Overview
The Bohor Reedbuck (Redunca redunca) is an agile, medium-sized antelope inhabiting the vast seasonally flooded grasslands and riverine wetlands of northern and eastern sub-Saharan Africa. With its warm fulvous-fawn coloration, hooked horns, and distinctive high-pitched alarm whistle, it is a master of camouflage in the tall grass savannas of the Sahel and Sudanian zones.
Biology and Physical Characteristics
The Bohor Reedbuck displays a vibrant yellowish-brown to reddish-fawn coat that contrasts with pure white underparts and a white ring around the eyes. Adult males carry stout horns 20 to 35 cm in length that curve backward from the skull and then hook sharply forward and inward at the pointed tips. Black markings run down the front of the forelegs, and a prominent naked glandular circle sits directly under each ear, producing oily secretions for scent-marking tall grass stems.
Behavior and Ecology
Operating predominantly during the cool hours of early morning, late evening, and night, Bohor Reedbucks spend hot midday periods concealed within dense grass stands. They typically occur singly, in pairs, or in small bachelor groups of three to five animals, occasionally congregating in loose herds of several dozen on rich floodplain pastures during the dry season. When alarmed, they produce a shrill whistle by expelling air through their nostrils and leap away with an erratic rocking gait.
Conservation and Human Impact
The species is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with total numbers estimated at over 100,000 individuals, largely concentrated within national parks and reserves in East Africa (such as the Serengeti and Murchison Falls). Outside protected areas, extensive conversion of floodplains for rice cultivation, domestic livestock competition, and heavy poaching have significantly reduced numbers in West Africa.
Interesting Factoid
The Bohor Reedbuck produces a sound like a referee’s whistle by forcing air through specialized nasal chambers, warning all grazing wildlife within a half-mile radius of lurking leopards or lions.