Africa plains game species

Hunting Plains Game in Africa is a magnificent experience, as Africa has such a large variety of species on offer. The following brief discription of the common plains game found in Southern Africa has been compiled to assist the novice African hunter with general information. We appologise for some of the poor quality photo’s and endeavour to replace them at our earliest convenience.

At HUNTING LEGENDS AFRICA we offer you – Big 5 Hunts, Plains Game Hunts, Wingshooting and Photographic Safaris.

Our exclusive ranches, hunting concessions and community hunting areas, with luxury amenities, where a wide variety of plains game and the Big 5 can be hunted, are located in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.  Many excellent trophy species of animals can be hunted with us. The opportunity to hunt record book trophies such as Kudu, Impala, Blesbuck, Red Hartebeest, Gems buck, Blue Wildebeest, Waterbuck, Duiker, Steen buck, Burchell’s Zebra, Bushbuck, Giraffe, Warthog, Gems buck, Livingston Eland, Lechwe, Reedbuck, Bushpig, as well as Rhino, Lion, Cape buffalo and Elephant are available at excellent and very affordable prices.

Here is a description of African Plains game animals that can be hunted including the 2009 General Prices in US Dollars. These prices may be subject to change. Please request your FREE QUOTE and we will provide you with the best prices and packages in Africa.

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Baboon

The baboon is intelligent, cunning and almost human.  Baboons live in groups and display a highly developed form of social behavior.  Height at shoulder: approximately 100cm, Weight: approximately 20kg, Age: up to 45 years.

Black-backed Jackal

Can be found on the open plains and lives on reptiles, birds, birds’ eggs, small mammals and carrion.  Can often be seen during the day.  Height at shoulder: approximately 40cm, Weight: approximately 10 kg, Age: up to 10 years, Speed: 55km/h

Black Wildebeest / White-tailed Gnu

It is smaller than its “blue” cousin.  Is generally referred to as the black wildebeest and its natural habitat is the highveld and the Karoo regions of South Africa.  Height at shoulder: approximately 120cm, Weight: approximately 180kg, Age: up to 20 years, Length of horn: up to 68cm.

Blue Wildebeest/Bridled Gnu

Also known as black-tailed gnu, it is ox-like in build and has buffalo shaped horns.  It lives in herds and is often seen with Zebras, Impalas and Giraffe.  Height at shoulder: approximately 135cm, Weight: approximately 250kg, Age: up to 20 years, Length of horn: 83cm.

Blesbok

Looks very similar to the Bontebok, but it is smaller, has a lighter coat and is more prolific.  Both sexes bear horns.  Height at shoulder: approximately 95cm, Weight: approximately 80kg, Age: up to 9 years, Length of horn: approximately 51cm.

Bontebok

Was named after its characteristically coloured coat.  It was applied by the Dutch settlers and means “pied” or “variegated” buck.  It nearly became extinct and is at home only in the south Western Cape.  Both sexes bear horns.  Height at shoulder: approximately 90cm, Weight: approximately 64kg, Age: up to 8 years, Length of horn: up to 43cm.

Bushbuck

It is easily recognized by its white collar.  Is at home in thick bush and close to water.  It is aggressive, brave and quite dangerous.  It will tackle leopard, dogs and even human beings.  Height at shoulder: approximately 80cm, Weight: approximately 54kg, Age: up to 9 years, length of horn: up to 55cm.

Bush Pig

Looks similar to its domesticated cousin and lives in groups of 5 to 20 in thick bush, woodland or forests.  It is aggressive and known to have attacked human beings with serious consequences.  Height at shoulder: approximately 80cm, Weight: 55-75kg, Age: up to 20 years, Length of body: up to 18cm.

Burchell’s Zebra

Zebras use their stripes to regulate their body temperature.  On cold days they turn their bodies to the sun in order to absorb as much warmth through the black stripes.  On hot days they turn their predominantly while rumps to the sun, in order to reflect the heat.  Height at shoulder: approximately 136cm, Weight: approximately 320kg, Age: up to 35 years, Speed: 60 km/h.

We can also offer Hartman Zebra’s at cheap rates in Namibia.

Crocodile (Nile)

The largest reptile on earth and belongs to the oldest surviving creatures.  Crocodiles have been around for more than 60 million years.  Height at shoulder:  approximately 40cm, Weight: up to 100kg, Length of body: up to 600cm.

Duiker (Blue)

Is the smallest antelope in South Africa?  Lives in dense woodland, mainly in the eastern parts of the country.  Height at shoulder: approximately 30cm, Weight: up to 5kg, Age: up to 9 years, Length of horn: up to 10cm.

Duiker (Grey)

Only the buck bears horns.  It lives in woodland and in grassland with thickets.  It is active mainly at night and lives in pairs.  Height at shoulder: approximately 50cm, Weight: approximately 12kg, Age: up to 9 years, Length of horn: up to 18cm.

Duiker (Red)

Lives in thick bush, is extremely shy and is recognizable by the long head tuft between the ears.  Both sexes bear horns.  Height at shoulder: approximately 45cm, Weight: approximately 12kg, Age: up to 9 years, Length of horn: up to 11cm.

Eland

The largest antelope in South Africa.  Male and female bear horns, the bulls being massive and short, and the cows being elongated and slender.  They live in herds of up to 60.  They can leap remarkably high, up to 2,4m.  Height at shoulder: approximately 170cm, Weight: approximately 650kg, Age: up to 12 years, Length of horn: up to 110cm.

Gemsbok / Oryx

Both sexes bear horns, those of the cow being longer and slimmer.  They live in herds of up to 40 animals and can survive without water for long periods.  They are aggressive and always ready for a fight.  Wounded animals can be dangerous.  Height at shoulder: approximately 120cm, Weight: approximately 200kg, Age: up to 19 years, Length of horn: up to 122cm.

Gemsbuck are much cheaper in Namibia than South Africa so please enquire.

Giraffe

The Afrikaans name is “Kameelperd”, a combination of kameel and luiperd.  They believed the giraffe to be a mixture of a camel and a leopard (Giraffa Camelopardalis).  Height at shoulder: approximately 550cm, Weight: approximately 1500kg, Age: up to 28 years, Speed: 50km/h.

Grysbok Cape

Looks like a steenbok but is a very shy animal that comes out only at night.  Live in dense bush.  Height at shoulder: approximately 55cm, Weight: approximately 12kg, Length of horn: up to 12cm.

Grysbok Sharpes

Hartebeest (Red)

Both sexes bear horns.  They have a docile appearance but are extremely fast runners who can maintain their pace for long distances.  Height at shoulder:  approximately 130cm, Weight: approximately 160 kg, Age: up to 20 years, Speed: 65km/h, Length of horn: up to 66cm.

Impala

The Impala is the most prolific antelope in South Africa.  Only the ram bears horns.  Height at shoulder: approximately 90 cm, Weight: approximately 65kg, Age: up to 9 years, Length of horn: up to 65cm.

Klipspringer

Lives only on rocky hills and mountains.  Generally lives in groups and are both a grazer and browser.  Height at shoulder: approximately 16kg, Age: up to 8 years, Length of horn: up to 16cm.

Kudu

Selous described the Kudu as “one of the most beautiful in the world”.  The magnificent horns, borne only by the males, are spread in beautiful open spirals.  They live in small herds of 5 to 10.  They can leap up to 2.5m.  Height at shoulder: approximately 150cm, Weight: 300kg, Age: up to 11 years, Length of horn: up to 181cm.

Lechwe

Looks like a cross between an impala and a waterbuck.  Lives mainly in swamps and lagoons.  Height at should: approximately 82 cm, Weight: approximately 120kg, Length of horn: up to 68cm.

Mountain Zebra

The mountain zebra is not as common as Burchell’s zebra nor does it have “shadow” stripes.  It is smaller, has longer ears and no stripes on its belly.  Height at shoulder: approximately 120cm, Weight: 300kg, Age: up to 35 years, Speed: 65km/h.

Mountain Reedbuck

Is at home in mountainous regions and lives in small groups.  It is smaller and shyer than the Reedbuck.  Only the ram bears horns.  Height at shoulder: approximately 75cm, Weight: approximately 25kg, Age: up to 8 years, Length of horn: up to 23cm.

Nyala

Looks like a mixture of a young kudu and a bushbuck, but wears its characteristic “orange-coloured stockings”.  Height at shoulder: approximately 105cm, Weight: approximately 130kg, Age: up to 8 years, Length of horn: up to 83cm.

Oribi

An elegant golden coloured antelope that can be found in grassy landscapes that are rich in water.  Height at shoulder: approximately 65cm, Weight: approximately 20kg, Age: up to 13 years, Length of horn: up to 19cm.

Roan Antelope

The roan is the largest of the antelope after the Eland, and resembles the sable in some ways.  Height at shoulder: approximately 150cm, Weight: approximately 285kg, Age: up to 19 years, Length of horn: up to 99cm.

Reedbuck (see mountain Reedbuck)

As its name denotes it is at home in areas rich in reeds.  But it does not like to go into water.  It can be recognized by a characteristic whistle.  Only the ram bears horns.  Height at shoulder: approximately 90cm, Weight: approximately 70kg, Age: up to 9 years, Length of horn: up to 46cm.

Rhebok

Lives in larger groups, is small, aggressive and bravely defends its territory.  Height at shoulder: approximately 75cm, Weight: approximately 22kg, Age: up to 9 years, Length of horn: up to 29cm.

Sable Antelope

The sable with its regal bearing is one of the most beautiful antelope.  Its heavily ringed horns rise vertically and sweep back in a semicircular curve.  The bulls are black and the under parts are white.  In Afrikaans it is called Swartwitpens: “black-white belly”.  Both sexes bear horns.  Height at shoulder: approximately 140cm, Weight: approximately 220kg, Age: up to 19 years, Length of horn: up to 155cm.

Springbok

This is the national animal of South Africa.  It has an amazing ability to jump vertically as high as 3m and horizontally as far as 5m.  Both sexes bear horns.  Height at shoulder: approximately 75cm, Weight: approximately 35kg, Age: up to 10 years, Length of horn: up to 48cm.

Steenbok

Lives in pairs, but only the buck bear’s horns.  Its habitat is the steppe and open woodland.  Needs very little water and is active during the day.  Height at shoulder: approximately 50cm, Weight: approximately 12kg, age: up to 6 years, Length of horn: circa 18cm.

Suni

Is a tiny antelope that can be found only in some definite areas of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo Province?  Only the buck bears horns.  Height at shoulder: approximately 40cm, weight: up to 8kg, Length of horn: up to 9cm.

Tsessebe

The Tsassaby as it is also known occupies the position both physically and geographically between the Blesbok and the Bontebok.  However it strongly resembles the Red Hartebeest.  It is reputed to be the fastest African antelope, reaching speeds of up to 100kh/h, and can run 7 miles and be as fresh as it was from the start.  Height at shoulder: approximately 120cm, Weight: 160kg, Age: up to 20 years, Length of horn: up to 48cm.

Waterbuck

It is a stately looking beast with well ringed horns, borne by males only.  Generally found close to water and bears a peculiar white marking on its rump that would suggest that the prototype waterbuck sat on a freshly painted toilet seat.

Warthog

Has a disproportionately large head compared to the rest of the body.  The female has two and the male has four warts on either side of the head.  When they trot along they hold their tails upright like antennae.  When they feed they often go down on their knees, as if praying for their meal.  Height at shoulder: approximately 75cm, Weight 70-100kg, Age: up to 20 years, Speed: 30-50km/h, Length of body: up to 60cm.

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