Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae

Kob

Kobus kob

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The kob is a medium-sized antelope with golden fur, always associated with damp pastures and floodplains in West and Central Africa. The males carry lyre-shaped horns. Its breeding system is among the most striking in Africa: in some populations the males defend tiny territories, of barely fifteen metres, grouped together in a collective arena where they compete in full view of the females, who choose whom to mate with.

Weight

60 kg – 120 kg

Size

1.3 m – 1.8 m

Lifespan

17 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Herd

Lives in large groups as a strategy against predators.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaFreshwaterGrasslandHerbivore Diurnal In herds Savanna Freshwater Grassland Mammal

43countries 15parks86same family

Fun facts

GeneralIn South Sudan it forms one of the greatest mammal migrations on the planet.
It uses a lek: dozens of males defend tiny, adjoining territories in a single arena, and the females walk the arena and choose; the males at the centre get most of the matings. It is one of the very few mammals that breeds this way, along with some deer and bats.
The migration of the white-eared kob in South Sudan, with hundreds of thousands of animals, is one of the largest land mammal migrations left on the planet.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Floodplains, damp grassland and savannah near water in the Sudanian belt
Size at birth: Precocial: on its feet within half an hour, although it stays hidden for the first few weeks
Sexual maturity: 13.2 months
Gestation / incubation: 8.2 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobus_kob