One of southern Africa’s smallest and most secretive antelopes, known for its shy behavior, reddish speckled coat, and ability to vanish into thick vegetation in an instant. Found across Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania’s southern regions, Mozambique, eastern Zimbabwe, and northeastern South Africa, this elusive antelope favors rocky hills, scrub thickets, miombo woodland, and dense shrublands—habitats where it can find both cover and food. Because it is rarely seen for long, the Sharpe’s grysbok is often considered a mysterious presence in many African landscapes.

Its coat is one of its most distinctive features: a soft, reddish-brown base color covered in white or pale flecking, giving it a “sprinkled” or mottled look. This pattern is exceptional camouflage, blending perfectly with sun-dappled woodland, rocky outcrops, and dry grass. The underparts are pale, and the face is marked with large, expressive eyes and short, rounded ears. Males possess short, sharp horns that point straight up from the head, while females lack horns altogether.

The Sharpe’s grysbok is primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, active mostly at night or during early morning and late afternoon. During the heat of the day, it shelters in thick bushes, rocky crevices, or tall vegetation. Its shy nature and preference for dense cover make it one of the hardest antelopes to observe in the wild. When startled, it often freezes for a moment before darting away in a zig-zag sprint, disappearing rapidly into thickets.

Diet-wise, the Sharpe’s grysbok is a browser, feeding mostly on leaves, shoots, buds, herbs, fruits, and flowers. It rarely grazes on grass. Importantly, this antelope can obtain much of the moisture it needs from plants, allowing it to live comfortably in dry habitats with limited water sources. Its browsing habits also help shape plant communities, and in turn, its digestive system is adapted for processing nutrient-rich but fibrous vegetation.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Botswana

2016

DR Congo (Kinshasa)

2016

Eswatini

2016

Malawi

2016

Mozambique

2016

South Africa

2016

Tanzania

2016

Zambia

2016

Zimbabwe

2016