Lesser Kudu

Tarangire National Park is the strongest location on the northern circuit because of its extensive dry acacia bush. Lake Manyara and Arusha National Park also hold lesser kudu in their drier woodland zones. They are not common in the Serengeti or Ngorongoro because the habitat is too open.

Yes, relative to most northern circuit species. They live in dense bush and rely on camouflage rather than flight. You need to slow down, drive the right habitat and scan carefully. A dedicated half day in the Tarangire bush with an experienced guide gives you a good chance.

The greater kudu is larger, with broader spiralling horns and more prominent vertical stripes, and lives in more open woodland. Tanzania's northern circuit holds only the lesser kudu. To see greater kudu you would need to travel to southern Tanzania or other parts of the continent.

Lesser kudu are almost exclusively browsers. They feed on leaves, shoots, seed pods and wild fruits from the thick acacia scrub they inhabit. They rarely need to drink water, extracting moisture from their food. This adaptation allows them to live in drier habitats than most antelopes.

Habitat loss from farming and overgrazing has reduced their range in parts of East Africa and the Horn. Inside well managed parks like Tarangire the population is stable but never large. Their dependence on dense bush makes them vulnerable to any land use change that opens up the thicket.

A mature male lesser kudu stands around one metre at the shoulder and weighs roughly 90 to 100 kilograms. Females are slightly smaller and lighter. They are noticeably slimmer and more refined than the greater kudu, built for threading through dense bush rather than striding across open woodland.