Basic behavior:

- Impalas are an edge species, preferring lightly wooded areas with very little undergrowth, grasslands with grasses of medium to low height, and a generally flat environment with little to no hillsides. During the dry season, these antelopes are never found away from water however if they have access to green vegetation during these harsh times they can remain without water. Impalas have are grazers when the grasses are green and transition to browsing species in drier times allowing this antelope to thrive almost in any habitat. Impalas are mostly active at day mainly foraging, socializing, and moving from place, with an occasional resting period here and there where they stand at day-time. At night they lie down fully and forage preferably in fully open areas to avoid night ambushes.

- Impalas have 4 noted social structures, some are seasonal while others can be seen all year round:

1. Breeding herds are made up of females and their young fawns which depending on the size of the group will determine their movement pattern through an area. These herds vary greatly in size from a dozen individuals to hundreds, the larger the group the more stable its members become, which will make animals less likely to leave. However, these herds can mix with other female herds for short amounts of time before parting ways once again. Males tend to leave their natal herd at the sub-adult stage and moving far enough away to avoid in-breeding, while females remain in the group and will rarely join another herd. These herds don't have a leader and aside from occasional groomings between individuals chosen randomly, impalas don't exhibit hierarchies in these herds.

2. Bachelor herds consist of young males who have left their natal herd and territorial adult males who generally dominate these herds and lead them, but they don't show any strong hierarchal system and bonds with each other aside from occasional groomings and play fights of chasing and sparring. Outside of the rut bachelor herds will sometimes mix with female herds for short periods before parting ways again. These herds are nomadic and generally move nearby female herds until the rutting season comes where the herd will just have young males competing with now solitary territorial males and within their group for control over a breeding herd. 

3. Territorial males are large fully matured adult bucks who generally live on their own or join bachelor herds outside of the rutting season. During the rut these males will look for breeding herds of varying sizes and try to control their movement patterns, restricting them to his established territory, which he lives in yearly but defends only during the rut. He'll chase any male (From juvenile to adult) getting too close to the herd and will spar with adult males to keep control as long as he can and will roar a lot in this period. Males are so focused on chasing away rivals and making sure females don't leave their territorial breeding site that they forget to groom, eat and drink enough to support their bodies through this long period, which leads males to quickly lose their physical condition leading to quickly losing their harems.

4. Harems are seasonal breeding herds dominated by a single territorial buck during the rut, the herd is forced by the male to remain in one particular area until he either loses track of them or is defeated by a buck in better condition. Once the rut is over the males lose interest and the females are allowed to freely roam around again.

     (Considering we are restricted to one season ingame we will not be allowed to exhibit rutting behavior until seasons are implemented)

- Impalas exhibit one breeding season during the start of the dry season as a rutting peak but Serengeti impalas can fall into estrus at any time, which explains why impala males have to possess a territory year-round. Once about to give birth female impalas leave their herds and look for safe spot to deliver and will hide their fawns for as short as 1 or 2 days before joining the herd back where it'll join other juveniles

- Impalas are quick to take flight and very alert antelopes given their habitat is pron to ambush from a multitude of predators, therefore impalas will usually stop individually every few meters when walking, when foraging or when drinking; scanning the area for potential predators. When going to water in a herd the lead impala will always be careful stopping every so often before drinking. When a predator is spotted impalas snort in alarm to let other impalas know a threat has been identified and if it charges the herd flees jumping together to make selecting a quarry difficult; in some cases will take refuge in deep water in order to escape hyenas or painted wolves. They  do not defend each other from threats.

- Impalas are quite tolerant species of most animals and will generally not look for conflict with bigger animals than themselves.