Caring for the Young When ready to give birth, the female leaves the group and goes to a secluded spot. After delivery she licks the fawn clean and eats the afterbirth, possibly for the nutrients it contains and to prevent the scent from attracting predators. The adaptation to year-round browsing may permit gerenuks to bear young at any time instead of just before the rainy season, as is the practice for grazing animals. During the first weeks of its life, or until it can keep up with adults, the baby gerenuk spends its time hidden in the bush while its mother feeds. She returns to the fawn three or four times a day to suckle it, carefully cleaning or eating its waste to leave no trace of scent.
Females bleat softly to communicate with their young.
Predators Gerenuks are preyed upon by cheetahs, leopards, lions, jackals, wild dogs and humans. Gerenuks use several vocalizations, including a buzzing sound when alarmed, a whistle when annoyed and a loud bleat when in extreme danger. In their courtship ritual, the male gerenuk approaches a female in heat and repeatedly taps her with one of his front legs under the belly or on the flanks. He may rub her with his preorbital glands to deposit his scent before mating. Order your copy of Wild Lives Guidebook .