KENYA: An Impala takes its First Steps

On the edge of a Yellow-bark Acacia forest, in picturesque Nakuru National Park, we witnessed one of nature’s most amazing miracles, the first moments of a newborn Impala. We might’ve missed the whole thing, if not for Lori’s sharp eyes spotting a brown object on the ground between two alert-looking Impalas. “What’s that dark thing?” she asked aloud. It turned out to be a baby Impala, probably not more than 10 minutes old!

About 50 meters from the track edge, barely visible in the low forest growth, the Impala family spectacle unfolded as we watched in awe. The newborn stood up for the first time before our eyes, incredibly wobbly and shiny with wetness. Taking its first steps the fawn walked unsteadily towards the young male Impala, not its father, but likely a “midwife” in the herd. Much to our shock, the young male promptly head-butted the youngster to the ground. Why would it do that?

The newborn got up and and tried to find its way in the opposite direction, falling over once before reaching its mother only feet away. Unfazed, the mother began to lick her baby’s back and sides, as it stretched its neck in search of life-giving milk. It took several tries before it was able to suckle. As the mother continued grooming, the fawn lost its place and searched its mother’s underside once again. Finding the teats, it sucked for a minute before its mother took time out to lick off the remains of the umbilical cord and afterbirth from herself. While baby Impalas are born scentless, no doubt it’s important to clean-away afterbirth as quickly as possible, to avoid detection by predators.

Meanwhile, the unsteady newborn found it way towards the young male and once again received a head-butt. It became clear that this was an Impala’s way of letting the newborn know that it must stay with its mother for safety and nourishment. No harm was meant and the lesson was quickly learned.

We later noticed an adult male, possibly the father, standing guard on the outskirts of the forest, within sight of the new family. In about twenty minutes the young fawn was strong enough to walk away into the denser brush with its mother, avoiding any predators that may have sensed the birthing. In the wondrous ways of nature, this event occurred at a very rapid rate, ensuring the best chance of survival to all.