 When early colonial Dutch farmers arrived in Southern Africa, and for many years after, the sight of millions of migrating antelopes, in herds hundreds of kilometres long, was a common occurrence. The herds of ‘trekbokken’ were so large that they could take days to pass a town. These were the largest herds of animals known to man, and their like has never been seen since.
Fencing of farms put an end to the vast migrations, but these buck can still be seen in herds sometimes numbering thousands or tens of thousands. The ‘trekbokken’ now go by the name of ‘springboks’ or, for English purists, ‘springbucks’, and they are one of the most common sights across Namibia and South Africa.
The word ‘springbok’ means ‘jumping buck’. It’s scientific name is Antidorcas marsupialis. The family Antidorcas evolved approximately three to four million years ago from an ancestral species known as Gazella. The family split into three species, Antidorcas australis, Antidorcas bondi and Antidorcas recki.
Antidorcas australis and Antidorcas bondi went extinct approximately 7,000 years ago. Antidorcas recki, a small antelope evolved, and became Antidorcas marsupialis, today’s springbok. Fossils of the springbok Antidorcas marsupialis, dating back 80,000 to 100,000 years, have been found in caves in Southern Africa.
The springbok is a relatively small antelope standing approximately 80 cm tall at the shoulder, and its hindquarters appear to be higher than its forequarters.
It is easily distinguished by its colouring. The belly area and the inner front legs of the buck are a light, whitish colour, typically white. The upper body and outside of the hind legs are a dark tan colour. A dark bar between the belly and the upper body stretches from the hind legs to the front legs.
The rump has a triangular white patch rimmed with darker fur. The top of the triangle is just below the tail. Its white tail has a tuft of brown hair.
The male and female springbok have horns. These are shaped like a lyre, the ancient Greek harp. The horns of the male are slightly longer and thicker than those of the female. The average length of the horns in both males and females is 35 cm, but they may grow as long as 48 cm.
The term ‘marsupialis’ is derived from the fact that the buck has a flap of skin that extends from the bottom of the tail, along the middle of its back. When the buck is excited the flap will open, showing a crest of white fur.
The springbok is found right across Namibia, including the Namib Desert and the Kalahari, extending into Botswana. It is found over much of South Africa, but its natural range is hard to identify as it has been widely introduced to farms and game reserves. It is also found in Angola, but its range in this country is limited almost entirely to the Namib.
Springbok prefer savannahs and open shrub lands. This provides them with their preferred food, as well as the ability to move and run easily, and to see predators from a long distance. They avoid long grass, but are sometimes found in dry riverbeds in Central Namibia. They can also sometimes be found lazing under trees in the midday heat.
The ancestor of the springbok Antidorcas recki is believed to have been a browser that fed of bushes, but the springbok browses and grazes. They will graze from grass, their preferred diet, during and after the rains. During the dry season they supplement their diets with browsing on the leaves of bushes. They are known to be fond of flowers such as the Acacia flower, when it is available.
Like most mammals in arid parts of Southern Africa, the springbok can go for long periods without open water. Its secret is that it eats flowers, leaves and seeds just before dawn when these have the highest water content. It will also dig for water-rich tubers and roots.
The springbok is probably best known for its special jump, known as ‘pronking’. The word ‘pronk’ comes from the Afrikaans language, and means ‘to show off’. When the springbok pronks, it leaps vertically into the air with its head down, its legs stretched, the four hooves together, its flap extended and its back arched. Each jump is approximately 3,5 m high. The way it jumps makes it look as if the buck is bouncing. When one buck starts pronking, others in the herd will join it, making it look as if the whole her is bouncing in waves.
The springbok normally pronks when it is frightened or scared. However there are other theories about this behaviour. Some believe that the display is used to show the animal’s strength and fitness to predators, leading the predators to attack other, weaker animals. Another theory is that when the springbok pronks, it releases a hormone so that when it is chased by a predator, it can find its way back to its feeding ground. The springbok also pronks when it seeks a mate.
Springboks live in herds that normally consist of a few dominant males, a large number of females and their dependent offspring. Young males and those who lost out in competition for females in oestrus tend to be solitary. Rams establish territories in which to mate but some territorial rams live alone in territories which they have established. During the mating season, when females are in oestrus, males may travel in groups, as a male herd.
When the male meets a potential mate, he pronks. By lifting the flap on his back, he causes the hair below his tail to stand up in a fan shape. At the same time, he emits a strong scent of sweat.
The female’s oestrus period, the ‘rut’ takes place during the dry season, and lasts one to two weeks. After slightly mote than five months of gestation, at the beginning of the rainy season when there is plenty of water and fodder for the doe and her young, the female gives birth.
Normally the doe will give birth to one calf, but she may give birth to two. The young springbok is dependent on its mother, and will be weaned from the doe aged between six months and a year. Male and female young reach the age of sexual maturity at approximately 400 days.
At birth the calf weighs approximately 4 kg. Females will grow to weigh approximately 37 kg and males will weigh approximately 48 kg. The springbok has a life expectancy of seven to nine years.
The springbok is not threatened or vulnerable, but it is dependent on conservation. In earlier centuries, the massive herds did huge amounts of damage to crops, so they were hunted and their numbers reduced drastically. Today they are being reintroduced to game farms, hunting farms and nature reserves.
The animals are highly valued for their meat and leather, and are a very viable option for farmers. This is a clear indicator that the species will survive and thrive for a long time to come.
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