[aspundir]

Dik dik

The dik dik is the world’s smallest antelope, standing no taller than 18 inches (45cm). Being so petite it’s no wonder that this antelope has very little defence, but their monogamous pairing certainly helps. When threatened by another dik dik wanting to copulate, both the male and female emit a large cry (this is where the origin of their name derived from). This cry acts as a warning to the intruder that they are already within a breeding pair and are not interested. This usually scares off fresh male and females that desire to breed.

A single foal is produced by the female, which sets off alone after about a year to seek their own plot of land and a mate to share it with. Living space unfortunately, is becoming rarer for dik diks and young members are often being forced to wait for the death of an older individual before they can set up their own home.