A duiker is any of about 19 small to medium-sized
antelope species native to sub-Saharan Africa, with the grey
duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) being the most common sub-species
found in the Serengeti ecosystem (in particular north of the
Serengeti National Park). It is a solitary animal, very hard
to spot. Dominant males can sometimes be seen on vantage points
watching over their territory.
Duikers are shy and elusive creatures with
a fondness for dense cover; most are forest dwellers and even
the species living in more open areas are quick to disappear
into thickets. Their name comes from the Afrikaans word for
diver and refers to their practice of diving into tangles
of shrubbery.
With a slightly arched body and the front
legs a little shorter than the hind legs, they are well-shaped
to penetrate thickets. They are primarily browsers rather
than grazers, eating leaves, shoots, seeds, fruit, buds and
bark, and often follow flocks of birds or troops of monkeys
to take advantage of the fruit they drop. They supplement
their diet with meat: duikers take insects and carrion from
time to time, and even stalk and capture rodents or small
birds.
