Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae
Blesbok
Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi
Least Concern
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The blesbok is an antelope of the interior grasslands of South Africa, recognisable by the broad white blaze running down its face, divided by a dark band between the eyes, which gives it its name (bles means blaze in Afrikaans). It was on the brink of extinction in the late 19th century through mass hunting and is now abundant thanks to protection and to breeding on private land. It is the highland subspecies of the bontebok, from which it is separated by colouring and distribution.
Weight
55 kg – 80 kg
Size
1.4 m – 1.6 m
Life expectancy
17 years
