Sable Antelope
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[Photo] Sable Antelope Bull (Kafue, Zambia). Photo taken and submitted by Paul Maritz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Paulmaz). Photo taken near Kafue River in Zambia, 2004.

Copyright (C) 2004 Paul Maritz Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".

The Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger) is an antelope which inhabits wooded savannah in East Africa south of Kenya, and in Southern Africa. There are three subspecies:

* H. n. niger which is considered low risk conservation dependent
* H. n. varani (Giant Sable Antelope) of central Angola which is classified as critically endangered
* H. n. kirkii (Zambian Sable Antelope) of central Angola and western Zambia and is classified as vulnerable

The Sable Antelope stands 120 to 140 centimetres at the shoulder and weigh 200 to 270 kilograms, males being larger than females. Female Sable Antelope are chestnut to dark brown darkening as they mature while males are very distinctively black. Both sexes have a white underbelly, white cheeks and a white chin. They have a shaggy mane on the back of their neck. Sable antelope have ringed horns which arch backward, in females these can reach a meter, but in males they can reach over one and a half meters.

Sable Antelope live in wooded savannah where they eat mid-length grass and leaves. They are diurnal but are less active during the heat of the day. Sable Antelope form herds of ten to thirty females and calves led by a single male. Sable Antelope males will fight among themselves; they drop to their knees and use their horns.

The sable antelope was one of the national emblems of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

The sable antelope was also introduced into Texas as game in private ranches.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sable_Antelope

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