Search Animals
Encyclopedia of African Huntable Animals
Exotic Plains Game
Bongo- Eland (Lord Derby)
- Gazelle (Grant's)
- Gazelle (Thomson's)
- Gerenuk
- Hartebeest (Coke's)
- Hartebeest (Lichtenstein's)
- Kudu (Lesser)
- Lechwe (Nile)
- Lechwe (Red)
- Nyala (Mountain)
- Roan
- Sable
- Scimitar-Horned Oryx
- Sitatunga
- Topi
- Tsessebe
- Waterbuck (Defassa)
Hunting Exotic Plains Game in Africa
Hunting exotic plains game in Africa can become an addiction of its own, or may be combined with both plains game hunts and / or dangerous game hunts. A typical scenario is a hunter starts out hunting plains game in southern Africa for a trip or two and then broadens their horizons to include both exotic plains game and dangerous game. Once as hunter begins collecting exotic plains game, it is hard to stop. About the only things holding them back will be time and budget considerations. There are enough variations of exotic plains game species to keep a hunter occupied for years.
Some species fall into both the plains game and exotic plains game categories. A good example is the nyala. The common nyala is considered a plains game species and most hunters coming to Africa for plains game end up taking one. The mountain nyala on the other hand, is considered an exotic plains game species, is considered endangered, and is only hunted by a fortunate few hunters. Most of the hunters taking a mountain nyala are trying to complete the spiral-horned antelopes of Africa award, of which the mountain nyala is one of the nine species required for this prestigious award. The mountain nyala is an expensive hunt, as only a few permits are issued each year and the demand exceeds the supply.
Another example of a species that falls into both the plains game and exotic plains game categories is the waterbuck. The common waterbuck is an animal that many people end up taking during their second or third hunting safari to Africa. On the other hand, the Defassa Waterbuck (sometimes called sing sing waterbuck in western Africa) belongs in the exotic plains game category. The Defassa waterbuck is classified as an exotic plains game species due to the fact that its distribution is from Zambia to East Africa and into Ethiopia. So to take one, the hunter has to get off the beaten path for plains game in southern Africa and travel further northward to central Africa.
Many other species fall into the exotic plains game hunting category. When hunting exotic plains game in Africa, two of the most prominent members of this category are the bongo and the Lord Derby (Giant) Eland. The bongo is also one of the spiral horned antelopes of Africa and is considered one of the most beautiful trophies in the word due to its orange and white striped coloration. Bongos are hunted in exotic remote locations such as the rainforests of Cameron, the C.A.R. and the Congo Brazzaville. The Lord Derby Eland is the largest of the spiral horned antelopes of Africa and is highly desired as a trophy by African hunters. Lord Derby eland are hunted in Savanna areas in northern Cameroon, the C.A.R.
Other members of the exotic plains game class of African animals include the sitatunga, roan and sable antelopes, lechwe, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, tessebe, and kob among others. When hunting exotic plains game in Africa, a large selection of these exotic animals is available to choose from. In addition to the previously listed animals, the scimitar-horned oryx, puku, lesser kudu, gerenuk and Thompson’s, Grant’s and Somerling’s gazelles also end up being sought for trophy room additions.
So what determines the difference between the animal being classified as plains game or exotic plains game? The difference is actually determined by a combination of the price range to harvest the animal and the location of the destination a hunter must travel to take this trophy. The addition of some of these animals to game ranches in southern Africa has blurred the lines between the two classifications somewhat. Game breeding on these ranches has brought the price down for some of these formerly expensive antelopes. A good example of this is the sable, whose translocation to game ranches in South Africa and the subsequent breeding industry that has developed as a result has brought the price down to where the average plains game hunter is now adding a sable to his collection with regularity. As a result, there has never been a better time for hunting exotic plains game in Africa than now.
Bongo
The bongo, a member of the spiral-horned antelopes of Africa, is one of the worlds most beautiful animals. Featuring multiple vertical narrow white stripes on a reddish-brown to orange coat, the bongo makes a stunning trophy. Bongo are hunted in at least four countries in the Congolean forest belt of Western Africa. Cameroon's rain forest area is known for producing some of the largest trophies and provides an unforgettable adventure when hunting them in areas still populated by gorillas. Eland (Lord Derby)
Lord Derby eland are also called giant eland and are the largest of all of the spiral horned antelopes. A large specimen can stand 6 feet tall and weigh over 2,200 pounds. They feature a distinctive shoulder hump and a well developed dewlap on the throat of the bulls. The eastern race of giant elands is currently only huntable in CAR and Cameroon. Lord Derby eland are primarily browsers that favor vast tracts of savannah woodlands. Gazelle (Grant's)
Grant's gazelle is a large gazelle that is huntable in Tanzania and Ethiopia. They prefer semi-desert scrublands and open savanna woodlands. They are mixed herbaceous feeders, taking in grasses, plants and browse. They normally associate in herds consisting of up to 30 gazelle controlled by an adult ram. Grant's Gazelles feature ringed backward sloping horns that extend outwards. Due to their impressive horn length, they are highly prized as trophies by hunters. Gazelle (Thomson's)
The Thomson's gazelle is a small gazelle and is one of the most abundant gazelles in Africa. It is estimated that there are over 1,000,000 Thomson's gazelles in Africa today. Thomson's gazelle are huntable in Tanzania and Ethiopia. The rams feature long closely growing ringed horns that curve slightly inward at the tip. It prefers open grassland savanna. It is a grazer and needs regular access to water. Gerenuk
The gerenuk is a bizarre antelope indeed. Featuring the body of an impala, the long legs and neck of a giraffe, and long large ears, your first sight of a gerenuk can be quite startling. They are one of only two antelope species that can stand on their hind legs when feeding. Gerenuk are browsers and use their long necks and legs to reach leaves that other antelope can't reach. They are huntable in Tanzania and Ethiopia. Hartebeest (Coke's)
The Coke's hartebeest is only found on the border of Tanzania and Kenya. It is only huntable in Tanzania. The Coke's hartebeest prefers open savanna and wooded grasslands. They are mostly grazers, but will occasionally feed on herbaceous plants. The Coke's hartebeest is sometimes called the Kongoni. Its horns are spread wider than the red hartebeest and the horn tips turn up rather than backwards. Hartebeest (Lichtenstein's)
Lichtenstein's hartebeest occupies a fragmented range in southern Central Africa. It is huntable in Tanzania and Zambia. A small reintroduced population is present in South Africa's Kruger National Park. The largest huntable population is found in Tanzania's Selous Reserve. The Lichtenstein's Hartebeest prefers Savanna woodlands near floodplains and marshes. They are mainly grazers but do browse on occasion. Kudu (Lesser)
Lesser kudu are like a miniture version of the greater kudu. Lesser kudu have up to 15 narrow white stripes on their sides and two white markings on their throats. They are only found in Eastern Africa. They are huntable only in Tanzania and Uganda. Lesser kudu are known to occupy areas of dense bush woodlands in semi-arid areas. They are known to avoid open areas and stick to thick cover, which makes hunting them challenging. Lesser kudu are predominately browsers and feed on leaves, flowers and some grasses. Lechwe ( Nile)
THe nile lechwe is considered endangered by many conservation groups. They may only be hunted in Sudan and Ethiopia, and permits are limited. The nile lechwe is a herbivore and feeds on grasses, fruits and twigs. It forms loose herds on the floodplains of southern Sudan and far southwestern Ethiopia. It features long ridged horns that vaguely take an S shape in profile. Its population has been gradually decreasing due to loss of habitat (dam building) and bushmeat hunting. Lechwe (Red)
Red lechwe are antelopes that live on the edge of swamps and floodplains. Their hooves are splayed wide to allow them to walk in mud and stand in flooded areas. This adaptation allows them to escape predators by fleeing into the water. Red lechwe are prized by hunters for their lyre shaped horns. Their introduction onto game ranches in South Africa has made them available to a wider array of African hunters. Nyala (Mountain)
Mountain nyala are one of the spiral-horned antelopes of Africa. Mountain nyala are fount in the Bale and Arsi mountains of Ethiopia. There are between 2,000 and 4,000 remaining. The mountain nyala was not discovered by the modern world until 1908. Hunting permits are very limited and therefore demand and pricing are high. Hunting nyala is a specialized safari and the taking of a mountain nyala is necessary to complete the African spiral-horned slam. Roan
The roan is one of the largest antelopes in Africa. It is powerfully built, has a somewhat horse-like appearance and features a distinctly marked black and white face. It is huntable in Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon, CAR, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. Roan prefer open, lightly wooded grasslands with medium to tall grasses. Roan require access to water. Roan form small herd of from 5 - 12 animals, with each group being led by an adult bull. Sable
The common sable male is a much sought after trophy due to its swept back horns, distinct facial markings and jet black coat. Like many animals in Africa, the sables range has been greatly expanded by game ranchers in southern Africa. None the less, it is still possible to take a magnificent wild sable in free-range areas of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania. The price of game ranch sable has dropped significantly since 2010. Scimitar-Horned Oryx
The scimitar-horned oryx is believed to be extinct in the wild but has been reintroduced into conservation areas in Libya, Tunisia and Morocco. There are huntable populations of scimitar-horned oryx in South Africa and Texas, due to introductions onto game ranches. It is believed that there may be populations still existing in Sudan, but due to current political instabilities, little is known of this group. Today, all African hunting for scimitar-horned oryx takes place on game ranches in South Africa. Sitatunga
The sitatunga is a member of the Spiral-horned Antelopes of Africa. It is a shaggy-haired antelope that prefers to live in dense reedbeds and vegetated aquatic environments, but tends to feed in adjacent woodland areas. When threatened, it will run for the water, as its widely splayed hooves give it an advantage over terrestrial predators. It is huntable in Zambia, Tanzania, CAR, Congo-Brazzaville and Cameroon. Topi
Topi are a medium-sized antelope that occur in western Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and other countries. Topi are only huntable in Tanzania and Uganda. The population of topi is stable and there are an estimated 120,000 topi in Africa. Topi form herds of 15 - 30 animals and often mix with other game such as zebra and wildebeest. Topi are grazers and prefer open savanna woodlands with adjoining short to medium grassed plains nearby. Tsessebe
Tsessebe are a medium-sized antelope that occur in Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. It is huntable in all countries. The largest population of Tsessebe occurs in Zambia's Bangwelu Swamp. Tsessebe have been introduced onto game ranches in South Africa and are now huntable during everyday plains game safaris. Tsessebe prefer open savanna woodlands adjacent to grassy plains. They prefer short to medium length grasses.