Puku

Kobus vardonii

General Description

Scientific Name: Kobus vardonii

Subspecies: 2 Subspecies

Senga Puku (Kobus vardonii senganus)
Southern Puku (Kobus vardonii vardonii)

Status: Near Threatened (decreasing)

Population Estimate: 130,000

Population in Assessed Areas: Unassessed

Diet: Herbivore - grazer

Male & Female Size: 70-80 Kgs

Trophy Size: 40 cm minimum

Generation Length: 6.4 years

Reproductive Season: Year Round

Time of Activity: Diurnal/ semi-nocturnal

Description: Puku stand about 80 cm (31 in) at the shoulder and weigh from 70 to 80 kg (150 to 180 lb), with the males being noticeably larger than females. The puku is sandy brown in colour, with the underbelly a slightly lighter brown. The coat is rougher than that of the similar-sized southern reedbuck, lechwe or impala, or the smaller oribi. Males have horns which are ridge-structured, that reach up to 50 cm (20 in) long, and lyre-shaped. They bear a strong resemblance to Red Lechwe, but are noticeably smaller, and have proportionately smaller horns that are more like an impala's.

Ecology: Puku are found almost exclusively in marshy grassland and dambos, where they eat grasses. The puku diet is flexible in regards to type of grasses consumed. There is little dietary competition with other bovids because of this flexibility, but will share abundant food sources with other species like Impala, reedbuck, lechwe & waterbuck.

This species is crepuscular, active in the early morning and late afternoon. When scared, puku repeat a shrill whistle sound. Females gather in herds of up to 20 individuals. During the rainy season, herds will come together for added safety, typically reaching around 50 females. Males hold territories and attempt to persuade herds of females to stay within their territories for as long as possible. In the wet season, due to large floods in their habitat they migrate to a higher elevation and in the dry season remain near water.

Common predators of Puku include lions, leopards, cheetah, African wild dogs, spotted hyenas and crocodiles. Jackals, caracals and rock pythons may kill smaller animals on occasion.

Behavior: Female herds are unstable because members constantly change groups. Groups travel, eat and sleep together. Territorial males maintain their territories throughout the year. In order to protect their territoy, these solitary males emit 3 to 4 whistles to warn other males to keep away. This whistle is also used as a way to advertise to females. Puku feed early in the morning and again late in the afternoon

Reproduction: The reproductive season is closely matched to seasonal variation, however puku can breed year-round. Most mating occurs between the months of May and September to ensure that offspring are born during the wet season. The amount of rainfall during this season varies between years; most calves are born from January to April, since forage is most abundant at this time. The typical number of offspring per female per breeding season is one. Offspring are difficult to locate because they are "hiders," meaning that females leave them on their own in a hidden place rather than travel with them. The wet season provides high quality forage for females to support their lactation and heavy vegetation helps provide cover for hidden calves.

Puku gestation lasts 8 months and they generally give birth to a single offspring. Puku wean after 6 months and reach sexual maturity at 12 to 14 months. Older calves come out of hiding and join the herd

Southern_puku_(Kobus_vardonii_vardonii)_female.jpg

Herd_of_Puku_in_South_Luangwa_National_Park_-_Zambia.jpg

Conservation Analysis

Current & Historic range: The Puku (Kobus vardonii) formerly occurred widely in grasslands near permanent water within the savannah woodlands and floodplains of south-central Africa. It has been eliminated from large parts of its former range and reduced to fragmented, isolated populations, but some of these are still numerous. Those that are still numerous are mostly in protected areas, due to the rate of poaching and habitat loss across most of rural Africa.

Large numbers now occur in only two countries, Tanzania and Zambia (East 1999, Jenkins 2013). Populations of Puku still occur in north-east Botswana on the Chobe River floodplain (Dipotso and Skarpe 2006), and they occur as vagrants in the middle Zambezi valley of Zimbabwe and the eastern Caprivi strip of Namibia (Jenkins 2013). In Zambia around 85% of Puku occur in protected areas.

Current & Historic Populations: East (1999) estimated the total population size at 130,000. A aerial survey of the Kilombero Valley found that, the population was estimated as 23,301± 5,602 SE, a notable decrease from the previous estimates of 55,769 ± 19,428 SE in 1989 and 66,964 ± 12,629 in 1998. However, a more intensive survey was also undertaken (using 2.5 km transect spacing as opposed to 10 km) specifically to count the Puku and this resulted in a population estimate of 42,352 ± 5,927 SE (Jenkins 2013, and references therein). These figures indicate a decline in Kilombero of 37% in a period (15 years) equivalent to less than three generations (19 years).

The small population in the Selous G.R. has been extirpated. The population of Puku on the floodplains along the Chobe River was believed to be in decline since the last census in 1965-1967; however, the population has shown a strong increase in numbers compared with the 1960s, although the concentration of the population has shifted eastwards (Dipotso and Skarpe 2006).

There are no precise estimates for the populations in Zambia, but they are reportedly stable.

Threats to Species Survival: Puku are currently listed as Near Threatened because populations are likely decreasing in parts of their range, but are not under immediate threat. Their survival depends on several fragmented populations. Puku have to compete with cattle for forage and populations suffer when habitats are modified for agriculture and grazing

Recommended Conservation Actions:

Protect and manage remaining Puku population.
Implement incentive programs to allow Puku populations on private farms and community conservancies to rebound.
Where extirpated, re-introduce Puku to areas where they formerly occurred.
Increase surveying activities across large areas of the Puku's current range, to help identify negative population trends sooner if they arise.

Map of Puku Distribution

Puku Population Data

Country	Population Estimate	Population Status	Last Assessed
Zimbabwe
Zambia
Uganda
Tanzania
South Sudan
Rwanda
Nigeria
Mozambique
Malawi
Kenya
Gabon
Equatorial Guinea
Democratic Republic of Congo
Central African Republic
Cameroon
Angola
South Africa

*Further data on Puku populations and harvest numbers outside of South Africa and Namibia are largely incomplete, and hence it has not been evaluated by us. It is our goal to expand into other African Nations soon, so please do be patient with us.

Economic & Cultral Analysis

Ecotourism Value: Moderate-High

Hunting Value: High

Meat Value: High

Average Trophy Value: $2,000 USD

Meat Yield per Animal: 30-60 kg

Economic Value/Impacts: Puku have moderate to low value to ecotourism operations, considering they are small, uniform in colour, and often shy around human presence. That being said, they can be an attraction around river systems and large water bodies, where they are abundant. They are also somewhat valuable to the Hunting industry, often being harvested as an additional animal whilst pursing the larger Lechwe or Waterbuck, since they often share habitats. A large number of these animals are harvested from the Luangwa valley, where they are numerous in many areas.

Cultural Value: Puku have likely been hunted by humans and our ancestors for millions of years, and due to moderate size, historical abundance, and palatable taste, would have likely been a staple to many communities. Today, they are still hunted for their meat, though the rate of harvest is becoming unsustainable in many areas.

Puku Harvest Data

Region	Males Harvested	Females Harvested	Harvest Change	% of Population	Total Springbok Harvested 2024
Namibia (Incomplete)
Limpopo
Mpamalanga
KwaZulu Natal
North-West
Free State
Eastern Cape
Northern Cape
Western Cape
All of South Africa

*Much of the data on Puku harvest numbers across their range is largely incomplete, and hence it has not been evaluated by us. It is our goal to expand our data set as much as possible, so every data contribution is highly valuable to us.

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