The impala antelope, which we saw frequently in Botswana, is sprightly, graceful, and swift. You can easily identify it by the black patches above the hooves on the hind legs. These are scent glands, covered with tufts of black hair, which give chemical signals to herd members and may be especially important during a chase.

These impalas appear to be jumping for joy!

In Botswana, we frequently saw lechwe antelopes staring back at us, darting across the bush, or sometimes sparring with each other. Lechwe have varying hues of golden brown fur with white bellies. I didn’t catch one darting…..

but this male is giving me a good look.

These two young males are, we were told, “play fighting”, which involved locking their impressive, spiral horns over and over again. At first, I was skeptical about the fight being playful, but after a few minutes they both gave it up and went their separate ways.

This is my one-and-only photo of a sable antelope, which I had never heard of before and only saw once while on a safari in Botswana.

This beautiful and powerful-looking antelope inhabits the savannahs of eastern and southern Africa.