FACTS IN THE WILD 馃尶 馃崁 (15) - IMPALA
A herd of impala on high alert in the dusty Samburu National Reserve, Kenya. 馃摳 Feddoui Moncef
Impalas are medium-sized antelopes that roam the savanna and light woodlands of eastern and southern Africa. In the rainy season, when food is plentiful, they may gather in large herds of several hundred animals to browse on grasses and herbs, bushes, shrubs, and shoots. Herds offer protection from predators, such as lions. An alert impala will bark out an alarm that puts the entire herd to flight鈥攁nd a fleeing impala is no easy prey. Impalas are fleet runners who are able to leap distances of up to 33 feet. They use this technique to escape predators and sometimes, apparently, simply to amuse themselves. The impala can also clear bushes and other obstacles by soaring some 10 feet in the air. Typically, a running impala will simply jump over anything in its path.
