Sitatunga
Sitatunga live exclusively in swamps and marshes, and feed on the grasses herbs and sedges which grow in these habitats. In areas where they are protected, such as Mbeli bai, sitatunga feed out in the open at all times of the day, but in areas where they are less safe they tend to conceal themselves in thick vegetation for much of the day. Sitatunga are semi-social, with adult females forming groups with one or more of their offspring. Males are solitary, although because food supply is so abundant in the swamps, the home ranges of different animals often overlap. Ten different sitatunga regularly visit Mbeli bai, for example.
Sitatunga are ideally adapted to moving across swampy ground, with long splayed hooves that prevent them from sinking into the mud. They can move quickly across waterlogged ground that would be almost inaccessible to other animals. The gestation period is around seven months, and with females hiding their young in thick vegetation and only retrieving them for suckling.
The sitatunga is vulnerable to hunting and habitat loss in parts of its range, and is listed as Lower Risk (Near Threatened) by IUCN. The sitatunga is Partially Protected in Congo.