Sharpe's Grysbok at a Glance
White flecks scattered through a rich reddish coat are the mark of Sharpe’s grysbok, a small, shy antelope of northern Kruger. It has a grayish face, and males carry short, widely spaced horns. It favors dense thickets and woodland edges with plenty of cover. Mostly nocturnal and solitary, it comes out at night to browse leaves and shoots, and freezes or hides when threatened.
Sharpe’s grysbok are always a special little antelope to find. They are shy, mostly solitary, and usually disappear into cover very quickly. I have only ever seen them north of the Letaba River, and some of my favorite areas to look for them are the dirt roads around Mopani Camp and the Red Rocks road near Shingwedzi. If you do see one, take your photograph quickly, as they have a reputation for scrambling away almost immediately.
- Mary-Anne Finlay - Tour Guide Since 2006 (THETA Registration No: GP 2432)
Their distribution ranges from parts of Tanzania south of Lake Victoria through Mozambique, Malawi, eastern Zambia and eastern Zimbabwe to the Kruger National Park and the eastern parts of South Africa. Smaller populations live in northern Botswana and Namibia’s Zambezi Region.
Conservation Status
In South Africa, Sharpe’s grysbok is listed as Least Concern and is widespread in suitable habitat. Populations are patchy but stable in many protected and private areas.
Habitat
Like most small antelope, Sharpe’s grysbok needs cover. It favors rocky hill country, especially the lower slopes, as well as dense scrub and woodland margins, including miombo and thorny thickets, where tall grass and shrubs hide the young from predators. In Kruger it lives in wooded areas and thickets rather than on open plains.
Social Organization
Sharpe’s grysbok is territorial and largely solitary, though a male and female may share a territory. Disputes are settled with posturing and short horn clashes. Territory size depends on habitat and local density.
Finest Safari Areas in Africa for Encountering Sharpe's Grysbok
Northern Kruger, especially around Mopani and Shingwedzi, is the most reliable place in South Africa; in Botswana, look in the thickets of the north.
Social Behavior
Like duiker, Sharpe’s grysbok are mainly nocturnal, resting in thickets by day and feeding at night. A pair may share a territory and mark its boundaries with dung and urine. Young stay in their parents’ range until they are independent; young males then find territories of their own.
Reproduction
Breeding may occur year-round, with most births at the start of the rainy season. Courtship includes leg-lifting, licking and rubbing. Sharpe’s grysbok can mature from about 6 to 19 months. Females carry a single lamb for six to seven months.
Anti-Predator Behavior
When danger approaches, Sharpe’s grysbok first freezes or hides. It crouches low in cover or shelters in old aardvark burrows and flees into denser vegetation only as a last resort.