Roan Antelopes in Kenya
Roan Antelopes in Kenya : Roan antelope is one of the Africa’s rarest antelopes and third largest of the Kenya’s antelopes, the roan antelopes or the Korongo as it is known in Swahili is the large, gray to rufous antelope with a distinctive black and white face, not unlike a tribal mask, these are unique animal species in fact they live in the groups of about 5 to 15 species and led by the bull. Roan antelopes are the Africa’s second largest antelope species, as the populations are stable and growing in some African countries, mostly in Kenya they are threatened with extinction. The roan antelopes attract various tourists on a safari to Ruma National Park to observe them.
The roan antelope is a powerfully built animal species they are sociable and territorial, with long sturdy limbs and a thick neck that looks thicker because of an upstanding mane and a beard, it has a long head and narrow with a wide gape, framed by the long, tasseled ears, the name is originated from its colour, the roan is reddish gray to reddish brown, with a striking black-and-white facial mask.
The roan antelopes sexes look much a like that is standing 126-150 cm (50-59 inches) but males are heavier (280 kg [ 620 pounds] versus 260 kg [570 pounds] for females and have thicker, sickle-shaped horns 55 to 99 cm ( 22 to 39 inches) long 10 to 20 percent longer than those of females, on a safari to Kenya you will be able to observe various roan antelopes and learn more about them which gives you the best safari experience in Ruma National Park.
The roan antelopes are mostly found in the Ruma National Park because it has savannas, lightly wooded grasslands, with medium to tall grass, and water access, in the western Kenya is the reason to why the roan antelopes are found in the Ruma National Park. Due to the fact that the antelopes were primarily the result of killing for meat and other traditional values like the horns for many uses like the construction of the musical instruments and also skin for burial ceremonies without forgetting poaching which is a major threat that decreased their numbers. Ruma National Park is a safari destination in that it is Kenya’s last remaining sanctuary for the endangered roan antelope.
Much of the young antelopes are always preyed upon the hyena, for example some time back between the period of 1993 to 1995 six out of 16 calves born in Ruma were predated on, this is because young roan are kept from roan herd for six weeks after birth by their mothers and are therefore exposed to the predators. Also the frequent fire outbreaks, caused by people, diminish the roan’s habitat in Ruma National Park and may also burn and kill young the roan antelopes. The roan antelopes are endangered animal species because they have been eliminated from parts of its former range due to habitat loss resulting from the human activity, like agricultural activities and also the road construction.
The roan antelopes are both grazers and browsers that means they eat grasses and leaves as well as shoots and young twigs for their survival, the roan antelopes they daily consume 1.5 to 2 % of their weight in the dry matter, they mostly use the water from the food they eat, when there is no any water source available. The roan antelopes are fast animal species in that they run and reach the speed of up to 35 mph, and their size is approximately 220 kg, the roan antelopes have a scientific name where at times they are called the hippotragus equinus and subfamily Hippotraginae, Kenya wildlife Safaris .
Roan antelopes have short and smooth coat is brown to amber for that reason, they can easily camouflage in their surroundings and keep themselves from the predators, also they run fast though not the fastest animals on the savanna, their movement is agile and they have good endurance, they roan antelopes have got the large hooves that support their long legs.
