Impala

Impala facts at a glance

How big is a impala?

An adult impala measures 1.5 m long — about 87% of the height of an average adult person (1.73 m) — and weighs around 60 kg, about 86% of an average adult’s body weight (70 kg).

What is a group of impalas called?

Explore more animal collective nouns and baby animal names .

Behavior and the famous leap

Impalas are best known for their explosive jumps, springing high and far to confuse predators and cross obstacles. This behavior, sometimes called pronking, scatters a herd in all directions and makes it hard for a lion or cheetah to single out one target. They are fast, agile, and constantly alert.

Herds and social life

Outside the breeding season impalas gather in large mixed herds. During the rut, dominant males defend territories and harems of females, while younger males form bachelor groups. Their loud roars and snorts during this period are surprising for such a graceful animal.

Diet and range

Impalas are both grazers and browsers, switching between grass and leaves depending on the season, which helps them survive where pickier antelope cannot. They live across the savannas and woodlands of eastern and southern Africa, usually near water.

Predators and survival

Impalas are a key prey species for lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, and crocodiles. Their speed, leaping ability, and safety-in-numbers herding keep populations healthy, and they remain one of Africa's most abundant antelope.

Did you know? Impala facts

• The impala is a medium-sized antelope of eastern and southern Africa, famous for spectacular leaps that can clear 3 m (10 ft) in height and 10 m (33 ft) in length.
• Impalas can leap about 3 m (10 ft) high and up to 10 m (33 ft) in length in a single bound, using these jumps to evade predators and clear obstacles.
• No. Only male impalas grow horns, which are long, curved, and lyre-shaped. Females are hornless.
• Impalas are herbivores that both graze on grass and browse on leaves and shoots, adjusting their diet to the season.
• Impalas can sprint up to about 90 km/h (56 mph), making them one of the faster antelope and a difficult target for predators.
• Conservation: Least Concern (IUCN).

Diet & feeding

Impala feeds primarily as a herbivore (grazer and browser). Impalas are both grazers and browsers, switching between grass and leaves depending on the season, which helps them survive where pickier antelope cannot. They live across the savannas and woodlands of eastern and southern Africa, usually near water.

Adaptations

• Impalas are best known for their explosive jumps, springing high and far to confuse predators and cross obstacles. This behavior, sometimes called pronking, scatters a herd in all directions and makes it hard for a lion or cheetah to single out one target. They are fast, agile, and constantly alert.
• Outside the breeding season impalas gather in large mixed herds. During the rut, dominant males defend territories and harems of females, while younger males form bachelor groups. Their loud roars and snorts during this period are surprising for such a graceful animal.

Behaviour & ecology

• Impalas are best known for their explosive jumps, springing high and far to confuse predators and cross obstacles. This behavior, sometimes called pronking, scatters a herd in all directions and makes it hard for a lion or cheetah to single out one target. They are fast, agile, and constantly alert.
• Outside the breeding season impalas gather in large mixed herds. During the rut, dominant males defend territories and harems of females, while younger males form bachelor groups. Their loud roars and snorts during this period are surprising for such a graceful animal.
• Impalas are both grazers and browsers, switching between grass and leaves depending on the season, which helps them survive where pickier antelope cannot. They live across the savannas and woodlands of eastern and southern Africa, usually near water.

Communication

• Impala uses scent, posture, and vocal signals to mark territory and coordinate social behaviour.
• Communication intensity often peaks during breeding seasons and territorial disputes.

Habitat & range

Savanna and open woodland

Ecological role

Impala shapes vegetation through grazing or browsing and serves as prey for larger predators where ranges overlap.

Conservation status of the Impala

Sources & references

This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Impala:

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  Conservation status (Least Concern) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Aepyceros melampus.

• iNaturalist — observations & photos

  Search citizen-science observations and community IDs for Aepyceros melampus. Useful for range checks and recent sightings — not a substitute for formal Red List status.

• GBIF — occurrence data

  Global Biodiversity Information Facility species search for Aepyceros melampus. Explore published occurrence records used in range research.

• IUCN Red List — Aepyceros melampus.

  Conservation status (Least Concern) and population trends.

• Animal Diversity Web — Aepyceros melampus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

  Life history, morphology, and range.

• Wikipedia — Impala.

  General taxonomy and overview (cross-check primary sources).

• Global Animal Guide editorial standards

  How we research, source, review, and update every guide for accuracy.