Today I want to write about a beautiful and unique species of antelope, the waterbuck.
Here are five interesting facts about them:
- These large antelopes can grow up to 2.3 metres long. Only the males have horns, which can grow up to 1 metre long.
- As their name suggests, they have a close connection with water. Waterbuck always live near a body of water and use it to escape from a range of predators, which include lions, cheetahs, hyenas and African hunting dogs.
- They have an oily secretion that covers their coat and smells really bad. This helps them to find a mate and makes their coat waterproof.
- They live in herds of 6-30 animals, with one male who defends his territory. Female babies stay with the herd, but males leave at the age of about 8 months and live in a herd with other young males.
- Waterbuck are quite common and can be found in woodlands and savanna near water throughout Africa.
I hope that you found these facts interesting and learned something new.
Are there any other interesting facts that you would like to share about waterbuck?