Habitat: high veld of South Africa
Status: Not Threatened
DAK Locale: Animal Kingdom Lodge, Sunset savanna
The Blesbok is very closely related to the very similar but much more endangered bontebok. Although considered a separate species, they are close enough that they can interbreed. The two species are distinguishable by their face, the blesbok has a thin brown line breaking the white fur patch on the nose, while the bontebok has a solid white patch.
In South Africa, the species is found in large numbers at many of the national parks. It is confined to the grasslands, avoiding woodlands. Like the bontebok, the blesbok can't jump, an unusual trait in antelopes, which made them much easier to conserve when they were on the brink of extinction by fencing them on private property. Now, there are approximately 240,000 animals in South Africa.
They are a staple food item for many of the predators on the savanna including lions, cheetah, wild dogs, hyenas, eagles, and more. While they cannot jump well, they are fast, reaching nearly 45 miles per hour.
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