# Antelope — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Family Bovidae, subfamilies Antilopinae, Alcelaphinae, Hippotraginae and others — ~90 species*

> Antelope are horned ruminants of the family Bovidae — roughly 90 species across Africa and Asia; African savanna antelope form the prey base for the continent's great predators, with conservation status ranging from abundant to Critically Endangered.

**IUCN status:** Varies by species (Least Concern to Critically Endangered)  ·  **WARN range:** Africa, Asia, Middle East

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Species | ~90 recognised antelope species |
| Horns | Permanent — not shed like deer antlers |
| Range | Africa and Eurasia |
| Size range | 2 kg (royal antelope) to 900 kg (giant eland) |
| Key role | Primary prey for African predators |
| CITES | Many species on Appendix I or II |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Artiodactyla
- **Family:** Bovidae
- **Subfamilies:** Antilopinae, Alcelaphinae, Hippotraginae and others

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Varies by species. Many African savanna antelope Least Concern; scimitar-horned oryx Extinct in the Wild; dama gazelle and addax Critically Endangered.
- **Population:** Varies — from fewer than 100 (dama gazelle) to millions (springbok, impala)
- **Trend:** Decreasing for many threatened species; stable for abundant savanna species
- **Assessed:** Varies by species
- **CITES:** Many species on CITES Appendix I or II

## Key facts: Antelope
- Antelope are horned bovids — not deer — with permanent horns, not antlers.
- Africa holds the greatest antelope diversity, especially on savanna and in rainforest.
- Savanna antelope — wildebeest, impala, gazelle — sustain Africa's predator communities.
- The scimitar-horned oryx is Extinct in the Wild; saiga antelope has crashed repeatedly.
- Snaring and bushmeat hunting threaten antelope across Central and West Africa.
- Springbok, impala and blue wildebeest remain among the most abundant wild ungulates.

## What makes an antelope?
Antelope is a functional term, not a strict taxonomic group. It covers roughly 90 species in the family Bovidae — the same family that includes cattle, sheep and goats — spread across subfamilies Antilopinae, Alcelaphinae, Hippotraginae, Cephalophinae and others.

All antelope are cud-chewing ruminants with even-toed hooves and permanent horns (unlike deer, which shed antlers annually). African antelope range from the tiny royal antelope (2 kg) to the giant eland (900 kg). Asian antelope include blackbuck, nilgai and the critically threatened saiga of the steppes.

## Savanna antelope and the predator web
African savanna antelope form the foundation of the continent's predator ecosystems. Wildebeest, zebra and gazelle drive the Great Migration; impala are the most commonly killed prey in many reserves; eland and buffalo test the strength of lion prides. Cheetahs specialise in small gazelles; wild dogs pursue medium-sized antelope in endurance chases; leopards ambush whatever they can catch. Antelope compensate through speed, vigilance, herd behaviour and synchronised calving. The health of antelope populations directly reflects the health of the savanna ecosystem.

## Threats across the family
No single conservation status applies to all antelope. Generalist species such as impala, springbok and blue wildebeest remain Least Concern with large populations. At the other extreme, the scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) is Extinct in the Wild, surviving only in captive breeding programmes. The saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) crashed from more than a million to fewer than 50,000 in the 1990s and again in 2015 from disease. Dama gazelle, addax and Arabian oryx are Critically Endangered. Snaring, bushmeat hunting, habitat loss and competition with livestock are the main threats.

## Conservation successes and priorities
Antelope conservation has notable successes. The Arabian oryx was reintroduced to the wild after captive breeding saved it from extinction. Black rhino range overlaps with antelope habitat in many reserves. Community conservancies in Kenya and Namibia generate tourism revenue that protects antelope and predators together.

Priorities include maintaining migration corridors, reducing snaring in Central Africa, and supporting captive breeding for the most endangered species. WARN's educational guides help searchers understand individual antelope species — wildebeest, impala, gazelle — and the family they belong to.

## Related WARN savanna guides
This page introduces the antelope family — but most readers want a particular species. Read WARN's wildebeest, impala and gazelle guides for Great Migration prey species, plus lion, cheetah and leopard pages for the predators that depend on antelope herds.

The scimitar-horned oryx and saiga antelope illustrate how quickly abundant ungulates can crash — and how captive breeding and anti-poaching can reverse decline.

Protecting savanna habitat in WARN partner countries supports the entire prey–predator web.

## What WARN does
WARN publishes this antelope guide as free public education. African savanna antelope are the prey base for the continent's predators — protecting them means protecting the entire ecosystem.

If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.

## Frequently asked questions: Antelope
### How many antelope species are there?
Roughly 90 species worldwide, mostly in Africa. Africa holds the greatest diversity, from the tiny royal antelope to the giant eland.

### What is the difference between antelope and deer?
Antelope belong to the family Bovidae and have permanent horns. Deer belong to Cervidae and grow antlers that are shed annually. Antelope are native to Africa and Eurasia; deer to the Americas, Europe and Asia.

### Which antelope is most endangered?
The scimitar-horned oryx is Extinct in the Wild. The dama gazelle, addax and Arabian sand gazelle are Critically Endangered with fewer than 100–250 mature individuals each.

### What antelope are in the Great Migration?
Blue wildebeest dominate the migration, accompanied by common eland, Thomson's gazelle and Grant's gazelle. Plains zebra migrate alongside them.

### Are antelope endangered?
It depends on the species. Impala, springbok and blue wildebeest are Least Concern and abundant. Many Saharan, Arabian and Asian antelope are Critically Endangered or Extinct in the Wild.

### What do antelope eat?
Most antelope are grazers or browsers of grass, leaves and shoots. Some, like impala, switch between grazing and browsing seasonally. Diets vary with habitat and body size.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List — Bovidae assessments](https://www.iucnredlist.org/)
- [CITES — Checklist of CITES Species](https://checklist.cites.org/)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — antelope](https://www.britannica.com/animal/antelope)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/antelope