Targeting Robert’s Gazelle hunting in Africa

Robert’s gazelle (Nanger granti robertsi) is a subspecies of Grant’s gazelle (Nanger granti) only found in specific regions of northern Tanzania. These areas are west of the Rift Valley, including the country’s world-famous Serengeti. There are three subspecies of Grant’s gazelle, with Robert’s gazelle being one of the three, and the other two being the northern and southern Grant’s gazelle species.

Robert’s gazelle looks exactly like Grant’s gazelle, apart from the male’s horns that are downward facing, while the female’s horns are the normal lyre shape.

When game hunting in Africa, these gazelles are sometimes confused with Thomson’s gazelles but are easily distinguishable as they are larger and the white patch found on their rump extends above the tail area. 

These gazelles live in small to mid-sized herds, separated into females with juveniles and bachelor groups. They breed throughout the year, with a gestation period of 198 days after which one to two offspring are born. The young are hidden at first, with the female returning to feed the offspring numerous times daily. They remain hidden for roughly two weeks, start eating solid food at about one month, and are weaned at six months. 

Their habitats include Tanzania’s open plains. These antelopes are mixed feeders that both browse and graze, while their diet varies according to the season and food availability. The Robert’s gazelle gain lots of moisture through the varied diet that they consume and are not highly water dependent.

Often targeted on game hunting safaris for their beautiful horns and meat by humans, other common predators of this gazelle include African wild dogs, lions, cheetahs, and hyenas. The Robert’s gazelle is a swift African plains game antelope, with this fleet-footed gazelle reaching speeds of 50 miles per hour. This aids them in outrunning many predators, but they will use their horns to defend themselves or their offspring if needed.