Antelopes Use Intimidation To Discourage Predators

W hen being chased at full       heart is small hence if it cannot  speed across the plains       catch it’s prey within a short     of Africa by a cheetah        time off achieving top speed it    the fastest animal on land, the       will burn out. If it’s to make a   chances of becoming a meal are        kill, the cheetah must get within  quite high. For an impala there       about 50 yd (45m) of it’s prey.    is not much it can do.                                                                                         They also tend to focus on the     So for impala, antelopes and          weakest, injured or youngest       gazelles, the trick is to make        animals in a herd.                 sure that the cheetah does not                                           chase you to begin with.              So for these antelopes,                                                  portraying any of these            Cheetah’s like all predators like     characteristics could easily land  to come as close to their prey        you on the cheetah’s menu. The     without being seen. This is known     chances of becoming lunch given    as stalking and the purpose of        this animals capability are good.  stalking is to ensure that they                                          catch their prey by surprise or       These animals therefore have       sprint in the shortest distance       developed a curious behaviour,     possible hence avoiding long          known as pronking, which studies   distance chases.                      show they use to intimidate or                                           confuse a predator. They jump      For predators the prey often has      vertically into the air and        a head start, so different            appear to bounce along stiff       predators have developed              legs, all four legs hitting the    different hunting techniques.         ground at the same time. It tells                                        the predator it has been seen, so  The cheetah is not built for long     the chase will be hard.            distant running, and the cheetahs                                        The animal demonstrates that it       speed.                             is in full control of the                                                situation and that the predator       As the predator nears and the      would be wasting time and energy      chase begins, springbok warns the  in chasing it.                        other antelopes by leaping                                               straight-legged, up to 10ft high,  Pronking is infectious. First one     into the air and releasing a       or two animals will start, and        scent from glands on its           soon the rest of the herd will        hindquarters.                      join in. But who can blame them,                                         no one wants to get left behind       This startling leap, the strong    when everybody is demonstrating       warning scent and the animal’s     their fitness it would be like        zigzag course together spell out   telling the predator, pick me!        an urgent message to the rest of                                         the herd — run as fast as you      The springbok of southern Africa      can!                               is the grandmaster when it comes                                         to pronking. As it leaps, the fan     The airborne scent acts as a       or crest of white hairs on the        trail, by the front-runners,       back are erected, and the head is     keeping close together — if all    bent forward and down almost to       the impalas ran in different       the feet. The hooves are kept         directions the heard would         together and the back is arched.      fragment, and each individual      At the moment it touches the          would be more vulnerable to the    ground, it springs back up again,     hunter. Should a few animals       sometimes jumping straight up,        become separated from the main     other times leaping forwards or       herd, they can follow the scent    jigging sharply to one side.          trail to find their way back. The  Then, it lowers its fans, raises      plains of Africa, the masai mara   its head and races away at full       game reserve included are mostly   short grass and scattered trees       mainly acacia.                     About the Author: Jerry Wanga is editor of two online websites that gives you ideas, destination and hotel reviews for Africa safari travelers. You can view more info on African safari and Africa tours at these websites. Published At: www.Isnare.com