Vlad the Impala mug

Most impalas hang around in large herds on the African plains, Vlad the Impala, though, is a bit of a loner.

One day, while resting in the shade of a rocky outcrop, he discovered a battered box of the complete works of Bram Stoker. He voraciously devoured the entire set!

Vlad decided his destiny was to be THE ultimate goth.

No one is actually brave enough to get close to him – due to his terrifying countenance. They don’t realise his impressive fangs are actually fake jelly sweets.

About our LESSER SPOTTED AFRICAN WILDLIFE latte mugs:

This is what you get when you buy mugs from Stuff by Jools, you lucky person, you!:

• ○ 12oz (350ml) Lesser Spotted African Wildlife cone-shaped latte mug
• ○ Premium grade ceramics with scratch-resistant finish
• ○ Dishwasher- and handwash-friendly
• ○ Microwave-safe
• ○ Individually hand-made in Cape Town
• ○ The perfect gift for coffee, tea and hot chocolate lovers: friends, family members or loved ones – or for you!

*Please don’t scrub hard with bleach and a scourer, even if you’re a die-hard germaphobe (true story) – treat your Vlad the Impala mug gently and it’ll give you years of pleasure and amusement.

ALL ABOUT IMPALAS:

Belonging to one of the most prolific Southern African antelope species (Aepyceros melampus), our friend, Vlad the Impala, lives in the bushveld in the Kruger National Park.

His friends (few and far between as most of the herd is terrified of him) and family are found widely distributed throughout Southern Africa and in other national parks and game reserves, between open grasslands and thick woodlands and relatively close to permanent water sources.

KEY TRAITS:

Size and Appearance: Their coats are sleek and reddish-brown coat and their underbellies are white, while a black stripe runs down the back of each thigh. Tufts of black hair above their hind heels cover scent glands. The males (rams) have lyre-shaped horns, which can grow up to 90cm in length. Males weigh around 60kg and females, about 40kg.

Best known for: Being extremely graceful and athletic, performing magnificent balletic leaps. They can leap up to 3m high and cover distances of up to 10-12m in just one bound.

Lifespan: They typically live for 12 to 15 years in the wild and up to 18 years in captivity.

Social Structure: They live in large herds of two types: Breeding herds, with the females and young; and bachelor herds, with young or non-territorial males.

Their Diet: Impalas graze on grass during lush rainy seasons and browse on shrubs, leaves, and acacia pods during dry seasons.

Breeding: With a strict seasonal cycle, the rut occurs in early winter (May), when dominant makes become territorial and emit loud guttural noises. Lambs are born in late November and early December.

Spoor Description: Impala spoor are easily recognisable due to their sharp, pointed hooves, which are typically 4-6cm long.

A BIT ABOUT VLAD THE IMPALER:

If you haven’t heard of Vlad, you’ve surely heard of his counterpart, the vampire of all vampires from Transylvania, just north of Bucharest, Romania (where, strangely, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the sweet transvestite in Rocky Horror, was also from).

He was immortalised in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, a must-read, and the movie’s pretty good too (specially the one with Gary Oldman in it). I sometimes inexplicably sport his distinctive hairstyle, if I’ve distractedly tied my hair up without looking in the mirror. Unlike Dracula and other vampires, I do have a reflection and therefore am not a vampire. Also, I like garlic and daylight so could not possibly be one (even if I’m more of a night person than a morning person).

Vlad was notorious for impaling his enemies on stakes in the ground. When he left a battlefield, thousands of impaled men served as a deterrent to invading Ottoman armies.

Collect the full set of 12 Lesser Spotted African Wildlife mugs and give your family and friends an inspirational topic for filling awkward silences.