ALTHOUGH the young nyala males resemble their cousins, the male bushbuck, their orange socks give the game away.
Male bushbuck lack this distinguishing feature and are, overall, a little less colourful that the striking nyala males. The female nyala is much smaller and less gaudily adorned than the male.
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Here are some facts and figures about these rare antelope:
* Although nyala are rare, visitors to the Zululand reserves and to the northern section of Kruger are very likely to encounter them there.
* Only males have the distinctive lyre-shaped horns.
* Males are large, slender with a shaggy, slate-coloured coat, a white chevron between the eyes, a crest of white hairs on neck and back and a fringe running from chin to belly. The crest is raised when the animal is excited or nervous. They have vertical striped on their sides and are peppered with white dots. Their forelegs are orange.
* Females are orange-brown and have a black stripe down the back, side stripes and spots.
* They like dense bush and are never far from water.
* They form herds of between six and 20 animals although old males can be solitary or may occur in pairs.
* The nyala has a deep roaring bark and hoarse grunt.
Source: Wildlife and Environmental Society Field Guide to the Antelope of Southern Africa
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