The Springbok, the heraldic animal of South Africa, is the only gazelle
found south of the Zambezi. It lives in the dry plain savannah of the
Kalahari up to the barren regions of the Namib. Springboks are about the
size of deer - 80 to 85cm shoulder height - and are marked with a distinct
face mask and the reddish-brown stripe on the side, which is typical for
gazelles. Male as well as female animals have lyra-shaped short horns.
In situations of danger Springboks perform a stiff-legged bound in the air -
the so called pronking - unfolding a bush of bright white hair on their back
end, to warn the herd. During these bounds the animals can reach heights of
up to 3.5m.
During dry season huge herds of Springboks used to migrate southwards over
the Orange River. They completely defoliated the land they crossed and
simply overran other antelopes that tried to stand up against them. The
last migration of this kind was reported in 1896, after which they were
hunted intensively. Springboks today live in bigger or smaller herds all
over the Kalahari.
Population on Vogelstrausskluft:
Plateau, Ancient Valley, Canyon Plains
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