Bateleur Safaris & Tours

The impala is one of the most common and most graceful of all Africa’s antelopes. A slender, agile creature, it can clear formidable obstacles and run at speeds faster than 60km/h. They are fleet runners who can leap up to 10m in length and 3m in height. They use their tremendous speed and agility to avoid predation, and seemingly for pure enjoyment. Males are known as rams, while females are referred to as ewes and have no horns. Male impalas have Lyre-shaped and ringed horns, up to 75cm long. The male’s horns can take many years to reach full length, which is why young animals are unlikely to establish a dominant position and breeding territory. Male impalas produce a scent from a gland on their foreheads to advertise their status to rivals. When he loses his rank, a male produces less scent. Males will fight for status and territory throughout the mating season, using their antlers as weapons. Most young impala are born around mid-day as this is the safest time to give birth sin

5 REASONS TO VISIT RUAHA 1. It’s Tanzania’s biggest safari park At 20 226km2, Ruaha is about the size of Tarangire National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Masai Mara and Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park combined. That’s a staggering amount of unspoilt wilderness waiting to be explored. 2. Uncrowded, and off the beaten track This unexplored wilderness is visited by only a handful of intrepid travellers each year. This means that any visitor here will pretty much feel as though they have the place all to themselves. 3. Diverse ecosystem The park’s lifeblood is the Great Ruaha River which crosses the park, passing through diverse landscapes ranging from rolling hills to groves of bulbous baobabs, and in the southeastern regions, through rugged gorges and open plains. This varied landscape is a result of the park being the transitional point between two vegetation zones: the Zambezian (characterised by miombo vegetation) and Sudanian (characterised