Black Lechwe (Kobus leche smithemani) is one of five subspecies of Southern Lechwe (Kobus leche), following Ansell and Banfield (1979), Birungi and Arctander (2001) and Cotterill (2005). The other subspecies being: Robert's Lechwe (K. l. robertsi); Kafue Lechwe (K. l. kafuensis); Red Lechwe (K. l. leche) and Upemba Lechwe (K. l. anselli).

Black Lechwe numbers have stabilised since the late 1980s (East 1999, Jeffery and Nefdt 2013) and are now increasing. However, the entire population is restricted to the Bangweulu Basin where it remains at risk of poaching and is totally dependent on the maintenance of a favourable hydrological regime.

Black Lechwe (K. l. smithemani) is distributed in the southern half of the Bangweulu Swamps of northern Zambia (East 1999). Formerly it also occurred on the Chambeshi floodplains along the upper Luapula floodplain between Zambia and south-eastern DRC, but it is unlikely to survive there.

Black Lechwe increased from 16,000-17,000 in the late 1960s to about 40,000 in 1980 and subsequently decreased to 30,000, where it seems to have stabilised since the late 1980s (East 1999, Jeffery and Nefdt 2013). An aerial census by Bangwelu Wetlands in April 2015 using video transects estimated 49,036 (+/- 1,839). At this time the animals congregate in an area of ca 140 km². This compares to a figure of 35,000 in 2013 (using a different census methodology) but is considered to demonstrate that numbers are increasing.

Prefer floodplain grasslands, shallow water margins of floodplains and swamps (less than 1 m deep), shallow water meadows and light woodlands and termitaria grasslands on their periphery (Jeffery and Nefdt 2013).

The main threats to Black Lechwe are poaching for meat, encroachment by livestock grazers (especially around the drier margins of Bangwelu); they are very susceptible to any change in the hydrological regime (East 1999, Jeffrey and Nefdt 2013).

Black Lechwe are hunted primarily for meat but also for sport (Jeffery and Nefdt 2013).

Black Lechwe occurs in Bangwelu Game Management Area that includes Chikuni Special Conservation Area, which is also a Ramsar site, and Kalasa-Mukoso Game Management Area (Jeffrey and Nefdt 2013). This subspecies is entirely dependent on the effective protection and management of the Bangweulu wetlands.