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"Just to
make life confusing gemsbok are also called oryx. You often hear children on
game drives say “look an oryx”, then another child will say “and there’s a
gemsbok as well”."
"The long horns can be very
dangerous. Lions and people have been killed by them, and they can go through
the sides of a modern car. By antelope standards gemsbok may even be considered
aggressive. They are difficult to kill, even with a gun, and like some
terminator can keep coming at you even after a couple of pistol shots have hit
them! I am told the way to make sure they are dead before you get too close is
to watch for their body hair going erect."
"Of
great interest with any antelope are its toilet functions. When looking
at antelope droppings you may also see a dark mark where the animal has
urinated at the same time as defecating. This often gives a clue as to
the sex of the animal. With females the urine will be close to the
droppings, for males the urine will be a little way in front of the
droppings. This reflects the different arrangements of body parts used
for urinating and defecating. In dry places like deserts the urine can
often cause the sand to stick together forming solid blocks in the shape
of the urine puddle. The loose sand round these blocks can be blown away
to reveal a sort of urine sculpture." |
