Sitatunga Tragelaphus spekii

The Sitatunga is a marsh-loving antelope, sometimes called a Marshbuck, native to central Africa including Ghana/Cameroon and Congo through to Kenya/Tanzania/Zambia.

Shown above is the female which has a chestnut coat with white stripes. Females live in herds with young, which have a redder coat.

Adult males are solitary, much larger and with darker, greyer/browner coats (above). Males have horns. Male, female and young all look similar to the related Nyala.

Shown above are young males with small horns, red coats and still in the herd with females. When their adult darker coat develops, they will leave the herd.

The Sitatunga has splayed, cloven hooves which help its marshy lifestyle. In addition to living in swamps, they have been recorded fleeing predators by submerging in water with only their nostrils above water. Shown is the T. s. gratus subspecies called the Forest or Western Sitatunga.

The Sitatunga is threatened by hunting and habitat loss.