Status Update on the Critically Endangered Upemba Lechwe (Kobus anselli)

Abstract

The Upemba Lechwe (Kobus anselli) persists in the Kamalondo Depression in the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo. We report sightings of 10 individuals across their historical stronghold and present the first published photograph of a live specimen. This study provides the first documented records since the species was described in 2005, and the first survey attempt in over 50 years. With an estimated population likely numbering fewer than 100 in an area with little protection, this species faces imminent extinction due to poaching. Urgent conservation measures are essential to prevent its disappearance.