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on Can Impala Really Delay Their Births?

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Another outstanding example of what makes Londolozi so special . . . recognizing that it is not just about the lions and elephants.

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HI SHAUN,
THANKS FOR THIS VERY INTERESTING ARTICLE/BLOG!
IT IS VERY INTERESTING HOW EASILY ONE CAN BE MISLED BY “OLD FOLKS TALES”!
KNOWING YOU, THIS IS WELL RESEARCHED INFORMATION, AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT.
I WILL HOPEFULLY SEE YOU IN A WEEK OR SO.
KIND REGARDS,
TED.

Lending some much needed additional context to the latest article on impala lambs, thanks!

Thank you Shaun for this insight into impala births. I worked for two years at a Safari operation in the Tuli Block in Botswana. I was told that impalas can delay their births by up to six weeks until the rains come and favourable conditions exist for ewes and their babies to survive. And the whole herd will birth at the same time, increasing the odds of survival of the young from predation by sheer numbers. The changes that happen after the first rains are astounding. Where once there was nothing, everything turns green and flowers appear virtually overnight. Tuli is the Setswana name for dust and that’s all you have until the rains come. The Mopane trees lose there leaves and turn black. All grasses disappear and the Tuli Block is a literal desert. It’s diddicult to fathom how anything survives there. There is also the phenomenon of impalas dying off leading up to the first raisins and the birthing period. Many ewes were to be found in different areas of the concession with no apparent injuries suggestive of predation. Delayed birth was thought to be the cause.

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