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Animals

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A-Z

Impala

Aepyceros melampus

An impala runs through a dry, grassy
field.

Photograph by Chris
Johns

Impala Profile

Impalas are medium-sized antelopes that roam the
savanna and light woodlands of eastern and southern
Africa. In the rainy season, when food is plentiful,
they may gather in large herds of several hundred
animals to browse on grasses and herbs, bushes, shrubs,
and shoots.

Herds offer protection from
predators, such as lions. An alert impala will bark out
an alarm that puts the entire herd to flight—and a
fleeing impala is no easy prey.

Impalas are fleet
runners who are able to leap distances of up to 33 feet
(10 meters). They use this technique to escape predators
and sometimes, apparently, simply to amuse themselves.
The impala can also clear bushes and other obstacles by
soaring some 10 feet (3 meters) in the air. Typically, a
running impala will simply jump over anything in its
path.

This graceful antelope is known for its
long, spiral horns, which males use to challenge each
other in tests of strength. Older impala males stake out
mating territories and herd groups of females that they
jealously guard against any rivals. During this
exhausting mating period, the male must fight off
challengers, herd his females, and mate with them.
Unsuccessful bids to take over a male's territory
usually end with the loser retreating to join a bachelor
herd.

Females typically give birth about seven
months after they mate, usually to a single impala. Both
mother and baby join a herd of females and offspring
within a few days.

Fast Facts

Type: Mammal

Diet: Herbivore

Size: Height at the shoulder, 33 to
39 in (84 to 99 cm)

Weight: 88 to 165 lbs (40 to 75
kg)

Protection status: Endangered

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m)
man:

Multimedia

Impala Printable Factsheet

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How You Can Help

African
Wildlife Foundation: Impala

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