The national animal of Zimbabwe is the sable antelope. This important symbol of the nation is an image of liberation and freedom, and also power and might at the same time. Antelope are some of the most numerous animals in Zimbabwe, depending on the species, making this noble and elegant sable antelope a perfect national animal.
Zimbabwe is a country in Southern Africa that boasts a huge variety of its native wildlife like so many African nations can.
The national animal of the sable antelope features heavily in the country’s coat of arms and symbolism in general, and you are bound to see one somewhere if you spend any time there.
Let’s find out more.
What is the national animal of Zimbabwe?
The national animal of Zimbabwe is the sable antelope.
This large, majestic, powerful creature is very common in Zimbabwe, as are many different species of antelope.
It is a proud and beautiful beast featuring huge, long horns, and typically a dark auburn coat with distinctive white facial markings.
They weigh around 190 to 270kg, and generally live for around 17 years.
They tend to favor the protection offered by open territories such as savannah woodland and grassland.
The sable antelope features on all different aspects of Zimbabwean livery.
The main flag of the country does not feature the sable, but the presidential flag does: two sable antelope at either side of the country’s coat of arms, which is found in the center of the presidential flag.
The antelope of course is also found on the coat of arms itself, then.
Zimbabwe as a modern nation was only founded in 1980 after gaining independence from the British Empire, so it was immediately very important to establish these national images and symbols.
The sable antelope is such a uniquely African animal, and in its power, grace and pride such a clear symbol of the kinds of things Zimbabwe wished and wish to stand for, that it made complete sense as the country’s national animal.
Besides this, as mentioned you have the simple fact that antelope in general are some of the most numerous animals in Zimbabwe.
They can be found throughout the country in very large numbers, so it’s almost difficult to do wildlife tours in the country without seeing antelope if not sables themselves.
The sable antelope is highly sexually dimorphic.
With the males being a lot larger than the females both in height and weight.
Why is the sable antelope the national animal of Zimbabwe?
There are many reasons why the sable antelope is the national animal of Zimbabwe.
Some are simple and others are more symbolic. Let’s start with the simple reasons.
Though their population has sadly declined over the years, the fact is that at least at one time antelope in general and sables specifically were among the most numerous animals in Zimbabwe.
So, the first reason is just that there are a lot of them and the antelope is certainly very uniquely African in general!
Beyond that, though, there are reasons of symbolism of course which play a part in the decision to make the animal Zimbabwe’s national animal.
Antelopes have often been considered symbols of liberation and freedom, given their wide range.
But sable antelopes are also important symbols of strength and power, without belligerence.
The animal perfectly captures Zimbabwean sentiment, then, in many more ways than one.
It was likely always to be a species of antelope, but the sable with its dark, majestic coat and huge, powerful horns simply made it the perfect choice for the people of the country.
Where do they live, then?
Where do sable antelope live?
As mentioned, in terms of immediate habitat, the sable antelope tends to favor wooded savannah.
This is the ideal environment for it, giving it protection from predators while also providing plenty of opportunities for feeding and grazing.
They can also be found in grassland in some cases, and in very open areas, though they do tend to favor some level of protection within the trees.
In terms of countries in which it can be found, their range is fairly staggering.
The furthest north you can still find them is in Kenya, where they inhabit the southern regions of that country; they can be found everywhere from here to South Africa, and there is also an isolated population in Angola.
They are of course very numerous in Zimbabwe, too.
How many sable antelope are there?
Though sable antelope have been targeted by poachers for their prized horns and their meat, they are still doing fairly well in terms of numbers—though they have of course massively declined over the years.
There are an estimated 50,000 sable antelope remaining across the 11 countries in which they can be found, though some estimates go as high as 75,000.
In terms of their conservation status, this makes them of the least concern.
They are a highly persistent species that can reproduce their numbers very quickly, so for the time being we don’t need to worry about these animals.
A highly revered animal, then, the sable antelope is naturally an important Zimbabwean symbol.
It is of course especially important to establish your own national identity when your nation itself has existed in its modern form only for a few decades.
The sable antelope is a grand and impressive creature, and it is unsurprising, if deeply sad and unfortunate, that it has been the target of poachers increasingly in recent years.