I recently stumbled upon a copy of Willem Frost’s- The Antelope of Africa, and what started as a casual browse turned into an unexpected deep dive into some of the continent’s most fascinating mammals. Here at Londolozi, impalas are a constant presence. They’re often the first antelopes guests encounter on safari, gathered in open clearings or leaping effortlessly through the thickets. Their constant presence makes them easy to overlook. But Frost’s book reminded me that these graceful antelopes are part of a much larger family tree, one with extraordinary diversity across Africa’s grasslands, forests, and wetlands.

Graceful and elegantly built, the impala is known for its beautiful, sleek coat that is a rich reddish-brown and the males for their lyre-shaped horns.

What Makes an Antelope?

Antelopes are part of the Bovidae family, sharing ancestry with cattle and goats. Africa is home to over 70 species, ranging from the tiny royal antelope of West Africa (barely 25 cm tall) to the giant eland, which weighs nearly a ton. They’re defined by their permanent, unbranched horns (unlike deer, which shed antlers) and their adaptations to a remarkable range of habitats. It’s worth noting that gazelles, like the springbok of Southern Africa or the Thomson’s gazelle of Kenya, belong to a distinct group of small, swift antelopes built for speed on open plains. Here at Londolozi, we don’t see true gazelles, but guests travelling further north on safari might.

The scientific name for the impala is Aepyceros melampus. “Aepyceros” is derived from the Greek words “aipos” (high) and “keras” (horn), literally meaning “high-horned”, referring to the male’s impressive horns. The second part, “melampus,” comes from the Greek words “melas” (black) and “pous” (foot), translating to “black-footed”.

Impala Across Africa

The impala we see at Londolozi (Aepyceros melampus melampus) is the Southern impala, common across Southern Africa. But venture further north and you might encounter its lesser-known cousins:

• East African impala (Aepyceros melampus rendilis): Found in Kenya and northern Tanzania, this subspecies is slightly larger, and the males grow impressively long, lyre-shaped horns.

The horns of the East African impala are considerably longer than those of its cousin in southern Africa. The record length is over 92cm (36 ins) while the southern impala record is just over 76cm (30 ins)

• Black-faced impala (Aepyceros melampus petersi): This rare subspecies lives in northern Namibia and southern Angola. With its dark facial markings and slightly larger build, it’s easily distinguished. Once on the brink of extinction, its numbers have rebounded thanks to conservation efforts in Etosha National Park and private reserves, although it remains vulnerable.

The surviving population of black-faced impala is ~4000 individuals, most of which occur in Etosha National Park and the IUCN (The International Union for the Conservation of Nature) regards them as ‘vulnerable’

Relatives in Faraway Habitats

The spiral-horned nyala, often seen browsing in riverine thickets here, has a lesser-known cousin in the mountain nyala, found only in the highland forests of Ethiopia. Endemic and rarely seen, this elegant antelope survives in just a few isolated patches of habitat and is considered endangered due to habitat loss and human encroachment.

Elsewhere, another close relative, the sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekii), of which there are four subspecies, has adapted to a completely different world—Africa’s wetlands. With elongated, splayed hooves that spread their weight, sitatunga are adept at navigating swampy terrain and dense reedbeds. They’ve even been observed using floating papyrus mats as temporary refuges, remaining concealed for days at a time.

The sitatunga closely resembles the nyala in that the bulls are dark grey-brown while the ewes are rufous to red-brown. They are characterised by their long, splayed hoove,s which give them a slightly spread-eagled stance.

In the dense rainforests of Central and West Africa, as well as in a small niche of mountain rainforests of Kenya, the elusive western and mountain bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus and Tragelaphus isaaci) – a striking chestnut antelope with vertical white stripes – is adapted for life in deep shade and tangled undergrowth. These species reveal how antelopes have evolved to thrive in almost every African habitat.

Two distinct features cause the bongo to be similar to the eland (Tragelaphus oryx) – the ox-like tail and the presence of horns in both sexes. However, the spiral horns, lack of a dewlap and non-ox-like feet make them appear more similar to the nyala and other members of the Tragelaphus genus.

Conservation Beyond the Big Five

When people think of African conservation, their minds often go to lions, elephants, and rhinos. But many lesser-known species, like antelopes, play equally vital roles in their ecosystems and face similar threats.

Frost’s book recounts the story of the bluebuck, a distant relative of sable and roan antelopes, hunted to extinction in South Africa’s Cape region in the 18th century. Today, species like the black-faced impala, hirola (found in the dry grasslands of eastern Kenya), addax (native to the Sahara Desert), and mountain nyala still live on the edge. Some numbering in the hundreds can survive only through targeted conservation programs.

As the Senegal bush male walked below the airstrip, a herd of impala caught sight of him and began alarming, fixated on him.

As Frost writes in the preface to The Antelope of Africa:

“The purpose of this modest work is to tell the story of Africa’s antelope and to draw attention to their plight since they patently find it difficult to compete for media attention with flagship species such as elephant, rhino and lion, and to help alert the world to what we are busy losing.”

A Wider Lens on Safari

Next time you watch impala grazing on a Londolozi clearing, consider how they’re connected to this wider African story. From the delicate gazelles of East Africa to the swamp-dwelling sitatunga of the Okavango Delta, each antelope plays a role in its ecosystem. Protecting them helps maintain the balance of Africa’s diverse landscapes, each shaped by its own cast of antelopes.

An impala ram stands tall as it attempts to get a better look at the lioness on the other side of the clearing. When impalas see a predator on the move, they will let off a series of short, sharp snorts and keep their eyes fixed on the predator to let the predator know that it has lost its element of surprise, as well as alerting other members of the herd.