Sable antelope mate during the dry season from May to July when sub-populations congregate on remaining green pastures (5). Maternal herds of 15 to 25 breeding females and their young are led by a single alpha female (3). Young males are driven out of this herd at about three to four years of age and join bachelor herds of around two to twelve individuals. When around five or six years of age, males will establish and defend a territory at choice feeding grounds which attract females (3). The dominant male allows subordinate males to graze in his territory as long as they are submissive and show no interest in his females, but will fiercely fight any male that challenges his authority. Fights involve males circling one another, shaking their heads, dropping to their knees and engaging in 'horn wrestling' (3) (5). Fatalities are known, but rare (5). A bull also uses urine and faeces to scent-mark the perimeter of his territory to warn off all other rival bulls (3). Peak mating activity occurs in June, and after a gestation of eight to nine months, females typically give birth to a single calf at the end of the rainy season, when food is abundant and the long grass provides sufficient cover (3) (5). After birth, the calf remains concealed for at least two weeks (3), joined by its mother for the first week, before she returns to the maternal group that the calf will eventually join (5). The calf is weaned and fully independent at six to eight months of age (3). Females start to breed at two and a half years of age and attain rank status in the herd hierarchy based on seniority, while males are evicted from the social group at three to four years old. These males then join bachelor herds of two to twelve individuals until they reach sexual maturity at five years (3) (5). Most active in the early morning and late afternoon (2), sable antelope graze on a variety of short grasses abundant during the growing season and survive during the harsh dry season by browsing on herbs, bushes and trees (3). Water is visited at least every other day and no sable antelope will travel more then two miles from a watering hole or river (5). Adults are rarely attacked by predators such as lions because of their large horns and formidable fighting abilities, but the young, injured and old are vulnerable to predation by lions, leopards, hyenas, African hunting dogs and crocodiles (3) (5).

This stunning antelope rivals even the greater kudus as the most handsome of all antelope, with its powerful, robust build, vertical mane and fantastically long, curved horns, which arch majestically backwards (5) (6). Newborn calves are born with a camouflaging, sandy-brown coat, but as they grow and achieve herd status their coats continually darken (3). Mature females eventually become a rich chestnut-brown to dark brownish-black and fully mature males are a glossy brownish-black to pitch-black, varying with the subspecies (3) (5). Coat colour appears to be controlled hormonally, with castrated males losing their black colour to become brown again, and it is thought to help communicate age, and therefore social status, to others (3) (7). Both sexes have sharply contrasting white abdominal, rump, and facial patches, and black facial stripes running down the bridge of the nose and from the eyes to the nostrils (2) (3). The semi-circular, ridged horns are longer and thicker in males, growing up to an incredible 165 centimetres in length, while those of females reach a worthy 100 centimetres (2). These massive horns are very effective defensive weapons against natural predators and are used in dominance fighting (3).

The Sable Antelope formerly occurred widely in the savanna woodlands of southern and eastern Africa, with an isolated population (Giant Sable) in central Angola, between the Cuanza and Luando Rivers and immediately north of the Luando. They have been eliminated from large areas of their former range by meat hunting and loss of habitat to the expansion of agricultural settlement and livestock (East 1999). This range reduction has been most marked in Mozambique, where they survive only in good numbers in Niassa in the north, and in the western Gaza province, southeast DR Congo, and north-east Tanzania (East 1999; Estes in press). Sable have been reintroduced to many parts of their former range, but have also been introduced to areas where they never naturally occurred, including to Swaziland (East 1999).

Hippotragus niger lives in the southern savanna of Africa from southeastern Kenya, eastern Tanzania, and Mozambique to Angola and southern Zaire, mainly in the Miombo Woodland Zone. Good places to view sable antelope include- Shimba Hills National Reserve, Kenya; Ruaha National Park, Selous Grassland Reserve, Tanzania; Kafue and Mweru- Wantipa National Park, Zambia; Matetsi Safari Area, Hwange, Zambezi, and Kazuma Pan NP, Zimbabwe; Kruger National Park, South Africa (Estes 1993).

Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )

Found in the southern savannah of Africa from southeastern Kenya, eastern Tanzania and Mozambique to Angola and southern Zaire, mainly in the Miombo Woodland Zone (5). The Critically Endangered giant antelope is confined to central Angola, where it is primarily located in the Luando Reserve and Cangandala National Park (3) (6).

This stunning antelope rivals even the most handsome kudus and is a popular zoo animal. Hippotragus niger has a powerful, robust build and a thick neck outlined by a vertical mane atop sturdy legs. Males and females are strikingly similar until 3 years old, when males become darker and develop majestic horns. Males weigh around 238 kilograms at a height of 116-142 centimeters. Females weigh 220 kilograms and are slightly shorter than males. The horns are massive and more curved in males reaching lengths of 81-165 centimeters, while females' horns are only 61-102 centimeters in length. Coloration in bulls is black, females and young are chestnut except in southern populations, where females turn brown-black. Most sable antelope have white “eyebrows”, a rostrum sectioned into cheek stripes, white belly and rump patch. Young under 2 months typically are light brown and have slight markings (Estes 1993).

Range mass: 220 to 238 kg.

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial

Favorable habitat is a mixture of savanna woodlands and grassland. Woodlands consist of fire-resistant, broadleaf deciduous trees scattered over an under story of sparse grasses that are grazed during the rainy season. Dry season feeding grounds are grassland areas that were once flooded, then burned, subsequently producing new growth. If possible, Hippotragus niger avoids extensive open lands (Estes 1993).

Preferred habitat is a mixture of open savanna woodlands and grassland, consisting of fire-resistant, broadleaf deciduous trees scattered over an under-storey of sparse grasses that are grazed during the rainy season. During the dry season, feeding grounds are floodplain grasslands that produce new growth after the annual fires, although extensive open plains are generally avoided (5).

Typically, sable antelope are specialized grazers feeding on foliage and herbs, especially those growing on termite mounds. During the dry season they are less reluctant to browse (Estes 1993). One of the reasons for declining antelope numbers could be their very specific feeding pattern. Typically they will feed on grasses (up to ninety percent of their diet) at heights of 40-140 millimeters from the ground taking only the leaf. In a savannah setting, sable antelope are the last to feed on the new grasses available during the late dry season when food availability is vital (Spinage 1986). In the paddock setting, where grasses are tall (above 140mm), feed is high in protein and low in fiber, and sable antelope quickly lose weight. In a particular enclosure study, sable antelope fed primarily on Brachiaria nigropedata, which only had a frequency occurrence of 3.9% across the study area (Wilson and Hirst 1977). The correlation of neck length, angle of the jaws and selective feeding habits serves to separate Hippotragus niger from other grazers and suggests why they are habitat limited (Spingage 1986). Water is visited at least every other day and no sable antelope will travel more then 2 miles from a watering hole or river. Salt licks are visited periodically and they will chew on bones to get trace essential elements not present in mineral-deficient soil (Estes 1993).

Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore )

Sable antelope help to cycle grass/plant nutrients into other areas and the young are prey for large predators.

Lions seldom attack adults, because of their size and the formidable fighting abilities of these antelope. Humans are the only real threat to adult sable antelope and their populations (Spinage 1986). Young Hippotragus niger are susceptible to predation by lions, leopards, hyenas, African hunting dogs and crocodiles.

Known Predators:

• lions (Panthera leo)
• leopards (Panthera pardus)
• hyenas (Hyaeninae)
• African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus)
• crocodiles (Crocodylidae)
• humans (Homo sapiens)

Hippotragus niger is prey of:
Crocodylidae
Homo sapiens
Panthera leo
Panthera pardus
Lycaon pictus
Hyaeninae

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

Sable antelope in the wild can live up to 16 years and over 19 years in captivity (  http://www.marwell.org.uk/anim-25.htm).

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 17.0 years.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 19.8 years.

Maximum longevity: 22.2 years (captivity) Observations: In captivity, these animals can live up to 22.2 years (Richard Weigl 2005).

Dominant males defend harems of females and their immediate foraging territory extending 300 to 500 meters out from the herd. These dominant males mate with females in their harem and vigorously defend them against intruding males (see behavior section). Males may drop to their knees and engage in horn wrestling in fights. Fatalities from these fights are rare.

Mating System: polygynous

Hippotragus niger females usually undergo only one estrous cycle per breeding season that last from May to July, with a peak mating in June. Gestation lasts 8 to 9 months, allowing for birth at the end of rains. Normally one calf is born during the end of the rainy season when long grass is available for cover. The mother stays concealed for the first week of the calf’s three-week hiding phase. After the first week, the mother joins a maternal group that the calf will eventually join. Yet, the calf will seek out the mother only for nursing. In fact, the mother-offspring bond is so feeble, even small calves will spend days apart in a divided herd. Weaning takes place six months after birth, usually towards the end of the dry season when “sourveld” vegetation is lowest in protein and other nutrients (Wilson and Hirst 1977). Females start to breed at 2.5 years old and congregate in social groups that are a rank hierarchy based on seniority. Males are subordinate to females until they are bigger. At 3 to 4 years of age males are evicted from female social groups and live in bachelor herds until they reach sexual maturity at 5 years (Estes 1993).

Breeding season: Mating occurs from May to July, birthing occurs from January to April.

Range number of offspring: 1 (low) .

Average number of offspring: 1.

Range gestation period: 8.63 to 9.07 months.

Average gestation period: 8.87 months.

Range weaning age: 6 to 8 months.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 2.5 to 5 years.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2.5 to 5 years.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); viviparous

Average birth mass: 16375 g.

Average number of offspring: 1.

Females care for their young primarily by nursing them and hiding them from predators. Young are weaned at 6 months of age.

Parental Investment: altricial ; female parental care ; post-independence association with parents

IUCN lists Hippotragus niger as lower risk and conservation dependent, but declining numbers could lead to a threatened listing in the near future. The subspecies Hippotragus niger variani is listed as endangered due to habitat loss and trophy hunting. Studies in the past show that a complex blend of factors such as disease, malnutrition, and habitat quality compounded by interspecific competition and attempts to manipulate populations have limited sable antelope numbers. Historic data has demonstrated their tendency to be dense in some regions and practically nonexistent in others, even in well managed national parks (Wilson and Hirst 1977).

US Federal List: endangered

CITES: appendix i; no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Classified as Lower Risk / Conservation Dependent (LR/cd) on the IUCN Red List 2007 (1). Four subspecies of sable antelope are currently recognised: Hippotragus niger kirkii (Zambian sable), H. n. niger (common or southern sable), H. n. roosevelti (eastern sable), and H. n. variani (giant or Angolan sable) (3). Of these, the giant sable antelope (H. n. variani) is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List 2007 (1), and is listed on Appendix I of CITES (4).

Population

Population Trend

Major Threats

Sable antelope have been eliminated from large areas of their former range due to a combination of disease, drought-caused food shortages, and habitat loss and degradation, compounded by interspecific competition (3) (5). Subsistence hunting poses an additional threat (3), and its powerful stature and imposing horns have also made this species a prized trophy animal to many big-game hunters, some of which are willing to pay thousands of dollars to hunt them (5). As the African human population continues to grow, the rate of habitat loss due to pressure for agricultural land, and poaching for protein-rich meat are likely to grow (3). The giant sable antelope (H. n. variani) occupies a particularly precarious position in Angola (3), and was classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List even before the commencement of 20 years of civil war (6). With the onset of civil war, most of the protected areas in which the giant sable antelope was found were evacuated, and have been left unattended and unprotected for more than 25 years (6).

Conservation Actions

With three quarters of the wild population living on protected natural habitat in national parks, national game reserves, private game reserves, conservancy lands, and private farms, this species is currently considered stable. Sable antelope are held in a number of zoos throughout the world, and the North American Regional Studbook has recently been published, helping to keep captive populations genetically healthy by coordinating breeding between institutions (3). However, due to their aggressive nature and strong social inclusion and exclusion structures, sable antelope can pose difficulties to captive management (3). The Critically Endangered giant sable antelope occurs in the Luando Reserve and Cangandala National Park (6), but its future nevertheless remains uncertain (3). Strict legislation and enforcement are required to protect this magnificent animal from poachers (6), but before this is likely to become a viable prospect or priority, it is essential for the Angolan government to reach stability and for the quality of life of the Angolan people to be improved (3) (6).

Sable antelope have no negative affects on humans.

Sable antelope are found in parks all across eastern and southern Africa offering an attraction to the ecotourism industry. Sable antelope are prized trophy animals to many big-game hunters and some are willing to spend thousands of dollars to hunt them. However, declining sable antelope numbers calls into question the advisability of hunting them.

Positive Impacts: food ; body parts are source of valuable material; ecotourism