Nyala

Scientific name: Tragelaphus angasii

How weight is recorded: Carcass weight

Field notes

Appearance

Males are dark slate-grey to blackish with white vertical stripes on the body and distinctive spiral horns; females are chestnut-brown with more pronounced stripes and lack horns. Males are noticeably larger and carry a pronounced shaggy mane along the back and neck.

Size and weight

Males 100–130 kg, 220–260 cm body length; females 55–75 kg, 190–210 cm.

Habitat

Nyala inhabit dense woodland and thicket, particularly miombo and acacia savanna with good water access. They prefer areas with thick cover between 600–1,400 m elevation.

Distribution

Found in southern and southeastern Africa, chiefly in southern Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and northern South Africa. Restricted to well-wooded areas with permanent or semi-permanent water.

Diet

Browse leaves, shoots, and fallen fruit; also graze during green flush. Seasonal preference shifts from browser in dry season to mixed browser–grazer in wet season.

Behaviour

Primarily nocturnal and crepuscular; active at dawn and dusk. Generally solitary or in small family groups; males are territorial and mark with dung middens and rub marks on vegetation.

Hunting tips

Look for dung middens, rub marks on low branches, and deep parallel tracks 8–10 cm long in soft soil near water. Approach from downwind through dense cover at dawn or dusk; nyala are alert and will vanish into thicket. Glass waterholes and clearings early morning and late afternoon when they move to feed.

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 4 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

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