Hunting the Sitatunga

The sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekii) is a medium-sized amphibious antelope native throughout central Africa. If you think a game hunting safari targeting this Africa plains game species will be straightforward, think again! The sitatunga’s habitat consists of swamps and marshes and they are hunted in a canoe. Be ready for a wet, wild, adrenaline-charged hunting adventure like no other!

Found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Botswana, Ghana, Zambia, Gabon, and Tanzania, the sitatunga leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle, and its territory consists of swamps, marshes, marshy clearings in forests, riparian thickets, and mangrove swamps. It is listed by the International Union for the Conversation of Nature (IUCN) with a status of “least concern.”

They are semi-aquatic antelopes, and their hooves are elongated and wide-splayed, allowing them to walk on soft terrain such as marshes and swamps without sinking. This adaption also assists by allowing them a quick escape from predators by quickly fleeing into deeper waters. It is not unusual to see the Nile lechwe sharing habitats with the sitatunga, as they both prefer a water habitat.

Breeding occurs throughout the year, with a gestation period of 247 days. The female gives birth to one offspring. The sitatunga are non-territorial and semi-social, with females forming herds while adult males tend to be solitary.

The sitatunga is nocturnal and diurnal, although they are more active at dusk and dawn, preferring to rest in the shade of the reeds during the day. At night they may move onto marshy land areas.

They are herbivores, eating a variety of plants, leaves, grasses, and fallen fruit. They will even chew on the bark of certain trees and bushes!

These African big game animals are prey to lions, leopards, and wild dogs. Being accomplished swimmers, should they be chased by the predator, they will flee into the deeper water, submerging themselves until only their nostrils are visible.