The roan antelope H ippotragus equinus, A frica's second largest antelope species, is widely distributed throughout A frica. Many populations are isolated, occur at low densities, and are declining. The species' interactions with and adaptations to the diverse environmental conditions throughout its geographic range remain largely unknown. Most studies have taken place in southern A frica, near the range limit for the species; few studies have been conducted on the historically large Central and W est A frican populations.