# What Do Impalas Eat?

> What impalas eat: Herbivore (grazer and browser), foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Savanna and open woodland.

- **Species:** Impala (*Aepyceros melampus*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Herbivore (grazer and browser)
- **Habitat:** Savanna and open woodland
- **Lifespan:** About 12 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** Up to 90 km/h (56 mph)
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/impala/what-do-impala-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/impala/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

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. Only males grow the long lyre-shaped horns. Impalas live in herds, graze and browse, and typically live about 12 years in the wild.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## 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.

## Help protect the Impala

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/impala/what-do-impala-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.