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A male Nile lechwe with a dark brown coat, a white patch behind the head and long curved horns standing on grass.
Photo: Karelj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nile Lechwe

Kobus megaceros

An endangered swamp antelope of South Sudan and Ethiopia whose dark males and golden females look like different animals.

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About the Nile Lechwe

Nile lechwe live in the swamps and grassy marshes of South Sudan and western Ethiopia. They eat grasses, herbs and water plants. Lechwe are strong swimmers but prefer to wade in shallow water, and their long, narrow hooves help them move through marshy ground. They gather in herds of 50 to 500 animals.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Kobus megaceros[1]
Size
Males 100 to 105 cm tall at the shoulder. Females 80 to 85 cm.[1]
Weight
Males 90 to 120 kg. Females 60 to 90 kg.[1]
Lifespan
About 10 to 11.5 years in the wild. Up to 19 years in captivity.[1]
Diet
Herbivore. Grasses, herbs and water plants.[1]
Habitat
Swamps, flooded grass marshes and steppes.[1]
Where it lives
South Sudan and western Ethiopia.[1]
Group life
Herds of 50 to 500 animals.[1]
Babies
Pregnancy lasts about 235 days. One calf, usually every year.[1]
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).[2]

Fun facts

  • Male and female Nile lechwe look so different they could be mistaken for two kinds of animals.[1]
  • Only males have horns, which can be 48 to 87 cm long and shaped like a lyre.[1]
  • Long, narrow hooves help lechwe walk through soft, marshy ground.[1]

Vocabulary

antelope
A fast, deer-like mammal with hooves and horns, found mostly in Africa and Asia.
marsh
Low, wet land covered with grasses and reeds.
wade
To walk through shallow water.
lyre
An old stringed instrument with two curved arms, like a small harp.
bachelor
An adult male animal that does not have a mate or territory.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. “Kobus megaceros (Nile lechwe).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Kobus_megaceros/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Kobus megaceros (Nile Lechwe).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/11034/50189177 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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