How are lechwe and waterbuck able to survive in semi-arid environments?

[PhotoCollector73]

I've been pondering for a long time as to how lechwe and waterbuck, both semi-aquatic antelopes, are able to survive in places like the Kalahari where they've been introduced. I know that they are likely supplemented with the necessary amount of water, but the fact they're to survive and even thrive in such an environment is rather remarkable. Are they just naturally very hardy and adaptable animals?

 

[Philip Glass]

They are hardy and adaptable like most African animals. There are many in Texas doing well.

 

[Justbryan]

They are hardy and adaptable like most African animals. There are many in Texas doing well.

Waterbucks are crazy expensive. Lechwe are not cheap either. If you shot both you could have paid for a trip to Africa. Yes, they are here in Texas and surviving but I will not be hunting them here. Waterbuck in Texas are for people too afraid to leave the states.

Waterbucks and Black Lechwe are two of my top choices to hunt. They sure are fun to hunt in knee deep water.

 

[375Fox]

The name waterbuck is a little misleading. You see them on dry ground in most areas. Lechwe are a true swamp antelope. It does surprise me how well they do away from their natural habitat.

 

[Hunt anything]

I’ve seen waterbuck in Mozambique a long way from the swamps, most were close to the flood plains but a few in the forests. Lechwe in their native ranges will probably always be around swamps or flood plains. I’ve seen both lechwe and waterbuck in South Texas while turkey hunting and they seemed to do pretty well. Don’t know what kind of lechwe are in Texas but had some black on their shoulders so they may have had some Kafue and red mixed together.

 

[Philip Glass]

Waterbucks are crazy expensive. Lechwe are not cheap either. If you shot both you could have paid for a trip to Africa. Yes, they are here in Texas and surviving but I will not be hunting them here. Waterbuck in Texas are for people too afraid to leave the states.

Waterbucks and Black Lechwe are two of my top choices to hunt. They sure are fun to hunt in knee deep water.

Can't argue with you on that. I want to hunt everything where they came from as much as possible.
The point is African game as a whole are very adaptable.

 

[Justbryan]

Kafue and Nile Lechwe are both in Texas. I don't believe there are any Black Lechwe in Texas.

 

[Desperatezulu]

They need water supplies and some food and they can make do

The Northern Kalahari was 'settled' by the apartheid government to form a buffer against any potential invasion from the north (Russian/Cuban etc plus the ANC and its friends) in the 60s and 70s. The primary input needed was access to water, so the government ran water pipelines into the region, some measuring over 300km, and gave farmers a water allocation per livestock unit per day. That scheme persists to this day, although the current government and its allergy to maintenance is resulting in water supply getting more erratic amd the Kalahari is slowly 'de-populating'.

Farmers were given large tracts of land with the expectation that they would farm it on a use it or lose it basis. Farmers that were seen to be making adequate developments and acceptable usage of the land were offered additional tracts - hence the formation of some very extensive farms.
Anyway the upshot of all this was the creation of a water distribution network to water small livestock and the game in the area benefitted enormously. Animals not endemic to the region like warthog have migrated there - their ability to burrow under fences and also unearth and bite open plastic water pipes helped. Much to the farmers' aggravation. So now warthogs are present and a scourge to farmers.

Similar story with kudu migrating into arid areas of the Karoo, where they were previously unknown/uncommon. Irrigation schemes have facilitated both water and food for species that are able to either go over or under fences.
Most of the game redistribution into semi-arid and arid areas was the result of human introduction but in some cases it happened by itself.

 

[PhotoCollector73]

They need water supplies and some food and they can make do

The Northern Kalahari was 'settled' by the apartheid government to form a buffer against any potential invasion from the north (Russian/Cuban etc plus the ANC and its friends) in the 60s and 70s. The primary input needed was access to water, so the government ran water pipelines into the region, some measuring over 300km, and gave farmers a water allocation per livestock unit per day. That scheme persists to this day, although the current government and its allergy to maintenance is resulting in water supply getting more erratic amd the Kalahari is slowly 'de-populating'.

Farmers were given large tracts of land with the expectation that they would farm it on a use it or lose it basis. Farmers that were seen to be making adequate developments and acceptable usage of the land were offered additional tracts - hence the formation of some very extensive farms.
Anyway the upshot of all this was the creation of a water distribution network to water small livestock and the game in the area benefitted enormously. Animals not endemic to the region like warthog have migrated there - their ability to burrow under fences and also unearth and bite open plastic water pipes helped. Much to the farmers' aggravation. So now warthogs are present and a scourge to farmers.

Similar story with kudu migrating into arid areas of the Karoo, where they were previously unknown/uncommon. Irrigation schemes have facilitated both water and food for species that are able to either go over or under fences.
Most of the game redistribution into semi-arid and arid areas was the result of human introduction but in some cases it happened by itself.

Very interesting!

 

[FrontLines]

Adaptability, They get used to it.