Kissing cousins: Waterbuck and Red Lechwe

Like the Red Lechwe, Kobus leche, the Waterbuck, Kobus ellipsiprymnus, depend on water. They’re related, although they don’t look much like each other. Here is a female:

I love the fluffiness of their coat:

The males are rather fine:

Both males and females have very photogenic bottoms, ringed in white:

Their sweat glands secrete water-repellent oils, giving them a distinctive odor. Apparently the meat of older animals can develop a nasty flavor, but it is not true that lions won’t hunt and eat waterbuck, though they may not be their first choice.

When I was checking details for this posting I learnt something fascinating: once in a blue moon, Waterbucks and Red Lechwe mate and produce a hybrid. Watch this PBS video (I specially liked the very final shot):

The Rarest Antelope in the World