Hunting The Western Sitatunga

The sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekii) is a medium-sized amphibious antelope native to central Africa. Often referred to as a marshbuck, this antelope enjoys a habitat of swamps and marshlands.

There are three recognized subspecies of the Sitatunga antelope:

• s. spekii: Nile sitatunga or East African sitatunga
• s. gratus: Congo Sitatunga, also known as the Forest sitatunga or the Western sitatunga
• s. selousi: Zambezi sitatunga, also known as the Southern Sitatunga

The Western sitatunga is found in central and western Africa, and its habitats include lakes, wetlands, swamps, and marshlands. It is listed by the International Union for the Conversation of Nature (IUCN) with a status of “least concern.”

The sitatunga is herbivorous, enjoying a diet of reeds, aquatic grasses, flowers, buds, and seeds. Predators of the antelope include leopards, lions, and wild dogs. When chased, the sitatunga will head for the water, and with their specially adapted splayed hooves that allow them to easily walk through soft and muddy terrain, they are quickly able to reach it. Once there, these exceptional swimmers head to deeper water, keeping only their nostrils visible to evade predators.

Breeding occurs throughout the year, with females giving birth to one offspring. 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.