Discover interesting Gemsbok facts
The Gemsbok is an icon of the arid zones and desert specialists without equal.
These African animals can survive indefinetely without dring water.
How is dominance established amongst the bulls?
Clashes between males are quite common.
Serious opponents will circle each other slowly.
They while paw the ground.
Sometimes they will also thrash bushes fiercely with their horns.
It will use its horns for jabs at his opponent only in the most serious encounters.
Because of the length and angle of his horns a bull will not fight by lowering his head and stabbing forward.
In deliberate fights the opponents use a well honed stabbing technique.
They stand alongside each other and hook backwards and sideways with the horns.
The skin on a bull's neck and shoulders is rather thick to serve as protection during these battles.
How can I recognize the dominant gemsbok in the herd when on an African Safari?
A dominant gemsbok bull is the one holding his head high with his neck bend.
The dominant animal will typically have his horns pointing towards his rival.
He is also likely to take slow and steady high steps as he moves.
The submissive animal is the one with a cringing posture that is keeping its head low and its tail swishing.
How do they defend themselves against predators?
Gemsbok predators
In the Kalahari Gemsbok make up 32% of lion kills and 52% of hyena kills.
This wildlife animal has horns that are very effective against predators.
If more than one predator attacks it the animals will attempt to back into a thorn bush.
In this way it will protect its rear while at the same time slashing at the attackers.
Herds bunch around calves when spotted hyenas are detected.
There are a few reliable accounts of eland impaling and killing lions with their horns
They are however important prey for larger carnivores.
Are they social animals?
These safari animals lives in small herds of up to a dozen animals.
They do appear in larger numbers where the grazing is good.
Mature males are territorial but will temporarily join mixed herds containing adult females.
There are also bachelor herds made up of young males, and nursery herds that contain only females and their calves.
They wander widely when food is scarce and unreliable.
Are they territorial animals?
Gemsbok habitat
The live in arid grasslands and rocky deserts as found in the Kalahari-sandveld
Yes they are.
We know from Gemsbok behavior that territorial males mark their areas by thrashing bushes with their horns and pawing the ground.
They also mark territories with small neat dung piles from a low crouching position so that the pellets do not scatter.
These African animals have glands between the hooves that mark the ground wherever they walk.
Because their territories are so large bulls cannot protect all of it from intruders.
Most intruders leave as soon as they notice a resident bull so confrontations are rare.
The territorial bulls usually accept the young males in mixed herds.
What does Gemsbok eat?
Why does Gemsbok feed at night?
They graze for long periods at night when the lower temperatures lead to an increase in the moisture content of the vegetation.
A Gemsbok does this as part of its ability to survive without drinking.
These African wild animals furthermore-
- produces concentrated urine and
- allows its body temperature to rise rather than sweat
as part of this strategy.
These African animals are mainly grazers but they will browse on bushes and forbs if there is no grass available.
They dig up succulent roots, bulbs and tubers.
They eat wild tsama melons for their water content.
They obtain minerals by eating soil.
How do they breed?
These African wild animals mate at any time of the year.
A territorial bull tests the reproductive condition of a female by sniffing her genitals, and smelling her urine.
If he finds a female in heat the bull will approach her with his head high or stretched forward.
He taps her hind legs with his foreleg.
If she is ready to mate she stands still and he mounts her up to six times in quick succession.
Young calves finds new
hiding places every day
For its first three to six weeks the calf usually hides itself in dense grass while its mother grazes a distance away.
A calf frequently spends the night with its mother and finds itself a new hiding place in the morning.
The mother may have to strike her calf with her horns to force it go and hide.
Once the hiding phase is over the calf follows its mother with the rest of the herd, and joins creches with its peers.
By the time the calves emerge their horns have started to grow.
This fact has started a myth that the calves are born with horns.
Calves are weaned when about six months old.
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