The gemsbok and the unicorn – one and the same?
These legendary creatures were once plentiful in the Karoo.
COULD the gemsbok, seen from the side with its rapier-like horns in profile, be the source of the unicorn legend?
Some people believe this might well be the case. And they are certainly rather horse-like from a sideways perspective when it really does look as though they have a single horn.
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Once plentiful in the Karoo they are now extinct in the wild south of the Orange River. Mainly confined to the Kalahari where they flourish, they have been successfully reintroduced to some reserves in their original area of distribution.
Here are some facts about these majestic arid-area dwellers:
* The gemsbok is an animal of the semi-desert, where its chosen habitat is dry scrubland.
* Although they can withstand drought, gemsbok drink regularly when water is available.
* Both males and females have impressive weapons in the form of long, straight, deeply ridged horns.
* They are large creatures, weighing in at between 180kg and 475kg.
* They are pale fawn with vertical black stripes down the throat and a black band separating the flanks from the white belly.
* They have black and white legs and faces.
* Their circulatory system to the brain is adapted to cope with the heat.
* While they mainly feed on grass, gemsbok will also eat fruit, especially wild melons and bulbs of succulents.
* They are gregarious, living in herds of between 30 and 40 but have been seen in gatherings of around 100 animals.
* These nomadic antelope follow the rains.
* They are bold and pugnacious animals.
* Calves are born with horns.
* They are hidden by their mothers for months before they are introduced to the herd.
- Sources, A Natural History Guide to the Arid Kalahari by Gus Mills and Wildlife and Environmental Society Field Guide to the Antelope of Southern Africa.
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