Tsessebe

Damaliscus lunatus lunatus - The Tsessebe

Also known as the sassaby, the common tsessebe is a close relative of the bontebok. It is somewhat comical in appearance; with high, sloped shoulders that descend to a small rump that does not look particularly strong.

Did you know? Tsessebe belong to the same family as the Wildebeest and the Hartebeest all of which are characterised by their comical appearance as a result of their shoulders being higher than the withers.

In fact, its entire body looks more clumsy than agile. However, when threatened, this has proven to be one of the fastest antelope in the bushveld of Africa. They can reach a running speed of up to 80 kilometres per hour. This is no mean feat when one considers that its peers are the mighty wildebeest and the elegant springbok.

The common tsessebe is brown (adult males are darker than juveniles and female adults) with white or darker brown markings. The long, slender legs and chest are black, and there is a black line running from their forehead to the tip of their nose. The belly is white, and their muzzles are narrow and elongated.

For the tsessebe, the horns play an important role in determining their age and in establishing dominance (by means of horning the ground). These horns are S-shaped and ringed. They wear down over the years, so older animals can be distinguished by their well-worn horns.

Size

The tsessebe is a large antelope, with a shoulder height of some 1.2 m. They measure between 150 to 230 cm in length; with males being slightly larger than females. Both sexes grow horns, which are between 30 and 40 cm long. Females usually have slightly shorter horns, while those of the male are generally between 37 and 40 cm.

Weight

Although this antelope only weighs between 10 and 12 kg at birth, the common tsessebe grows to a fairly sturdy specimen. Bulls weigh around 135 to 140 kg and cows reach an average weight of about 120 kg.

Habitat

These grazers opt for open savannahs, grasslands, plains and lightly wooded areas. Occasionally, they can also be found in rolling hills or on flats that are less than 1 500 metres above sea level.

Distribution

Tsessebe are common in South Africa, as well as in countries slightly further north – including Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In South Africa, the Kruger National Park is one of the best places to spot them.

Other parks and reserves that are home to them include the Pilanesberg National Park (2.5 hours from Pretoria in Gauteng), Marakele National Park (less than two hours from Bela-Bela), d'Nyala Nature Reserve (less than three hours from Polokwane), and the Mokala National Park, just outside Kimberley.

Diet - Herbivores

The common tsessebe is a grazer, and feeds on the juicy grasses and leaves of its natural habitat. They prefer fresh growth and can, therefore, often be found in areas that have been burnt and are experiencing a period of renewal. It usually feeds out of the heat of the day, taking a break between about 09h00 and 16h00. They need clean, fresh water, and will travel for up to 5 km a day to a good water source.

Socialisation

Tsessebes are gregarious, sociable animals that enjoy being part of a herd. However, males and females form their own separate herds. Young males join a bachelor herd, which can comprise of some 30 individuals. More mature bulls will be part of another herd, also of a few dozen bulls, but not including the bachelors. Females will form a herd of between 6 and 10 cows, as well as their calves.

These are territorial antelope, and have a variety of ways to establish their dominance and their territory. These techniques include parading in front of the cows with their noses high in the air, ground horning (striking at the ground with their horns), swiping one another with shoulders, grunting, defecating in a crouch stance, high-stepping and mud-packing (throwing mud at other males using the horns). Other than this, there are not particularly aggressive encounters.

Another territorial tactic that they use is the bathing of their foreheads and horns in an oily secretion that comes out of a gland near their eyes. To get this secretion from the gland to their horns and face, they insert a grassy stem into the preorbital glands, coating it in the oil. Then, they wave the grassy stems around, which causes the oil to fall onto their foreheads and horns.

Other behaviour that continues to befuddle researchers (in terms of their purpose) includes their ability to sleep with their mouth flat on the ground and their horns sticking straight up into the air, and the males' tendency to stand in parallel lines and bob their heads backwards and forwards with closed eyes.

Reproduction

Males go through a season during which they will compete for females, known as a rut. This usually lasts from the middle of February to March, which coincides with the oestrus cycle of the cows. The bulls form a lek (a congregation) in the area in which the females will come looking for a mate.

The lek provides added protection from predators (due to the increased numbers of strong males) and gives the females more variety from which to choose. The dominant males stay in the centre of the lek, giving the cows an indication of who can provide stronger genes. To get to the centre, they have to compete with the other males, establishing their strength and dominance. During her day (or a little longer) of oestrus, she will mate many times to ensure insemination.

After mating, the female is pregnant for 7 to 8 months, after which one calf is born. She can continue to produce one calf every year. They give birth around September or October. The calves are part of the cow's herd. Young bulls will leave and become part of a bachelor herd when they reach sexual maturity (at around 2 years of age).

Gestation

The cow carries her unborn calf for between 7 and 8 months.

Life Expectancy

The common tsessebe can live for about 15 years in the wild.

Predators

The population numbers of the tsessebe used to be very healthy, but there has been a sharp decline in the last century as a result of habitat destruction and bush encroachment, as well as hunting for meat. In some areas, they are killed by farmers who want the grazing space for their cattle. This leaves human beings as its primary threat. However, young and weak antelope may also fall prey to hyenas, lions and other predators.