Klipspringer Species Profile: The Rock-Hopping Antelope of Kopjes and Cliffs

The name comes from Afrikaans and means rock jumper, a good description of an animal that bounds up cliffs and boulder piles with ease. In East Africa it is a highlight for observant visitors in places with granite kopjes, escarpments and rocky hills.

This profile covers identification, habitat, behaviour, diet, conservation and where to look. For other small antelopes, compare the dik-dik and oribi profiles.

This guide is part of our animals of Uganda and East Africa guide. When you are ready to plan, see our Uganda safari packages or the Ameera Africa Safaris Uganda tours homepage.

Identification

A klipspringer is small and stocky, with a thick, coarse, speckled coat of olive-yellow to grey-brown that looks almost spiny. The hair is brittle and hollow, which gives insulation and cushions the animal against knocks on rock. The underparts are paler, the ears are rounded with dark edges and the eyes are large and dark. Males carry short, straight, spiky horns; females are usually hornless. The feature that sets it apart is the stance: it stands on the tips of its small, rubbery hooves, so it appears to be on tiptoe, with an arched back.

Habitat and Range

Klipspringers live in rocky country across eastern and southern Africa, and also in isolated highland areas. They need broken rock, boulders or cliffs where they can retreat and look out, and they use surrounding scrub and grass nearby. They are not animals of open plains or dense forest. In practical terms, this means granite kopjes in the Serengeti, rocky outcrops in the Masai Mara, rocky hills in Tsavo West and escarpment country elsewhere. They are sometimes seen in Uganda in dry rocky areas such as Kidepo Valley.

Behaviour and Social Life

Klipspringers are usually seen as a pair, a male and female that stay together for long periods, sometimes with a youngster. They keep a small territory and mark it with scent from glands near the eyes, rubbing it onto twigs, which leaves a dark sticky spot. They also use shared dung piles. At dawn and dusk they feed, and in the heat they rest in shade or stand on a high rock. When alarmed, they give a sharp whistle and bound away over the rocks with astonishing agility, often stopping on a rock to look back.

Diet

Klipspringers are browsers. They eat leaves, shoots, flowers, fruit and some herbs, picking the most nutritious plant parts selectively. They seldom need to drink because they obtain moisture from their food, which is useful on dry rock where water is scarce. Their small size and narrow muzzle let them reach tender growth. Compared with grazers such as the topi, they have a very different relationship with grass and rock.

Breeding

A single young is born, usually after a gestation of about half a year, and hides among rocks or vegetation for the first weeks. The pair defend the territory, and the young remain in the area for a time before dispersing. Because klipspringers are tied to rocky habitat, the number of suitable home ranges limits their population, and young animals need to find a vacant territory elsewhere. This is one reason they occur in scattered pockets rather than continuous stretches.

Threats and Conservation

Klipspringers are generally considered widespread and are not seen as globally threatened, but local populations can decline from hunting for meat, snaring and habitat loss. Their brittle hair was once used for stuffing and their skins were sought, and they are still hunted in places. Protected areas with kopjes and rock hills, such as those described in the Serengeti guide and Masai Mara guide, provide secure habitat. Because they are small and easily disturbed, quiet viewing helps.

Where and How to See Klipspringers

Scan kopjes, boulder piles and rocky ridges, especially in early morning and late afternoon, when pairs move to feed. Look for a small upright shape on a rock outline, then use binoculars. Ask your guide to stop at kopjes, where they often check the cliffs while looking for lion or leopard. Shooting from a stationary vehicle with a long lens gives the best chance of a sharp image. See also Tsavo West wildlife and Kidepo Valley. For general tips read safari photography tips and the East Africa wildlife guide. Other rock dwellers include the rock hyrax.

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