The oribi emits a shrill whistle when alarmed, and then gallops away, bounding stiff-legged into the air every few strides, in order to glance in all directions above the vegetation. Oribi roam on their own, in pairs or in small groups.

Males mark their territory by a secretion from the glands in front of their eyes. Oribi rest during the heat of the day, and are most active in the morning, late afternoon and evening.

They are grazers, and are often seen in areas after veld fires, as they eat the fresh green grass shoots that spring up. The oribi has become a fairly rare species in the southern African region, due to changing land use patterns, as well as its many predators. A single lamb is born, usually in summer, and the female oribi hides it in thick grass, where it will lie motionless if it is approached.