Puku (Kobus vardonii) lives in open savanna across Southern Africa. It feeds on grasses and leaves. Its conservation status is Near Threatened.
Fascinating facts about the Puku
- The puku is a medium-sized antelope that inhabits wet grasslands across the southern Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia, with its strongest concentrations in Botswana's Okavango Delta. It stands about 80 cm tall at the shoulder and weighs between 70 and 80 kg, giving it a sturdy but agile build.
- Male puku are distinguished by ridge-structured, lyre-shaped horns that grow to a length of 50 cm. These males also maintain territories that they defend vigorously, trying to keep groups of females within their bounds for as long as possible. By holding a defined area, a male can attract and retain a herd, which is crucial during the rainy season when herds can swell to around 50 females.
- When a puku perceives danger it emits a sharp, shrill whistle that it repeats to alert nearby conspecifics. This alarm call is most often heard during the early morning and late afternoon, the periods when the species is most active as a crepuscular animal.
- Female puku normally form small groups of up to twenty individuals, but when the rains arrive they congregate into much larger herds. During the rainy season these herds can swell to about fifty females, providing added safety against predators. The increase in numbers allows the animals to keep better watch and to move together through the flooded grasslands.
- When the wet season brings extensive flooding, puku leave the low-lying marshy grasslands and migrate to higher ground to avoid the water. In the dry months they return to the same areas but stay close to remaining water sources. This seasonal movement is driven by the large floods that occur in their preferred damp habitats.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeSouthern Africa
HabitatOpen savanna
DietGrasses and leaves
About the Puku
In the lush wetlands of southern Africa, the puku, with its striking reddish-brown coat, moves with a quiet elegance, its large, dark eyes ever-vigilant for the predators that lurk in the tall grasses. As it grazes on the sweet grasses and aquatic plants that thrive in this fertile landscape, the puku's slender legs seem to dance across the water's edge, their gentle splashing a soothing serenade to the symphony of sounds that fill the air. With its shy demeanor and elusive nature, the puku remains a rare and enchanting sighting, a true treasure of the African wilderness.
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