Impala
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Impala: They are common & widely distributed. They are among the most graceful, beautiful, successful & common animals. Only the males have horns. [Musima, Hwange NP, Zimbabwe]
Impala: This male is on the hill scanning for danger from pedators. He also wants to defend his herd against other bachelor males who might want to steal some of the 50 does from his large herd grazing below (Next 4 Images) In spite of his exhausting efforts, this will eventually happen anyway. [Musima, Hwange NP, Zimbabwe]
Impala: Some of his large herd of grazing.females. [Musima, Hwange NP, Zimbabwe]
Some of the large herd, mostly females, and a few young males, getting a drink. [Musima, Hwange NP, Zimbabwe]
Impala: the rest of the large herd around the waterhole. [Musima, Hwange NP, Zimbabwe]
The buck Impala's neck and ear are providing a meal for 2 red-billed oxpeckers even while he drinks. [Musima, Hwange NP, Zimbabwe]
Impala - Crowd of does drinking from the small, muddy pools. [Musima Dam, Hwange NP, Zimbabwe].
Impala: Two young adult males looking out for predators.
Impala: Two adolescent males play-dueling. Musima, Zimbabwe].
A very large herd of Impala does and a few young males were going through this grassland in a hurry--for what reason, I don't know! [Zmbabwe].
I have 'stitched' together 4 images that I took a few years ago of a female cheetah (lower left) hunting an impala fawn. I put 4 images together better to depict what I actually witnessed and photographed with a 'still' camera. The green markers at the bottom approximate the original images (after cropping)]. It was not feasible, with a still-camera, to reproduce well such a fast-moving action sequence, occuring over a large area. The whole episode lasted only about 2-3 mins. The cheetah picks her target from a distance of perhaps 300 feet. She will pursue only that animal, even passing up those standing close-by her path where, it would seem, a sharp turn would produce a certain capture. But no, she can capture only by chasing & tripping, and then grabing and crushing the throat of the fallen animal! Remember, she has no retracting (prehensile) claws, like the leopard or lion, for grasping an animal. 1st segment: she selects her prey; 2nd segment: she pursues Impala fawn; 3rd Segment: she has almost caught up with the fawn; 4th Segment: Fawn is caught and killed. Note the mother impala, at far right background, watching [Masai Mara, Kenya].
This lovely 4-wk calf paused in perfect light to allow me to snap its picture. Please note the beautiful coat and the animal's perfect conformation. [Botswana].
A small group of 2-wk-olds resting in the grass. An adult female in the background may be checking for danger. [Botswana].
A close-up of some more 2-wk-olds in the same area resting in the grass.[Botswana].
Two female adult Impala herd a small group of month-old youngsters through a field. [Botswana].
