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Hoofed mammals
Gemsbok
Gemsbok · Oryx gazella
Gemsbok with striking facial markings and long horns bring a quiet elegance to the barren plains of southern Africa.
Fact file
- Size
- Shoulder height about 1.2 metres, weight up to 250 kilograms
- Males and females
- Females and males both carry horns; those of the females are longer and slimmer
- Sounds
- Deep, roaring calls, mostly during the rutting season or as a warning
- Diet
- Feeds mainly on grasses, herbs, leaves and thorny shrubs
- Offspring
- A single calf after around 9 months of gestation, mostly in the rainy season
How to identify Gemsbok
Gemsbok are impressive hoofed animals with a distinctive sandy-grey base colour and strongly contrasting black and white facial markings. Particularly striking are the long, almost straight horns, which are present in both females and males and can reach up to 120 centimetres.
You can also spot a typical black stripe that runs from the throat across the chest and sides down to the legs. Their silhouette appears muscular and well proportioned, with a relatively short neck and powerful body. A black tuft at the end of the tail completes their appearance.
More in the app
With Wildful Stories+ you also get in the app:
- general viewing tips
- 53 places where you can see Gemsbok
Where Gemsbok live
Namibia
Discover Gemsbok on your trip.
The app shows you where and when to see wildlife along your route.
