BLUE DUIKER

The blue duiker is the smallest antelope in Southern Africa.  Measures 300mm at the  shoulders and females weigh 4.7kg, males only 4 kg.  The coat is blue grey.  Both sexes carry short sharp horns, which are often concealed by a tuft of hair.  The blue duiker feeds on fresh leaves, fruits and flowers fallen from the forest canopy.

They are non-seasonal breeders, with a gestation period of about 210 days.  Single fawns are born, weighing 400 grams.  Young are hidden for the first few weeks after birth, and later driven from the parent's territory when sexually matured at about 388 days.

The blue duiker is widely distributed from the Eastern Cape to parts of the West Africa.  However, as a consequence of its habitat preference the distribution range is as disjunct as is the indigenous evergreen forests they frequent.  The species is classified as rare in the South African Red Data Book.