📷 Sub-Saharan Africa Small Antelope

Small Antelope of South Africa

African Safari drive's most want to see one of the big 5 normally, few consider the small little antelope are just as exciting to witness, roaming free in the thick bush we have here in KwaZulu-Natal.

Today's Animal Sunday share is two small species we actually don't see often, they dive into the bush when humans arrive. Many photo's of bums and tails, got lucky being out early one morning and actually managing to get some photo's of faces for a change.

Bushbuck Grow to about the size 0.8 meters and weight of about 35kg. This appears to be a young bushbuck caught foraging close to the road. Lifespan is around 8 years, very similar to size and age of a large breed dog.

Females by what I have read do not have horns, browsing in the thicket at night and resting during the day it is no wonder you seldom see them.

When out on the road animal viewing it is purely luck as to what you see on the day, a magic experience never knowing what lies around the next corner...

Early to rise paid dividends today, we sighted another loner closer to the beach, I love their sweet little faces, huge big eyes and massive ears, swinging around like radar ready to bolt at the first sound. We are in leopard country, so speed does count!

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Red Duiker Also known as the Natal Red Duiker (Duiker translated to English mean Diver) African Sunday small Antelope average height about 42 cm with a weight on average of about 11 kg, male and female have short little horn.

St Lucia Estuary boasts a population of Samango monkeys (live exclusively in this coastal forested region) and Vervet monkeys, I mention this since these little buck follow monkey troops around to forage from the floor what the monkeys throw down from above in the canopy of dense bush. (A story for another post).

This little guy really did not seem too worried about us, perhaps with time they have learned they live in a protected area! However as soon as others arrived he dived off into the bush.

Another small buck that prefers to eat at night and sleep during the day. When visiting remember early morning or late afternoon outings you see different animals at different times of the day, during the heat of the day most African animals will find a tree to sleep under.

Having done night trips I have been disappointed by drivers going too fast to see anything at all! Rising early and traveling in your own vehicle you decide the pace of moving through thick bush, to look into and see a world we normally never see.

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.

It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.

Every morning a lion wakes up.

It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.

It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.

When the sun comes up, you better start running.

Category	animal photography
Settings	f/6 1/255 sec ISO-1250
Camera	Canon EOS 500D
Lens	EF 75 - 300mm
Location	St Lucia Estuary

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Animal Sunday Photography My Contibution @homeartpictures

!steemitworldmap 28.371939 lat 32.413452 long African Small Antelope D3SCR