We bet you don’t know what exactly an Antelope is — read and find out

Strikingly-colored Thomson’s Gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii) are still common in East Africa, where seasonal rains ensure a steady supply of food for millions of grazers. These small Antelope follow the rains of Africa, along with millions of migrating Wildebeest. (Gregg Yan)

The herd of Thomson’s Gazelle bounced weightlessly up and down the savannah, as if on springs.

The lithe animals zoomed through a mud-caked herd of waterbuck, grazing impassively by the shores of Lake Nakuru in Kenya.

From the trees peered curious Impala, slender curved horns betraying their hide amidst swaying golden shrubs.

Africa is wildlife central. Though more popular animals like Elephants, Lions, and Giraffes get all the attention, I’ve always had a soft spot for Antelope — gentle grazers who can be found everywhere on the African continent — from the highest summits to the hottest deserts.

Though they resemble Deer — or in the case of Wildebeest, anorexic Cattle — Antelope belong to the family Bovidae (along with Goats, Buffalo, and Cattle), while Deer hail from the family Cervidae.

The easiest way to tell them apart is that Antelope have permanently-attached horns, while male Deer have branched antlers which are shed yearly.

The Dama Gazelle (Nanger dama), who inhabits the Sahara desert, is almost extinct. Only about 300 or so remain in the wild. This was a captive individual. Zoos and legitimate breeding facilities may someday bring this species back from the brink, as has already been done for other critically-endangered Antelope. (Gregg Yan)

The easiest way to tell Deer and Antelope apart is that Antelope have permanently- attached horns, while male Deer have branched antlers which are shed yearly.

SWALA OF DIFFERENT SIZES

Though found in other parts of the world, the great majority of Antelope — 78 of 91 known species — live in Africa, where they are called swala. Largest is the Eland, standing six feet tall. Smallest is the Royal Antelope, around the size of a Bunny Rabbit.

GREAT MIGRATION, GREAT ANIMALS

Up the frozen slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, we tracked Duikers — elusive forest Antelope. Inside Ngorongoro Crater grazed thousands of Thomson’s Gazelle and their larger cousins, Grant’s Gazelle. In the searing Serengeti plains roamed a literal sea of Blue Wildebeest, renowned for undertaking The Great Migration, the largest mammal migration on Earth.

The migration begins with the birth of nearly half-a-million Wildebeest calves in the southern Serengeti from January to March. When the grass dries up in May, the herd — up to two million animals strong— journeys north, bolstered by hundreds of thousands of Zebra and other Antelope. As one, they leave Tanzania for Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve, where the grass is quite literally greener.

The herd is so immense it forms an unbroken column up to 40 kilometers long.

THE CYCLE CONTINUES

Natural perils whittle down over 300,000 grazers each year — but enough survive to continue the great trek back to Tanzania and the Serengeti plains each October, where the age-old cycle shall begin anew.

“Responsible tourism is the key to keeping our animals alive. If people keep visiting our national parks, then there will always be strong incentives to keep poachers away,” explains African wildlife guide Joseph Laiza. If you’re keen to book a once-in-a-lifetime safari, let’s talk on Facebook or Instagram. Remember to pack at least a 200mm telephoto lens, spare batteries and power banks, a good hat, plus a jacket, for Kenya and Tanzania can be pretty cold.

Though I have many snaps of Africa’s more iconic animals, this story is dedicated to the quiet grazers, the preyed-upon, the so-called second-rate safari subjects. Today, they are the stars.