 The Sable is
a rotund, barrel chested antelope with a short neck and a long face. It resembles the
larger roan antelope, to which it is closely related. Among its distinctive features are
its long horns, some 40 to 65 inches long.
The ringed horns rise vertically, then sweep backwards in a pronounced curve. They are
found in both sexes, but the male's horns are slightly larger and heavier than the
female's. Both males and females have manes on the neck, and when they arch their necks
and stand with their head held high and tails outstretched, they resemble horses. This
flexed-neck position makes sables appear larger than they really are. The males maintain
this position even when they gallop, as the arched neck is an important manifestation of
dominance.
Size: Sable stand about 45 to 55 inches at the shoulder; Weight:
400 - 500 pounds
Diet: Herbivorous; Sables mostly eat grass but at times will eat herbs and leaves
from shrubs and trees. They are never found very far from water and are especially
dependent upon it during the dry season.
Habitat: Light woodland. Sables live in areas of light woodland, especially in a
mixture of bush and grassland, but usually avoid open, grassy plains.
Socialisation: Only a few of the most dominant of the mature males are able to
obtain and hold territories. They try to set them up on the best grazing grounds because
the more nutritious the feed, the more females are attracted to the area.
The changing colour of sables as they grow older signals their age to others, thus
granting them status and dominance in their social system.
Reproduction: Single young born any time of the year. Gestation is about 9 months
See Sable at Game Reserves and Game Lodges in:
Eastern
Cape · Limpopo · North
West · Mpumalanga · Gauteng
· Free
State
KwaZulu
Natal · Western Cape · Garden
Route · Kruger National Park
Northern
Cape · Namibia · Botswana
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