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The oribi (; Ourebia ourebi) is a small antelope found in eastern, southern and western Africa. The sole member of its genus, it was described by the German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann in 1783. While this is the monotypic taxon in the genus Ourebia, eight subspecies are identified. The oribi reaches nearly at the shoulder and weighs . It possesses a slightly raised back, and long neck and limbs. The glossy, yellowish to rufous brown coat contrasts with the white chin, throat, underparts and rump. Only males possess horns; the thin, straight horns, long, are smooth at the tips and ringed at the base.
Typically diurnality, the oribi is active mainly during the day. Small herds of up to four members are common; males defend their group's territory, large. It is primarily a grazing, and prefers fresh grasses but also browses occasionally. A seasonal breeder, the time when mating occurs varies geographically. Unlike all other small antelopes, oribi can exhibit three types of mating systems, depending on the habitat – polyandry, polygyny and polygynandry. Gestation lasts for six to seven months, following which a single calf is born; births peak from November to December in southern Africa. Weaning takes place at four to five months.
The oribi occurs in a variety of habitats – from , floodplains and tropical grasslands with tall grasses to montane grasslands at low altitudes, up to above the sea level. This antelope is highly sporadic in distribution, ranging from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia and Eritrea in the east and southward to Angola and the Eastern Cape (South Africa). The oribi has been classified as Least Concern by the IUCN; numbers have declined due to agricultural expansion and competition from livestock.
In a revision of the phylogeny of the tribe Antilopini on the basis of nuclear and data in 2013, Eva Verena Bärmann (of the University of Cambridge) and colleagues showed that the oribi is the sister group to all other antilopines. The cladogram below is based on the 2013 study.
The following eight subspecies are identified: (2025). 9781107394056, Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107394056
Of these, zoologists Colin Groves and Peter Grubb identify O. o. hastata, O. o. montana, O. o. ourebi and O. o. quadriscopa as independent species in their 2011 publication Ungulate Taxonomy. (2025). 9781421400938, Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 9781421400938
Only males possess horns; the thin, straight horns, long, are smooth at the tips and ringed at the base. The maximum horn length, , was recorded in 1998 from Malawi. The oribi has at least six different, well-developed (such as the prominent near the eyes). The body has several modifications, such as the large fossae below the eyes, to accommodate such a large number of glands. Females have four teats.
Males defend their group's territory, large; female members may also show some aggression and drive away intruders. A study showed that the number of females that visit the male's territory depends on the appearance (particularly the symmetry) of the male's horns. Males mark vegetation and soil in their territories by preorbital gland secretions and excrement; the intensity of marking increases with the number of male neighbours. Dominant males tend to have greater access to females in and around the territory than other males. An important feature of the social behaviour of oribi is the "dung ceremony", in which all animals form temporary dung middens. Oribi at least three months old have been observed giving out one to three alarm whistles on sensing danger. These whistles are more common in adults than in juveniles, and males appear to whistle more. Common predators include such as .
This antelope is highly sporadic in distribution; it occurs mainly in eastern, southern and western Africa, ranging from Nigeria and Senegal in the west to Ethiopia and Eritrea in the east and southward to Angola and the Eastern Cape (South Africa).
The oribi occurs in a number of protected areas throughout its range, such as: Gashaka Gumti National Park in Nigeria, the Pendjari and W National Parks (Benin); Aouk Hunting Zone (Chad); Benoue, Bouba Njida and Faro National Parks (Cameroon); Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park (Central African Republic); Garamba, Upemba and Kundelungu National Parks (Congo-Kinshasa); Omo National Park (Ethiopia); Masai Mara Game Reserve and Ruma National Park (Kenya); Golden Gate Highlands National Park (South Africa); Serengeti National Park (Tanzania); Kidepo Valley, Lake Mburo and Murchison Falls National Parks (Uganda); Kafue and Liuwa Plain National Parks and Bangweulu Swamp (Zambia).
Ecology and behaviour
The oribi is diurnality (active mainly during the day), though some activity may also be observed at night. (2025). 9780643099166, Csiro Publishing. ISBN 9780643099166 It rests in cover during rain events. Unlike all other small antelopes, oribi can exhibit three types of mating systems, depending on the habitat – polyandry, polygyny and polygynandry; polygyny tends to prevail as the female-to-male ratio increases. A study suggested that polygyny is preferred in areas of high predator risk, as it leads to formation of groups as an anti-predator measure. Small herds of up to four members are also common.
(1984). 9780226437187, University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226437187
Diet
Primarily a grazing, the oribi prefers fresh grasses and browses occasionally. Grasses can constitute up to 90% of the diet; preferred varieties include Andropogon, Eulalia, Hyparrhenia, Loudetia, Pennisetum and Themeda species. are also visited regularly. Oribi have been observed feeding on flowers and Boletus mushrooms. Groups of oribi congregate in the rainy season, when grasses are abundant.
Reproduction
Both sexes become sexually mature at 10 to 14 months. A seasonal breeder, the time when mating occurs varies geographically. Mating may peak in the rainy season (August to September). When a female enters oestrus (which lasts for four to six days), she seeks the company of males. During courtship, the male will pursue the female, test her urine to check if she is in oestrus and lick her rump and flanks. Gestation lasts for six to seven months, following which a single calf is born; births peak from November to December in southern Africa. The newborn is kept in concealment for nearly a month; the mother pays regular visits to her calf to suckle it for nearly half an hour. Males may guard their offspring from predators and keep away other males. Weaning takes place at four to five months. The oribi lives for 8 to 12 years in the wild, and for 12 to 14 years in captivity.
Distribution and habitat
The oribi occurs in a variety of habitats – from , floodplains and tropical grasslands with tall grasses to montane grasslands at low altitudes, up to above the sea level. Recently burnt areas often attract groups of oribi. The choice of habitat depends on the availability of cover needed to escape the eyes of predators. Population densities typically vary between 2 and 10 individuals per km2; however, densities as high as 45 individuals per km2 have been recorded in tropical grasslands that receive over of annual rainfall and open floodplains. The oribi's range overlaps with those of larger grazers such as the African buffalo, hippopotamus, hartebeest, Thomson's gazelle and topi. These separate species often occur in close proximity to each other, increasing predator vigilance.
(1995). 9780226760322, University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226760322 It is feared to be extinct in Burundi. (1999). 9782831704777, IUCN Species Survival Commission. ISBN 9782831704777
Threats and conservation
The oribi has been classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. The total population (as of 2008) is estimated at 750,000. However, the subspecies O. o. haggardi is listed as Vulnerable because, as of 2008, the total population is estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals, and is feared to be declining. Hunting is a relatively minor threat, since the oribi shows some tolerance to hunting. Nevertheless, the steep fall of 92% in oribi populations in Comoé National Park (Côte d'Ivoire) has been attributed to poaching. Numbers have also declined due to agricultural expansion and competition from livestock.
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