Zambia/Barotseland: Liuwa Plain NP – Oribi
Oribi is an antelope species that is not commonly seen and was a new species for me. Found in open plains, they never form herds, but can be always spotted in a pair (or occasionally two pairs). They are small and graceful, and for their tiny sizes can make incredible jumps when running away from predators, including sideways jumps to confuse the direction of chase. Their sandy color allows them to perfectly blend in dry tall grass of the Liuwa Plain dry season. Also interestingly, oribi is the only antelope species that can engage in all three tiles of mating behaviors – polygyny (one male with many females), polyandry (one female with several males), and polygynandry (both males and females with multiple partners) .
