 Rutting males fight over dominance , often giving out noisy roars and chasing one another ; they walk stiffly and display their neck and horns . Males desist from feeding and allogrooming during the rut , probably to devote more time to garnering females in oestrus ; the male checks the female 's urine to ensure that she is in oestrus . On coming across such a female , the excited male begins the courtship by pursuing her , keeping a distance of 3 – 5 metres ( 9 @.@ 8 – 16 @.@ 4 ft ) from her . The male flicks his tongue and may nod vigorously ; the female allows him to lick her vulva , and holds her tail to one side . The male tries mounting the female , holding his head high and clasping her sides with his forelegs . Mounting attempts may be repeated every few seconds to every minute or two . The male loses interest in the female after the first copulation , though she is still active and can mate with other males . 
