WILDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA
 
BLESBOK
Latin Name: Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi
Afrikaans: Blesbok
Blesbok
Distribution in South Africa:
 Distribution in South Africa: Originally Blesbok occurred in a large area in the central part of South Africa - highveld plains and other grassveld plains in colder climate. Nowadays due to extensive game farming, selling, breeding, reselling and resettling of these antelope, they are widely distributed even occurring in the bushveld which is not their natural habitat.

There are no Blesbok in the Kruger National Park but they can be found in some of the other national parks.

They occur in the Free State central grasslands and Eastern Cape and in the midland and highlands of KwaZulu-Natal, also in Northwest, Northern Cape, Southern Cape, Western Cape, Gauteng and even Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
Habitat:
 Natural habitat is highveld, open grassveld / grassland with water.
Habits:
 Gregarious animals that form herds of females with young and young rams – also bachelor herds and then territorial rams. The rams will fight aggressively during mating season to procure some females in their territory – in winter especially large herds form with dominant rams, sub-adult rams and ewes with their young, numbering up to hundred or more on some game farms.
Day or night:
 Mainly active by day (Diurnal).
Difference between male and female:
 Blesbok males (Rams) are stockier and more robustly built and they also weigh more than ewes (females). Although both sexes have horns, rams horns are thicker and usually longer than the horns of ewes.
Mass:
 Male: Approximately 66 to 73 kg
Female: Approximately 58 to 64 kg
Breeding:
 Usually one lamb is born any time from November to January. The newborn lamb can run with the herd within 30 minutes of being born.
Gestation period:
 8 months
Lifespan:
 11 years
Diet / Food and water:
 Exclusively grazers - especially short grass. Need water.
Enemies:
 Cheetah, Leopard, Caracal and Jackal (prey mainly on the young), Hyena, Humans.
Staus:
 Abundant in South Africa
Interesting Facts:
 In days gone by, they were hunted mercilessly by pioneers and settlers for their meat and hides.

Blesbok can be confused with Bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus), however the Bontebok has a white rump amongst other features which the Blesbok (Blesbok have a pale rump) does not have. Another difference between the two is the fact that Bontebok have white lower legs and Blesbok rarely have clear white lower legs.