Of all the antelopes in South Africa, the Tsessebe is the fastest among them. When I saw my first one, I thought that left-over parts from many other antelopes had been put together to make this one. They are closely related to the Wildebeest and the Hartebeest, all of whom are characterized by an ungainly appearance as a result of their shoulders being higher than the withers. In South Africa, the Tsessebe are found in the northern woodland area. In May 2019, I saw them just outside of the Mopani compound in Kruger National Park. While I have never seen them running, they are reported to reach speeds of nearly 55 MPH. Since they live in a lion and leopard country, this speed is essential to their survival.
