Habitat: African savanna
Status: Least Concern
DAK Locale: Jambo House
The roan is a large savanna antelope found throughout virtually all of sub-Saharan Africa although more are found in the western and central portions of the continent. They are found in both woodland and grassland based savannas. It is found even in the forests. Typically, they eat mid length grasses.
They are named for their reddish brown color and are similar in appearance to the closely related sable antelope, which have a deeper red coloration. They have lighter tones on the belly with females being lighter. They have curved horns that are ringed with male horns being somewhat longer and they arch slightly backward.
The animal forms harems of one dominant male and several females with groups numbering 5 to 15 animals typically. The males commonly fight for dominance of the harems. These fights generally occur while both animals are on their knees. They do not have fixed territories but males attempt to keep other males away from the herd. When a calf is born, the mother will hide it in tall grass and stick close to the area.
Roans are not endangered although they are regionally extinct in portions of its historical range. This is due to both over hunting and deforestation. There are approximately 76,000 left in the wild.
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