A herd of springbok has been filmed swimming through a flooded river near Kuruman in the Northern Cape in what has been described as a rare sight.

The video, captured by William Olivier, shows around 40 springbok crossing the swollen Kuruman River at Grootdrink Private Game Reserve near Black Rock.

Olivier told Caxton Network News that the footage was recorded on Friday (May 1) at around 08:30 after heavy rain caused the river to flood two days earlier.

Unusual behaviour caught on camera

Olivier, a civil contractor and game farmer, said they spent the long weekend on the farm that belongs to him and his brother, Riebeeck.

Olivier and his 17-year-old son, Xander, were watching the river when the animals suddenly entered the water.

“My son and I were standing watching the river when we saw the springbok run into the river. It was something unique, which is why we decided to film it,” he said.

He added that the crossing took about three minutes from start to finish.

All animals believed to have survived

“We found many wet springbok on the other side and assume that all of them made it across safely,” he said.

He added that he has never witnessed such behaviour before.

According to Olivier, there was no obvious reason for the herd to move, noting that there was sufficient grazing available on their side of the farm and nothing seemed to have startled the animals.

Viral reaction

The video has since drawn widespread attention online, with viewers expressing disbelief at the unusual sight.

“People were astonished. They could not believe what they were seeing,” Olivier said.

Watch the video:

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