IUCN Status: Least concern
Damaliscus pygargus
The blesbok is the smallest member of the hartebeest family. Males have S-shaped horns whilst the female’s horns are shorter and thinner. Their coat is a glossy, dark reddish brown with a white belly, legs and facial blaze. Blesbok were almost hunted to extinction in the 19th Century, which means that the population in Africa is now mainly limited to private farms. Blesbok have a gestation of eight months and, unlike other antelope species, the calf will accompany their mothers from birth.
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