Suni hunting in South Africa

Suni are classified as a Pygmy Antelope. Four subspecies are found in Africa of which only the Zululand Suni is found in Southern Mozambique and South Africa. Their distribution range in South Africa is limited to the north eastern region of Zululand in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Much of their habitat is proclaimed protected areas, non-hunting private game reserves and forested areas that have been cleared for agricultural purposes, thus making it very difficult to find a location where they may be hunted. Unlike the Duikers where both sexes have horns, in the case of the Suni, only the males have very noticeable rigged horns. These small antelope are a brown reddish colour making them very difficult to see in the dim shadows of the forest trees. They respond well to callers and often it is only their dark flickering tail that gives their presence away. Suni are the staple diet for many East African hunters but they are still classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN. Their numbers have decreased significantly in protected areas where the Elephant populations exceed their carrying capacities and destroying the Suni inhabited forests.