The sable antelope, scientifically known as Hippotragus Niger, holds the prestigious title of being the national animal of Zimbabwe. Interestingly, in Greek, “hippos” means horse and “tragos” means a he-goat, while “Niger” is the Latin word for black or dark-colored. As a result, their scientific name translates to “black horse-like goat!” Despite their imposing appearance, sable antelopes are incredibly swift, capable of reaching top speeds of 57 km/h and maintaining this pace for over three kilometers. This astonishing speed allows them to outpace lions, leopards, and even hyenas. In fact, hyenas employ a different strategy when hunting sable antelopes, engaging them from various angles while dodging their formidable horns. The sable antelope cover vast distances, but the young calves struggle to keep pace. They venture forward, leaving their vulnerable creche of calves unguarded!