The blesbok or blesbuck is an antelope endemic to South Africa. It has a distinctive white face and forehead which inspired the name, because bles is the Afrikaans word for a blaze such as one might see on the forehead of a horse.
Affinities and status
Although the blesbok is a close relative of the bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus dorcas) and can interbreed with it, the offspring being known as the bontebles or baster blesbok, the two species do not share the same habitat in the wild. The blesbok is endemic to South Africa and is found in large numbers in all national parks with open grasslands, from the Highveld in Transvaal and the Free State, to as far south as the Eastern Cape. It is a plains species and dislikes wooded areas. It was first discovered in the 17th century, in numbers so numerous, herds reached from horizon to horizon.
Physical characteristics
Physically, rams and ewes are remarkably similar. Their mass can be as much as 85 kg. A characteristic of the blesbok is the prominent white blaze on the face and a horizontal brown strip which divides this blaze above the eyes. Body colour is brown with a lighter-coloured saddle on the back, and the rump an even lighter shade. The legs are brown with a white patch behind the top part of the front legs. Lower legs whitish. Both sexes carry horns, ringed almost to the tip. Female horns are slightly more slender. The neck and the top of the back of the blesbok is brown. Lower down on the flanks and buttocks, the coloring becomes darker. The belly, the inside of the buttocks and the area up to the base of the tail is white. Blesbok can be easily differentiated from other antelopes because they have a distinct white face and forehead. The blesbok differs from the bontebok by having less white on the coat and the blaze on the face, which is usually divided, the coat is also a lighter yellow than that of the bontebok. The length of their horns averages at around 38 cm. Male adult blesbok average around 70 kg; females average lower, at around 61 kg.
- Body length: 140–160 cm (4.6–5.2 ft)
- Shoulder height: 85–100 cm (2.79–3.28 ft)
- Tail length: 30–45 cm (12–18 in)
- Weight: 55–80 kg (121–176 lb)