The Blesbok (Damaliscus dorcas phillipsi) Photo taken in Dikhololo Private Game Reserve South Africa
One of 29 Antelope species found in South Africa. It is endemic to South Africa and was plentiful on the plains and grasslands of the interior. However by 1898 the numbers had been reduced to only a small amount due to hunting.
It has since been bred abundantly and is a common species in Game Reserves and Game Farms around South Africa.
It is very similar in appearance to the Bontebok of the Western Cape but historically their home range distribution was separated by at least 350 km.
Breeding males defend a territory, herds of females and young wonder through different territories and bachelor herds of non breeding males form in the breeding season. In the cold months they all gather together in larger combined herds.
Both sexed have horns.