BLUE DUIKER

Philantomba monticola

SHOULDER HEIGHT : 300mm

MASS : Females – 4,7kg, Males – 4 kg

GESTATION : 210 days

The Blue Duiker is the smallest antelope in Southern Africa.  The coat is blue-grey. Both sexes carry short sharp horns, which are often concealed by a tuft of hair. They are non-seasonal breeders. Single fawns are born, weighing 400 grams. Young are hidden for the first few weeks after birth, and later driven from the parent’s territory when sexually matured at about 388 days.  The Blue Duiker is widely distributed from the Eastern Cape to parts of West Africa. However, as a consequence of its habitat preference the distribution range is as disjunct as is the indigenous evergreen forests they frequent.

Diet - The Blue Duiker feeds on fresh leaves, fruit and flowers fallen from the forest canopy.