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Springbok

The word Springbok means jumping goat in Afrikaans is small brown and white gazelle that is approximately 750mm tall. Springbok males can weigh up to 50kg kg and females up to 45 kg. They can run at speeds of up to 80 km/h. When the male springbok is showing off his strength to attract a mate, he starts off in a stiff-legged trot, jumping up into the air with an arched back every few paces and lifting the flap along his back. Lifting the flap causes the long white hairs under the tail to stand up in a conspicuous fan like shape, which in turn emits a strong floral scent of sweat. This ritual is known as pronking from the Afrikaans word meaning to show off or boast.

Springbok form some of the largest herds of mammals ever documented, but their numbers have diminished significantly since the 19th century due to hunting and fences from farms blocking their migratory routes. Their colouring consists mainly of three colours, white, reddish/tan and dark brown. Their backs are tan coloured and at the bottom they are white, along each side there is a dark brown stripe extending from the shoulder on towards the inside thigh.

The average Springbok horn length for both genders is 35 cm with the record being a female with horns measuring 49,23 cm in length. The tracks are narrow and sharp and are 5,5 cm from back to point.