Safari Holidays to South Africa and Namibia for independent travellers.

The springbok has a distinctive cinnamon coloured coat with a white underbelly, and a dark brown stripe along both sides. 

Both male and females have horns, but the females horns are much shorter.  The tips of the springbok's horns curve inwards at the top, giving them an almost 'heart-shaped' appearance.  

When fighting, springboks will lock their horns, sometimes becoming inextricably bound together, which leads to vehement circling with severe jerking and twisting to try to disentangle each other. 

Their numbers have been greatly reduced in South Africa in the last century, and today they are more commonly found in Namibia and northern Botswana. 

Speed and Agility

Springbok are also extremely fast, and can reach speeds of over 85km/h to escape predators such as wild dog, lions, cheetah or jackals. 

Pronking is also often used by adult springbok as a form of self-defence to make themselves appear larger when under threat.  It involves an odd looking jump into the air, with the back bowed, tail clamped down, neck bowed and legs extremely straight.