Springbok, also called springbuck, is an antelope that lives on the grassy open plains of southwestern Africa. It gets its name from its habit of repeatedly springing up to 61/2 feet (2 meters) into the air when frightened, and then galloping off at high speed. These leaps distract predators, such as lions and cheetahs. The springbok has a fringe of long white hairs in the middle of its back that stand erect when the animal is frightened. Because of this trait, the Portuguese in Angola call this antelope the goat of the fan.
Loading the player...Springbok at a watering hole
The springbok is slender and graceful. The animal stands about 21/2 feet (76 centimeters) high and weighs from 73 to 95 pounds (33 to 43 kilograms). The springbok is brownish-red, with a white face and white on its underparts and inner legs. Both the male and the female springbok have curved, bracket-shaped horns. The larger male horns may be from 14 to 19 inches (36 to 48 centimeters) long.
In the past, wandering herds of many thousands of springboks ruined crops while seeking food and water. The Dutch settlers of South Africa called these animals trekbokken (traveling bucks). Hunters killed so many of them that large wild herds today can be found only in remote regions of Angola and Botswana. Springboks also have been introduced to reserves and private game farms in South Africa.
