Springbok: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Deer and Antelopes · day 6 of 7

Five facts

1. Springbok often leap up to 2 m into the air, again and again. It's called pronking, from the Afrikaans for 'to show off'.
2. When a springbok lifts the skin flap on its back, long white hairs pop up in a fan and give off a strong, sweaty smell.
3. Springbok are speedy antelopes: they have been timed running at 88 km/h.
4. Springbok get the water they need from their food. In extreme cases, they never drink any water in their whole lives.
5. Long ago, millions of springbok migrated in herds hundreds of kilometres long. One herd could take days to pass through a town.

The quiz

1. How high can a springbok leap when pronking?

• Up to 20 cm
• Up to 2 m (correct)
• Up to 20 m
• Up to 50 cm

Springbok leap up to 2 m into the air when pronking.

2. What happens when a springbok lifts its back flap?

• It makes a loud noise
• It sheds hair
• Its coat changes colour
• White hairs fan out and give off a sweaty scent (correct)

Lifting the flap makes long white hairs stand up in a fan and emit a strong scent of sweat.

3. How fast have springbok been clocked?

• 28 km/h
• 48 km/h
• 88 km/h (correct)
• 188 km/h

Springbok have been clocked at 88 km/h.

4. Where do springbok get the water they need?

• From their food (correct)
• From morning dew
• From digging wells
• From rivers only

Springbok get enough water from what they eat, and in extreme cases never drink at all.

5. How long could a springbok herd be during the great migrations?

• A few metres
• Hundreds of kilometres (correct)
• Exactly one kilometre
• Tens of metres

Herds stretched for hundreds of kilometres, and one could take days to pass through a town.

More about the Springbok

Same week

All lessons

Nature documentaries