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Oryx (Gemsbok)
The gemsbok or gemsbuck (Oryx gazella) is a large antelope in the Oryx genus. Gemsbok are light brownish-grey to tan in colour, with lighter patches to the bottom rear of the rump. Their tails are long and black in colour. A blackish stripe extends from the chin down the bottom edge of the neck through the join of the shoulder and leg along the lower flank of each side to the blackish section of the rear leg. They have muscular necks and shoulders and their legs have white 'socks' with a black patch on the front of both the front legs and both genders have long straight horns. Gemsbok are about 1.2 metres at the shoulder, and males can weigh between 230–250 kilograms while females weigh 200–210 kilograms.Gemsbok are widely hunted for their spectacular horns that average 85 centimetres in length. The only outward difference between males and females is their horns, and many hunters mistake females for males each year. In males, these horns are perfectly straight, extending from the base of the skull to a slight outward and rearward angle. Females have longer thinner horns that have a slight outward and rearward curve in addition to their angle.
Gemsbok live in herds of about 10-40 animals, which consist of a dominant male, a few non-dominant males, and females.Gemsbok are mainly desert-dwelling and do not depend on drinking to supply their physiological water needs. They can reach running speeds of up to 56 kilometres per hour (35 mph).Fun facts about the oryx. In 1969 the New Mexico State Department of Game and Fish decided to introduce Gemsbok to the Tularosa Basin in the United States. The introduction was a compromise between those who wanted to preserve nature and those who wanted to use it for profit and promotion. 93 were released from 1969 to 1977. The current population is estimated to be 3,000. The reason the Gemsbok thrived is because their natural predators, including the Lion, are not present |
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