Impala
The impala is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa.

The name Impala comes from the Zulu language.

The first attested English name in 1802, was palla or pallah, from the Tswana phala ‘red antelope’; the name impala, also spelled impalla or mpala, is first attested in 1875.

The impala reaches 70–92 centimeter’s (28–36 inches) at the shoulder and weighs 40–76 kg (88–168 pound).

The impala has a lovely reddish-brown coat matched against a white underbelly, which is reminiscent of the springbok, though the colours are not quite as dramatically contrasted. Another characteristic of the impala is the dark black streaks that run from its buttocks down to its upper hindlegs, with a dark stripe down its bushy white tail.

The impala is sexually dimorphic, which means that the males and females don’t look alike. Where males have horns, the females don’t, and it’s with these lyre-shaped horns that the males fight off their opponents and rivals.

The curved arch in the impala horns means that they become interlocked during a skirmish, potentially saving the male impala from skull damage or serious wounds.

The impala is found in woodlands and sometimes on the interface (ecotone) between woodlands and savannahs; it inhabits places close to water.