# Impala — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Aepyceros melampus (Lichtenstein, 1812)*

> The impala (Aepyceros melampus) is Africa's most widespread medium-sized antelope, listed as Least Concern; it inhabits savanna woodland across eastern and southern Africa and is a keystone prey species for major predators.

**IUCN status:** Least Concern (IUCN, 2016)  ·  **WARN range:** East Africa, Southern Africa

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Weight | 40–76 kg (males larger, with horns) |
| Horns | Lyre-shaped, up to 90 cm (males only) |
| Diet | Mixed feeder — grazes and browses seasonally |
| Leap | Up to 3 m high and 10 m long |
| Population | ~2 million globally |
| CITES | Appendix III (Botswana, Tanzania) |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Artiodactyla
- **Family:** Bovidae
- **Genus:** Aepyceros
- **Species:** Aepyceros melampus (Lichtenstein, 1812)

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Least Concern (IUCN, 2016). Black-faced subspecies Vulnerable.
- **Population:** Approximately 2 million common impala
- **Trend:** Stable in protected areas; decreasing where snaring is intense
- **Assessed:** 2016
- **CITES:** Appendix III (Botswana, Tanzania)

## Key facts: Impala
- Impala are Africa's most abundant medium-sized antelope, numbering around two million.
- Males carry lyre-shaped horns; females are hornless and slightly smaller.
- Impala leap up to 3 m high and 10 m long — among the most athletic antelopes.
- They are mixed feeders, grazing in the wet season and browsing in the dry season.
- Impala are a primary prey species for lions, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs.
- Bushmeat hunting and habitat loss threaten populations outside protected areas.

## Two subspecies
Two impala subspecies are recognised. The common impala (A. m. melampus) ranges across eastern and southern Africa — from Kenya and Tanzania through Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to South Africa. The black-faced impala (A. m. petersii) is restricted to north-western Namibia and south-western Angola and is Vulnerable due to its small, isolated population.

Both share the characteristic impala profile: slender body, reddish-brown coat with a black stripe along the flank, white belly and rump, and black tufts above the hooves. Males weigh 53–76 kg and carry S-shaped horns up to 90 cm long.

## Herds, rutting and calving
Impala form three types of social group: territorial males with harems of females, bachelor herds of non-territorial males, and female herds with young. During the rut — triggered by rainfall in some regions — males defend territories through horn clashes and loud snorts.

Calving often occurs in a synchronised burst, flooding predators with more calves than they can eat. Females hide newborn calves in thick cover for the first few weeks. Impala herds can merge into aggregations of hundreds during the dry season, gathering near permanent water.

## Feeding and predator avoidance
Impala are adaptable mixed feeders. In the wet season they graze on fresh grass; in the dry season they browse leaves, shoots and fruit. This flexibility helps them survive in varied habitats from moist woodland to drier acacia savanna. When alarmed, impala perform a distinctive stiff-legged leap — the 'pronking' display — that may confuse predators or signal fitness to pursuers. They are vigilant, with sentinels scanning for lions, leopards and cheetahs. Despite these defences, impala are the most commonly killed prey in many African ecosystems.

## Conservation status
The IUCN lists the common impala as Least Concern with an estimated two million individuals and a stable population trend. The black-faced impala subspecies is Vulnerable, with fewer than 3,000 individuals in a restricted range in Namibia and Angola. Bushmeat snaring affects impala across Central and East Africa, where wire snares kill indiscriminately. Habitat conversion to agriculture removes woodland edge habitat impala prefer. In well-managed protected areas, impala populations remain robust and serve as indicators of ecosystem health.

## Related WARN guides
Impala are savanna antelope — read WARN's wildebeest and gazelle guides for fellow grazers, antelope page for the family overview, and lion, cheetah and hyena pages for predators.

Warthog and meerkat guides cover other common savanna mammals.

Protected areas and anti-poaching work maintain impala prey bases for apex predators.

## What WARN does
WARN publishes this impala guide as free public education. Impala abundance reflects the health of African savanna ecosystems — the same landscapes threatened by bushmeat hunting and habitat loss.

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: Impala
### What is an impala?
The impala (Aepyceros melampus) is a medium-sized African antelope weighing 40–76 kg, with a reddish coat, white underparts and lyre-shaped horns in males. It is one of the most common antelopes in eastern and southern Africa.

### Why do impala jump when they run?
Impala perform stiff-legged leaps called pronking when alarmed. This may confuse predators, signal the impala's fitness, or help the herd keep visual contact during flight.

### What eats impala?
Lions, leopards, cheetahs, African wild dogs, spotted hyenas and crocodiles all prey on impala. Impala are among the most commonly hunted prey species in African savanna.

### Are impala endangered?
Common impala are Least Concern with around two million individuals. The black-faced impala subspecies of Namibia is Vulnerable with fewer than 3,000 animals.

### What do impala eat?
Impala are mixed feeders — grazing on grass in the wet season and browsing leaves, shoots and fruit in the dry season. This flexibility helps them survive across varied habitats.

### Where do impala live?
Impala inhabit savanna woodland, grassland and acacia scrub across Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List — Aepyceros melampus](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/550/50147397)
- [CITES — Checklist of CITES Species](https://checklist.cites.org/)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — impala](https://www.britannica.com/animal/impala)

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