Wildlife Guide · East Africa & Southern Africa

Impala

Aepyceros melampus (Lichtenstein, 1812)

The savanna's most abundant antelope — graceful, athletic and everywhere lions look first.

Least Concern (IUCN, 2016)

A male impala with sleek reddish-brown coat and lyre-shaped horns standing in acacia woodland, a herd of females grazing behind.

Image: Source: Wikimedia Commons — verify license before production

In brief

The impala (Aepyceros melampus) is Africa's most widespread medium-sized antelope, listed as Least Concern; it inhabits savanna woodland across eastern and southern Africa and is a keystone prey species for major predators.

By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated June 2026

The impala is one of Africa's most common and widespread antelopes, found in woodlands, savanna and grassland from Kenya to South Africa. Recognisable by its sleek reddish coat, white underparts and the male's lyre-shaped horns, the impala is a medium-sized antelope weighing 40–76 kg. It is extraordinarily athletic — capable of leaps exceeding three metres high and ten metres long — and forms herds of hundreds during the dry season. Impala are a staple prey species for lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs and hyenas. Listed as Least Concern, they remain abundant in protected areas but decline where bushmeat hunting and habitat loss intensify.

Least Concern

IUCN Red List status (2016 assessment)

2 million

Estimated global population

10 m

Maximum leap length when fleeing predators

Appendix III

CITES listing (Botswana and Tanzania)

Figures sourced from IUCN Red List — Aepyceros melampus, CITES — Checklist of CITES Species, Encyclopaedia Britannica — impala .

Impala: Quick Facts

Vital statistics and key facts about the Impala
Weight	40–76 kg (males larger, with horns)
Horns	Lyre-shaped, up to 90 cm (males only)
Diet	Mixed feeder — grazes and browses seasonally
Leap	Up to 3 m high and 10 m long
Population	~2 million globally
CITES	Appendix III (Botswana, Tanzania)

Scientific Classification

Scientific classification of the Impala
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Artiodactyla
Family	Bovidae
Genus	Aepyceros
Species	Aepyceros melampus (Lichtenstein, 1812)

Conservation Status

IUCN Status: Least Concern (IUCN, 2016). Black-faced subspecies Vulnerable.
Population: Approximately 2 million common impala
Trend: Stable in protected areas; decreasing where snaring is intense
Assessed: 2016
CITES: Appendix III (Botswana, Tanzania)

Key Facts: Impala

Impala are Africa's most abundant medium-sized antelope, numbering around two million.
Males carry lyre-shaped horns; females are hornless and slightly smaller.
Impala leap up to 3 m high and 10 m long — among the most athletic antelopes.
They are mixed feeders, grazing in the wet season and browsing in the dry season.
Impala are a primary prey species for lions, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs.
Bushmeat hunting and habitat loss threaten populations outside protected areas.

Two subspecies

Two impala subspecies are recognised. The common impala (A. m. melampus) ranges across eastern and southern Africa — from Kenya and Tanzania through Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to South Africa. The black-faced impala (A. m. petersii) is restricted to north-western Namibia and south-western Angola and is Vulnerable due to its small, isolated population. Both share the characteristic impala profile: slender body, reddish-brown coat with a black stripe along the flank, white belly and rump, and black tufts above the hooves. Males weigh 53–76 kg and carry S-shaped horns up to 90 cm long.

Herds, rutting and calving

Impala form three types of social group: territorial males with harems of females, bachelor herds of non-territorial males, and female herds with young. During the rut — triggered by rainfall in some regions — males defend territories through horn clashes and loud snorts. Calving often occurs in a synchronised burst, flooding predators with more calves than they can eat. Females hide newborn calves in thick cover for the first few weeks. Impala herds can merge into aggregations of hundreds during the dry season, gathering near permanent water.

Feeding and predator avoidance

Impala are adaptable mixed feeders. In the wet season they graze on fresh grass; in the dry season they browse leaves, shoots and fruit. This flexibility helps them survive in varied habitats from moist woodland to drier acacia savanna. When alarmed, impala perform a distinctive stiff-legged leap — the 'pronking' display — that may confuse predators or signal fitness to pursuers. They are vigilant, with sentinels scanning for lions, leopards and cheetahs. Despite these defences, impala are the most commonly killed prey in many African ecosystems.

Conservation status

The IUCN lists the common impala as Least Concern with an estimated two million individuals and a stable population trend. The black-faced impala subspecies is Vulnerable, with fewer than 3,000 individuals in a restricted range in Namibia and Angola. Bushmeat snaring affects impala across Central and East Africa, where wire snares kill indiscriminately. Habitat conversion to agriculture removes woodland edge habitat impala prefer. In well-managed protected areas, impala populations remain robust and serve as indicators of ecosystem health.

What WARN Does

WARN publishes this impala guide as free public education. Impala abundance reflects the health of African savanna ecosystems — the same landscapes threatened by bushmeat hunting and habitat loss.

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Impala: Frequently Asked Questions

What is an impala?

The impala (Aepyceros melampus) is a medium-sized African antelope weighing 40–76 kg, with a reddish coat, white underparts and lyre-shaped horns in males. It is one of the most common antelopes in eastern and southern Africa.

Why do impala jump when they run?

Impala perform stiff-legged leaps called pronking when alarmed. This may confuse predators, signal the impala's fitness, or help the herd keep visual contact during flight.

What eats impala?

Lions, leopards, cheetahs, African wild dogs, spotted hyenas and crocodiles all prey on impala. Impala are among the most commonly hunted prey species in African savanna.

Are impala endangered?

Common impala are Least Concern with around two million individuals. The black-faced impala subspecies of Namibia is Vulnerable with fewer than 3,000 animals.

What do impala eat?

Impala are mixed feeders — grazing on grass in the wet season and browsing leaves, shoots and fruit in the dry season. This flexibility helps them survive across varied habitats.

Where do impala live?

Impala inhabit savanna woodland, grassland and acacia scrub across Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.

Are impalas dangerous?

Impalas are not generally dangerous to people. The impala (Aepyceros melampus) is Africa's most widespread medium-sized antelope, listed as Least Concern; it inhabits savanna woodland across eastern and southern Africa and is a keystone prey species for major predators. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.

How long do impalas live?

A precise wild lifespan for impalas is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. The impala (Aepyceros melampus) is Africa's most widespread medium-sized antelope, listed as Least Concern; it inhabits savanna woodland across eastern and southern Africa and is a keystone prey species for major predators. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

How big is an impala?

An Impala is about 40–76 kg (males larger, with horns). The impala (Aepyceros melampus) is Africa's most widespread medium-sized antelope, listed as Least Concern; it inhabits savanna woodland across eastern and southern Africa and is a keystone prey species for major predators.

Sources & References

Population figures, conservation status and biological facts on this page are drawn from authoritative scientific and intergovernmental sources.

Terms used on this page

Plain-English definitions, from our wildlife and conservation glossary.

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