Understanding the Intricacies of the Impala Rutting Season – Londolozi Blog

An antelope found in abundance. Appreciated and then overlooked. Guests and rangers alike are to blame. Its success is blatantly obvious – the numbers speak for themselves and make the impala the most prevalent antelope in the Lowveld. This success is largely due to an intense couple of weeks of mating that occur. This time is known as the rut, a time of copulation but also predation.

The Trigger: The Sun Sets, the Rut Begins

During this annual rut, the usually monotonous antelope becomes the centre of attention. Male impalas start gearing up for the rut as early as March, with the first roars breaking the air as the days shorten towards the end of summer. The shortening of daylight hours triggers changes in the pituitary gland, leading to an increase in testosterone production in male impalas and signalling the onset of the rutting season.

They mark their territories by rubbing their foreheads on small bushes and depositing scent from sebaceous glands found at the base of their horns. These territorial markings, along with middens, serve as declarations of temporary ownership that males fiercely defend.

A Symphony of Clashing Horns

While impala males typically posture to avoid physical confrontation and the risk of injury during territorial disputes, clashes are not uncommon. We often see impala rams squaring up and will hear the clash of horns. Predation on male impalas peaks during rutting season, with the large majority of impala kills observed during this time being males. Males invest up to 25% of their time herding females towards the centre of their territory to prevent them from straying to other males, sacrificing precious time that could otherwise be spent maintaining their physical condition and vigilance against predators.

Two male impalas fighting for dominance over females. During the rutting period, predators will take advantage of the more ‘oblivious’ male impala.

Nature’s Opportunists

I often explain to guests that predators are ultimate opportunists. They are trying to expend as little energy as possible to gain as much in return. Leopards will lie in ambush close to rutting impala rams waiting for them to run in their direction without paying attention to the potential threats that lurk around each corner. However, it’s not just the big cats that take advantage of this lapse in impala vigilance. African wild dogs seemingly time their denning period to coincide with the rut, preying on weaker and more vulnerable impalas that have diverted their energy towards other aspects of life.

The Nkoveni female expertly waited in ambush before bringing down this impala ram.

The Closing Act

The roars and clashes of impala males become a constant soundtrack during rutting season, but this chaotic period will eventually end. As the predation slows and the chaos subsides, much remains to unfold before the rut concludes. We try not wish away this time of activity prematurely; for a brief period, the impala will continue to hold centre stage in the wilderness.