Large plains antelope are found in a whole range of colours, from sable antelope which are black to Gemsbok that are silver grey with fashionable stripes to Hartebeest which are a lovely rusty brown.
The amazing thing though is that all their calves are fawn in color. A wildebeest calf looks almost like a Gemsbok calf when they are born. The reason is that the calves camouflage better against the brown earth for a time until they are a few months older and better able to escape predation.
I found this Gemsbok calf and its parents running thru the tall grass and I thought the parents were chasing a hyena ahead of them. It was only when they broke through the cover and crossed the road that I realized the truth. It was a tiny baby Gemsbok. We sat and watched mom and dad stay close to the little fella, touching noses and reassuring him that he was safe. The whole herd was there out in the open desert. The gemsbok also known as
an Oryx is a native of the desert. How they manage to always looks sleek and well fed is a mystery considering where they live. Anyway, the little fella nursed a bit and was surrounded by so much love, I am sure he was feeling just fine.
With long sharp pointed horns, a sturdy body weighing in at close to 600 pounds a gemsbok is no pushover and add the maternal instinct to define rage and you have a winning combination. A good 16 feet of sharp horns with watchful mom and dad behind them makes any one feel totally at peace.
