The Zoo is
CLOSED
for the winter season.
Visit us when we
reopen in April 2010.

Sitatunga

Scientific Name:	Tragelaphus spekii
Range:	Central and south central Africa in Kenya, Zambia, Botswana, and Democratic Republic of the Congo
Habitat:	Swampland, marshes, and near other water sources
Natural Diet:	Fresh grasses, water and swamp grasses
Zoo Diet:	Grain and alfalfa hay
Physical Characteristics:	Sitatunga weigh between 90 to 300 pounds and are between 2 and a half to 4 feet tall. Males can have horns up to 3 feet long which have up to one and a half twists. Their fur is brown and is shaggy, oily, and water-resistant. They have white markings on the face and body.
Behavior:	Sitatungas are very good swimmers and always run to water for cover. Their back end is higher than the front which allows the sitatunga to move very easily and quickly over boggy ground. Also, they are crepuscular, which means they are most active in the twilight hours of dawn and dusk.
Reproduction:	The gestation period is 7 and a half to 8 and half months and usually one baby is born.