Zebra Duiker Hunting African Safaris

Zebra Duiker

(Cephalophus zebra)

Current all time records
SCI: Score 12 6/16 - Liberia, Grebo Forest - 4/85
Rowland Ward: Score 3 1/8 - Liberia - 1999

Description: The coat is light yellow to reddish-brown in colour, and is conspicuously marked with 12-15 vertical black stripes on the torso. The underparts are cream in colour. The nape of the neck, and lower legs are darker reddish-brown, while the upper legs are almost black. The legs are relatively short and the back rounded, giving this small antelope an appearance of squatting. The tail has a brownish-black tuft and is white underneath. The forehead is dark rufous, and the muzzle is nearly black. The short conical horns are found in both sexes, and may be hidden by the small forehead crest. They grow 2-2.5 cm / 0.8-1 inches long in females, and 4-5 cm / 1.6-2 inches long in males.

Other Common Names: Banded Duiker

Size:

Range: Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Sierra Leone; January - August.

Natural History: The Zebra Duiker is most active at night. Breeding pairs hold a territory, which both sexes defend against intrusion by other duikers. Males seem to be extremely bad tempered towards other males, with confrontations resulting in serious fights. These consist of head-to-head collisions, which are very vigorous as evidenced by the scars on the heads of older animals. It has been suggested that the stripes help to prevent goring during fights through visual stimulus. The alarm call resembles a whistle or a shrill hiss. When startled, the zebra duiker, as its name suggests, dashes for cover.

Hunting Characteristics: