Mountain Reedbuck

Redunca fulvorufula

General Description

Scientific Name: Pelea capreolus

Subspecies: 3 Subspecies

R.f. adamauae - Adamawa mountain reedbuck
R.f. chanleri - Chanler's mountain reedbuck
R.f. fulvorufula - Southern mountain reedbuck

Status: Endangered (Decreasing)

Population Estimate: 36,000 minimum

Population in Assessed Areas: 4

Diet: Herbivore - Browse and Grasses

Male Size: 24-36 Kgs

Female Size: 18-34 Kgs

Trophy Size: 17.46 cm minimum

Generation Length: 5.0 years

Reproductive Season: Year Round

Time of Activity: Diurnal

Description: Males are typically larger and weigh more than females. Males are usually around 24 – 36 kg and 76 cm tall (shoulder height, while females are generally about 18 – 34 kg and 70 cm tall (shoulder height). Only rams bear horns. These are heavily grooved along two-thirds of the total length, with the anterior half curving forwards by around 60 - 80° into sharp tips. Fully developed horns reach about 13 – 18 cm long and frame a slight V-shape when viewed front-on.

Mountain reedbucks are typically yellow/grey with a reddish shoulder and neck area and a white underside. The hair around their neck is slightly fluffy, and the ears are long, narrow, and rounded at the tips. The tail is short and wide, with fluffy, white hair
on the underside. Scent glands are marked by a 20 mm black spot below each ear. A similar species, the bohor and southern reedbuck, have white patches on their throats that are not visible on the mountain reedbuck. The southern reedbuck also has a brown blaze above the nostrils and down the front legs that are absent on the
mountain reedbuck.

Ecology: The preferred habitat for mountain reedbucks consists of rocky hills and mountainous terrain with medium to tall grasses, varying between sourveld grasslands and open savannah. Terrain with short grass is usually avoided, but mountain reedbucks are often attracted to new growth on burnt veldt. Daily surface water for drinking and an annual rainfall of around 400 – 900 mm is necessary. Mountain reedbucks avoid forests and thickets and live at altitudes between 100 and 1,600 m.

Mountain reedbucks are grazers that feed on browse and are selective of new, soft
growth of mixed and sour grasses. They avoid dry leaves and old, fibrous grass.

Relatively poor diets of crude fiber and low protein often lead mountain reedbucks to lose up to 20% of their body weight during dry seasons. Common grasses the mountain reedbuck eats include red-grass Themeda triandra, thatch-grass Hyparrhinia ssp. and Aristida spp.

Rams, 2.5+ years old, are territorial and solitary, marking their permanent territories of around 18 – 32 ha by aggressive visual displays. Mountain reedbuck rams do not scent mark or use dung mittens. Family territories range from between 30 – 70 ha, usually consisting of 3 – 6 individuals, and can overlap with multiple ram territories.

Reedbuck territories vary in response to terrain conditions, food availability, and
animal density and may be temporarily abandoned at the sight of danger.
Common predators include the black-backed jackal, Caracal, Leopards, and African wild dogs, where their ranges overlap.

Behaviour: Mountain reedbucks are diurnal and mainly active between two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset. They tend to graze on the flatter plains during the late afternoon and return to the slopes at night. When startled, reedbucks will either hide in tall grass until the danger gets within 40m or less or flee quickly in a galloping-like motion with the tail curved upwards. This flight behavior usually occurs parallel to the mountain slope in bursts of 20 – 300 m, constantly stopping and looking behind them. Reedbucks tend to run several hundred metres in these situations and, if pursued, can run for around 2 – 4 km in under 20 minutes.

Reproduction: Mating occurs year-round, although it peaks during April and May. Similarly, there is no specific lambing season, but there is a peak between October and December when 80% are born. Rams reach sexual maturity at 6 – 10 months and social maturity at 24 – 26 months, while ewes reach sexual maturity at 9 – 14 months and social maturity at 18 – 24 months. Dominant rams will mate with any mature ewe who enters his territory. Young rams are chased away from their families by the dominant ram at about 9 –15 months old, where they join groups of similar-aged rams until they are mature enough to establish their territories. Ewes have a gestation period of between 240 and 250 days and a lambing interval of 9 – 14 months. Each ewe gives birth to a single lamb that she hides and suckles, moving the lamb to a different hiding place after each suckle. Weaning age is around 90 – 100 days old.

Conservation Analysis

Map of Mountain Reedbuck Distribution

Current & Historic range: Mountain reedbuck currently exist in three widely
separated populations. The Western Mountain Reedbuck (R. f. adamauae)
subpopulation occurs across Nigeria’s Gashaka-Gumti National Park and Gotel
Mountains and Cameroon’s Adamaoua Mountains. The Chanler’s Mountain

Reedbuck (R. f. chanleri) subpopulation occurs in south-eastern Sudan, Kenya,
northern Tanzania, Uganda, and Ethiopia. The Southern Mountain Reedbuck (R. f.
fulvorufula) subpopulation occurs in South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana,
and Mozambique’s Lubombo Mountains.

Prehistorically, the mountain reedbuck was consistently distributed from Nigeria to South Africa, but human development and the effects of climate change have split them into their current subspecies populations.

Current & Historic Populations:. The total population of mountain reedbuck was
estimated in 1999 to be around 36,000 individuals, with about 33,000 Southern
Mountain Reedbuck, 2,900 Chanler’s Mountain Reedbuck, and 450 Western
Mountain Reedbuck. This estimate was stable until recently when evidence emerged
of the South African population suffering a 61-73% decline over the last 15 years (as
of 2016). The IUCN reports a total reedbuck decline of 55% over the last 15 years
(as of 2016).

The primary threats are suspected to include human development and agriculture (particularly livestock farming and ranching), poaching, and hunter's use of hunting dogs. While many populations in protected areas also seem to be decreasing, despite protection.

Recommended Conservation Actions:

Further resource and manage protected areas where mountain reedbuck populations exist.
Implement harvest management strategies such as catch limits and control on hunting of mountain reedbuck.
Improve survey methods to get accurate population data, such as implementing long-term monitoring programs.

Economic & Cultral Analysis

Ecotourism Value: Low

Hunting Value: Moderate

Meat Value: Moderate to High

Average Trophy Value: $400-1,000USD

Meat Yield per Animal: 8-15 kg

Economic Value/Impacts: Particularly within their South African range, Mountain Reedbuck are a commonly pursued game species, both for international hunters, and for local hunters. Their moderate size, natural abundance, and high quality meat makes them a commonly hunted first game animals for young hunters in this region. Their value to the ecotourism industry is usually limited. As a nondescript, medium sized and grey antelope, their largely outshine by more iconic megafauna.

Cultural Value: Mountain Reedbuck have likely been hunted by humans and our ancestors for millions of years, due to their small size, lack of defenses, and palatability. This is particularly true across large areas of the Eastern Cape and Drakensberg highlands. Their meat is said to be similar in taste to other antelope species, being very low in fat compared to domestic meats.

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