Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae

Blesbok

Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

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

Lifespan

17 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

GrasslandHerbivore Diurnal Grassland Mammal

10countries 10parks86same family

Fun facts

GeneralIt is told by the white blaze down its face, split between the eyes.
It almost vanished in the late 19th century and was saved on private land: today there are more than 200,000 animals, almost all on fenced properties, a model of recovery as effective as it is contested.
Its continuous white facial blaze is the key to telling it from the bontebok, in which the dark band between the eyes is absent.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Open grassland of the South African Highveld, with permanent water nearby
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: 8 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damaliscus_pygargus_phillipsi