Fact sheet

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Afrikaans Oorbietjie

Zulu Wula.Iwula Tswana Phuduhudu kgamane

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R.W. Min 5?" Max 7½"

S.C.I Min 13" Max 8½" Measurement Method 1

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Dung

1 cm

Deposited in middens near pathways

Tracks

4 cm

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Most of the Oribi accounted for in South Africa reside on privately held lands. Few of the Oribi roam open, protected lands

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Oribi densities, which can range from one Oribi per 8 - 30ha

visible male/female differences

Only males bear horns. Females are slightly bigger than males.

habitat and distribution

Open habitat with short grass and patches of heavy cover. Independent of water.

diet

A strong preference for fresh green grass. Seasonally eats grass flowers.

reproduction

Single young weighing 2,3kg are born in November-January after a gestation of 210 days.  Fawns are weaned at 3-4 months. Lifespan 13 years.

 

The female oribi hides it in thick grass, where it will lie motionless if it is approached.

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behavior and habits

Active day and night, grazing for about a third of the day and resting in thicker grass or bushes. A social unit is a territorial ram, one or two females and their young. Male territories cover about 30-50 ha but territories may be  smaller in habitats with more food. Rams display their status by standing prominently, patrolling the borders of their territory, and stotting. They mark their territories with urine and dung and rub a black preorbital gland secretion on stiff grass stems. Males scratch where females have defecated and urinated and over-mark with their own scent. They defend territories savagely and fights may be fatal. Being very alert, they keep their heads up when resting and choose positions on higher ground for good visibility. In long grass it jumps every few paces to check for predators. 

sounds

The alarm call is a snorting whistle or short snorts.

dung and field sign

Droppings are 1 cm long with a short narrow point at one end, deposited in middens next to pathways. Bitten-off grass stems with black secretion on top.

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Legal status 
Scheduled as 'Protected game'  and listed as 'Vulnerable' in the S A Red Data Book, and not listed on any CITES appendices.  

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Background Information

There are three main types of special status that a species may have in South Africa:

1. A threatened or protected species, listed under the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) regulations on Threatened and Protected Species;
2. A CITES listed species, listed on one of the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to which South Africa is a signatory; or 
3. A species, that has been assessed for its conservation status using The World Conservation Union (IUCN) criteria for red-listing of species.

For more information on each of these types of status, click on the links above.

Summary of the types of listings 

The summary below provides a comparison of South Africa’s own legislation regulating species (NEMBA Regulations: Threatened and Protected Species Assessment) and those of the IUCN and CITES. 
 

NEMBA Regulations on Threatened and Protected SpeciesCITESIUCN Red List Assessments

1. Distribution and status 
   There are approximately 1500 oribi in KwaZulu-Natal, which occur in about 120 separate populations. They occur in 23 protected areas, Blinkwater, Chelmsford, Cobham, Coleford, Garden Castle, Giant's Castle, Highmoor, Ithala, Impendle, Kamberg, Lotheni, Mkhomazi, Midmar, Mount Currie, Oribi Gorge, Royal Natal National Park, Sileza, Sodwana State Land, Umgeni Vlei, Umtamvuna, Umvoti Vlei, Vergelegen, Vernon Crookes, Vryheid and Weenen. The largest populations are in Giant's Castle (ca 100), Highmoor 50, Chelmsford 143 and Cobham 70. The overall past distribution of the oribi in KwaZulu-Natal was probably similar to current distribution, with the animals occurring in suitable grassland habitat mainly in the bioclimatic regions Coast hinterland, Mistbelt, Highland, and Moist upland; and less abundant in Coast lowlands and Drier upland. Past distribution is likely to have been less fragmented than at present. In a survey of game on private land in randomly selected eighth-degree squares, oribi were reported to have disappeared from 30 of 115 properties, and declining numbers were reported on 24 of the 85 farms on which they were present (Howard & Marchant 1984).  

2. Living requirements 
   Oribi favour grassland on flat to gently undulating terrain, where there is both short grass and long grass during the same year (Rowe-Rowe 1982 a, 1983). Short grass is needed to provide easily accessible, nutritious food (Rowe-Rowe 1982 a), as they feed very selectively on certain grasses or often only on parts of these grasses, as well as on some forbs (Everett 1991, Viljoen 1982). Long grass is required as cover for adults, as well as shelter for the young which are left to lie out for the first eight to ten weeks. Ecological densities range from one oribi per 6 ha to 1/30 ha, depending on the quality of the habitat and how it is managed (Everett 1991, Oliver et al 1978, Rowe-Rowe & Scotcher 1986). Oribi have not been recorded actually drinking water (Reilly 1988), apparently obtaining sufficient moisture from their mesic diet.  

3. Social organisation 
   In the Drakensberg oribi occur mainly in pairs, or small family groups of three, occasionally four (Oliver et al. 1978, Rowe-Rowe 1982 b). Single males occur more frequently (ca 25 % of adults) than do single females (ca 10 %) (Oliver et al. 1978, Rowe-Rowe 1982 b). On properties at midland elevations in KwaZulu-Natal mean group sizes are slightly larger, and 30 % of the groups contain more than one female (Everett 1991). Both the adult male and the female of a mated pair appear to be territorial (Viljoen 1982). Home range (= territory) sizes are from 20 to 60 ha, depending on habitat quality (Oliver et al. 1978, Viljoen 1982). In the tropical grasslands of East Africa oribi occur in larger groups than those recorded in southern Africa, consisting of an adult male, two or more adult females, and their young (Jarman 1974). Rowe-Rowe (1982 b) hypothesised that the smaller groups recorded in KwaZulu-Natal may be indicative of sub-optimal habitat. Rowe-Rowe et al. (1992) placed the oribi of the Drakensberg in the socialorganisation category of antelopes which occur singly or in pairs, whereas Jarman (1974) grouped them with antelopes which form small herds. The social organisation at midland elevations in KwaZulu-Natal appears to be intermediate between these two categories (Rowe-Rowe et al. 1992).  

4. Population dynamics 
   Mating takes place during April to June, and young are born mainly between November and January (Oliver et al. 1978, Rowe-Rowe 1982 b), after a gestation of 7 months (Mentis 1972, Viljoen 1982). Age at first parturition has not been accurately established, but it appears to be at 2 years (Rowe-Rowe 1982 b). Females can be expected to produce one young per year, to a maximum age of 8 - 13 years (Mentis 1972). The sex ratio of adult oribis in the Drakensberg was found to be 1 : 1 (Oliver et al 1978, Rowe-Rowe 1982 b). Juveniles (under 1 year old) comprised 14 % of the population, i.e. 36 per 100 females (Rowe-Rowe 1982 b). At midland elevations in KwaZulu-Natal the sex ratio of 1 : 1,34 was slightly in favour of females (Everett 1991).  

5. Threats 
   Rowe-Rowe (1988 c) recognised a number of reasons for declining oribi numbers. They include loss of habitat for the planting of crops or commercial afforestation, lack of cover on heavily grazed farms or where entire grassland areas are burnt annually, increasing rural human populations and the consequent sub-division of properties leading to more fences, and concomitant increases in the number of dogs. A major concern is the oribi's fragmented distribution : there are limited viable populations, and numerous small, isolated populations, vulnerable to human interference and natural catastrophes.  

6. Human importance 
   Quota permit returns indicate that there has been an increase in the number of oribi shot annually. For the period 1974 - 1981 the annual average was five, and from 1982 - 1992 it increased to 13. Live oribi have been sold for high prices on game auctions, which seems to have catylised some landowners into selling animals. Unfortunately oribi sold at auctions do not always go to suitable habitat, therefore the species does not benefit