are wary and have excellent vision, so slow, deliberate movement is critical. Listen for alarm snorts and watch for ear flick patterns indicating detection.

Carcass weight

This species is logged by carcass weight — the animal weighed dressed, the way hunting teams normally report it.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 8 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

Current language: en

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.