Camp managers love oddball animals, and I am no different. Horns are strong, but they can be broken or deformed with great effect at creating ugly ducklings. I found this impala near some of our local lakes here in the Selous.
Like other impala, this ram has gracefully curved horns. Atypically, however, his are all askew.
It's impossible to know why his left horn juts forward at such a weird angle, but it will almost certainly hamper him in fights with other rams for dominance of mating herds. And without winning dominance, it will be nearly impossible for him to secure maiting opportunities, so it is unlikely that his genes will be passed on.
No comments:
Post a Comment