Pelea capreolus
common rhebok

Pelea capreolus lives throughout South Africa, mainly in upland areas but descending onto sand dunes in the Cape. They are most numerous in strongly seasonal pastures above 1,000m, staying on the heights during rain but descending to lower slopes when during dry weather (Kingdon, 1997).

P. capreolus lives among rocks and tangled growth on mountain sides and plateaus, but where protected, it will venture to grassy valleys. It probably frequented such valleys regularly before being driven out by human activity (Nowak, 2001). Young tend to lie concealed away from mother, hidden in rocks, caves, or bushes (Grzimek, 1990).

P. capreolus is 1.15 to 1.25 m in length and weighs about 20 to 30 kilograms. The body is covered by hair that is woollier and curlier than that of all other antelopes, which may be a reason P. capreolus is often mistaken as a mountain goat. The upper parts are brownish gray, the face and legs are yellowish, and the underparts of the body and the tail are white (Grzimek, 1990). P. capreolus can be easily distinguished by its extremely long, pointed erect ears and by the absence of a bare patch below the ear. The animal's long narrow muzzle ends with a small mouth. P. capreolus has a swollen forehead and black-lidded eyes that are very prominent against a white surround (Kingdon, 1997). The horns, only found in males, are straight or slightly bent forward, upright, and 200-250mm in length. A naked area around the nostrils extends to the top of the nose and is swollen. It becomes studded with moisture when the animal is excited. Females have four mammae (Nowak, 2001).

In the wild, P. capreolus has been reported to live 8-10 years. In captivity P. capreolus does not thrive and is rarely found in captivity (Nowak, 2001).

P. capreolus is active during the day in sporadic bouts of grazing and resting, tending to rest in shade during noon hours. The antelope forms two types of social groups. The first consists of many females and one dominant male, which is normally a collection of around 8 animals but can reach as high as 30. The other social group is made up of solitary males looking to invade a group with females (Nowak, 2001). During mating times, fights between dominant and solitary males are frequent, and it is not uncommon for one of the contestants to be killed (Pelea, 2001).

This species is predominantly a browser. Faecal analysis showed that dicotyledons comprised of 88 percent of its diet, with over 90 percent dicotyledons in winter and dicotyledon consumption declining by 10 percent in summer (Mills, 1997). The Vaal Rhebuck's diet consists of grasses and leaves (Nowak, 2001).

An appointed sentinel of the group watches for signs of danger, and when a threat is discovered, makes a cough-like grunt to alert the rest of the group. It then leads the group to less accessible ground (Nowak, 2001). The rhebuck has a jerky, rocking gait, which makes it hard for predators to capture. It is an agile climber and a good jumper. Also, males are extremely aggressive and are good defenders of their group (Palmer, 1988).

P. capreolus is prey for large predators of the African savannah. P. capreolus is also a host for many parasites, including lice, fleas and ticks (Horak, 1983). P. capreolus also is a consumer of grass and leaves of the African savannah and low mountains.

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Also known as the Gray Rhebuck or Grey Rhebok