Kenya: Samburu NP – Dik Dik Antelopes

Dik dik is the world’s smallest antelope, weighing only 3–5 kg (7–14 lb) and just about 1 foot (30 cm) tall. They look like toys (they actually are often taken for exports as pets). Nicknamed “lion’s toothpicks”, these tiny antelopes prance around their territory, especially in the evenings, always in pairs. Dik diks are absolutely monogamous and pairs stay together for life, spending all their time together. When one partner dies, the other falls into a deep depression, often resulting in starvation and death. While tiny, dik diks can run upto 42 km per hour (26 miles) to avoid predators. Each pair has control over their territory, as dik dik males never fight (in most other antelope species males fight to death for female harems). A gland under their eyes produces liquid to mark their territory.
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