WATER DEPENDENT ANTELOPES

Surface water is a lifeline for antelopes and other ungulate species. Water-dependent antelopes - waterbucks, Buffon's kob, reedbuck and sitatunga - rely on wetlands and seasonal waterholes, making them particularly vulnerable to climate change and alterations of wetland dynamics. As wetlands become more unpredictable, these species face heightened pressures that ripple across entire ecosystems.

They also represent a key prey species for large carnivores, such as West African lions, they are pivotal to maintaining functional predator-prey dynamics.