Klipspringer  (Oreotragus oreotragus)

Klipspringers are vulnerable to both hunting and competition from goats. These threats have resulted in populations in some areas being eliminated and others, particularly in agricultural regions, becoming rare (2) (6). Consequently, the western klipspringer in Nigeria and the Central African Republic has been classified as Endangered by the IUCN (1) (6).

The klipspringer has been classified as Lower Risk / Conservation Dependent because its future depends on its continued protection in many National Parks, reserves, hunting concessions and private farmland (1) (6), such as Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, a World Heritage Site (7). Large populations in very inaccessible areas are also believed to be fairly secure. However, the western klipspringer subspecies is at risk of extinction if no attempts are made to implement protective measures or begin a captive breeding programme (6), and so conservation measures are urgently required to save this distinctive and fascinating antelope.