Hunting the Kob

The kob (Kobus kob) is a medium-sized, robust, and powerfully built African antelope inhabiting central Africa and parts of west and east Africa. Three species of kob are active and found in more than 15 African countries.

The three subspecies of kob antelope are:

• Buffon’s or Western Kob (Kobus kob kob)
• Uganda kob (Kobus kob thomasi)
• White-eared (Kobus kob leucotis) 

Buffon’s kobs have the largest distribution and are found in the moister sections of the savannas that run from Sudan to Senegal. The white-eared kob are found in the swamp-like areas of South Sudan and Ethiopia while the Uganda kob inhabits sections of Uganda, the DRC, and South Sudan.

  These herbivorous antelopes inhabit wet areas, such as floodplains, grasslands, savannas, shrublands, and wetlands, feeding on various grasses and reeds.

The kob is diurnal but is largely inactive during the hotter sections of the day when it rests or sleeps in shaded, covered areas. Herds can vary in number from 5-40, with the groups being either females and calves or male herds. There is no specific breeding period for the kob, but peaks have been recorded. The gestation period is roughly 240 days, and the female births a single calf. 

The main predators of this medium-sized antelope, apart from hunters on a game hunting safari, include leopards, lions, hyenas, hunting dogs, and cheetahs. 

The kob is listed by the IUCN with a red list status of least concern, but their numbers are diminishing due to hunting as well as human development.