Home › Mammalia › Bovidae › Red Lechwe (Kobus leche)
SPECIES PROFILE
Red Lechwe (Kobus leche)
Kobus
IUCN STATUS
Near Threatened
CONSERVATION STATUS
Near Threatened
CLASS
Mammalia
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
South-central African wetlands
DIET
Herbivorous
HABITAT
Seasonal floodplains and marshes
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Mammalia
ORDER
Artiodactyla
FAMILY
Bovidae
GENUS
Kobus
📋 Description
SIZE
Up to 1 m at shoulder; 70-120 kg
COLORATION
Bright chestnut with white underparts and long lyre-shaped horns
ADAPTATIONS
Water-repellent legs and splayed hooves for running in floods
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Seasonal floodplains and marshes
DIET
Herbivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
South-central African wetlands
REPRODUCTION
Single calf
DIET DETAILS
Aquatic grasses
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Wetland loss, hunting
💡 Interesting Facts
1
A floodplain antelope that flees predators by bounding through knee-deep water.
2
The Okavango and Chobe hold some of the largest lechwe herds left in Africa.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Okavango Delta
Chobe National Park
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
May-October
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Watch floodplains at dawn; herds splash through shallow water, running with a distinctive bounding gait.
