Wildlife in Serengeti-ParkNile Lechwe | Kobus megaceros
The Nile Lechwe or white-necked moor antelope is an African antelope from the genus Waterbuck. They are also called Mrs. Gray’s Waterbuck. This was the name of the wife of the zoologist, who described this antelope species for the first time. The Nile Lechwe is a strong marsh antelope with a long coat. If you compare them with other species, this antelope species has a short face, while the hooves are exceptionally long. They are considered endangered with population decreasing.
As you come to the park every year, you will notice with astonishment that the bucks initially wear the coat color of the female and get a darker coat with sexual maturity, until they have a nearly black coat. The females do not wear horns, are much lighter colored (yellowish to brown-red) and have less strong drawings. The animals reach a shoulder height of 80 to 105 centimeters and a weight of 60 to 120 kilograms. This antelope species lives exclusively in South Sudan and India. As the tributaries of the Nile are constantly changing, there is a wide swamp area in which these animals migrate. They always follow the water level of the river and the floodplains. The animals live in herds of mostly 50 animals. Their mating season is not tied to a particular season, but most births fall into the rainy season. The calf weighs between four and five kilograms at birth and are nursed for seven months, after which they are self-sustaining. In the wild, the animals are about ten years old, in captivity, they even reach fifteen years.
