Golden Gate Highlands National Park is currently the only grassland National Park in South Africa. The park contains over 60 species of grasses. Structurally, the vegetation of Golden Gate can be divided into grassland and woodland/forest. The climate is considered to be the major environmental factor that influences the floristic composition and distribution of the vegetation units.
A territorial Impala ram gathers a herd of up to 50 and even more ewes (called harem) and defends and protects them from other rams. Fights often occur and at times some rams can be seriously injured and often killed. During these rutting and mating times, rams can be heard day and night uttering loud snorts and grunts.
Impala is the most common antelope of the bushveld regions of South Africa. A very graceful, rufous-fawn antelope, with white underparts, measuring approximately 900 mm at the shoulders. Rams weigh around 60 Kg and ewes 40 Kg. A black stripe extends from the top of the rump down the back of each thigh. The lower hind legs have glands beneath tufts of black hair. Only the rams have horns which are lyre-shaped, and reach a length of 700 mm.
