Gemsbok

Oryx Gazella

General Description

Scientific Name: Oryx Gazella

Subspecies: No Subspecies

Other Names: Oryx, Southern Oryx

Status: Least Concern (increasing/stable)

Population Estimate: 320,000-400,000

Population in Assessed Areas: 17,150

Diet: Herbivore - mixed Grazer & browser

Male Size: 180-240 Kgs

Female Size: 100-210 Kgs

Trophy Size: 80 minimum

Generation Length: 7.1 years

Reproductive Season: Year Round

Time of Activity: Diurnal/ semi-nocturnal

Description: Males are typically larger and weigh more than females. Males are usually around 180-240 kg and females are about 100-210 kg, with both sexes averaging around 1.2m tall at the shoulder hump.

Gemsbok are light taupe to tan in color, with lighter patches toward the bottom rear of the rump. Their tails are long and black in color. A blackish stripe extends from the chin down the lower edge of the neck, through the juncture of the shoulder and leg along the lower flank of each side to the blackish section of the rear leg. They have muscular necks and shoulders, and their legs have white 'socks' with a black patch on the front of both the front legs, and both sexes have long, straight horns. Comparably, the East African oryx lacks a dark patch at the base of the tail, has less black on the legs (none on the hindlegs), and less black on the lower flanks. One very rare color morph is the "golden oryx", in which the gemsbok's black markings are muted and appear to be golden.

Gemsbok are widely hunted for their spectacular horns that average 85 cm (33 in) in length. From a distance, the only outward difference between males and females is their horns, and many hunters mistake females for males each year. In males horns tend to be thicker with larger bases. Females have slightly longer, thinner horns. Female gemsbok use their horns to defend themselves and their offspring from predators, while males primarily use their horns to defend their territories from other males. Because female horns can be longer than males, they are sometimes the more sought out trophies.

Ecology: Gemsbok live in herds of about 10–40 animals (though larger herds of several thousand can form around water sources, or shortly after rains caused a "green flush" of grass in an area), which consist of a dominant male, a few nondominant males, and females. They are mainly desert-dwelling and do not depend on drinking water to supply their physiological needs. They can reach running speeds of up to 60 km/h (37 mph). Gemsbok are mostly crepuscular in nature, since temperatures are tolerable and predator detection rates are highest during these times.

The gemsbok is generally a grazer but changes to browsing during the dry season or when grass is sparse. It may dig up to a meter deep to find roots and tubers, supplementing its water intake by eating wild tsamma melons and cucumbers, which can provide all the water required (3 liters per 100 kg bodyweight and day). Their ability to exist in areas with little to no water allows them to outcompete more water dependent species like Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest and Kudu in the most arid parts of their range in Namibia.

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Predation: Common predators include Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, Spotted Hyenas, Wild dogs & Crocodiles (in some areas). Gemsbok use their large horns to spear oncoming threats, hence they are often avoided by smaller or solo predators in favour less dangerous prey. Young are also predated upon by Jackals & Caracals on occasion.

Reproduction: The gemsbok is polygynous, with one resident male mating with the receptive females in the herd. The male is known to secure exclusive mating access to the females by attempting to herd mixed or nursery herds onto his territory.

The gemsbok has no specified breeding season, but the young in a given herd tend to be of a similar age due to reproductive synchrony between females. Pregnant females leave the herd before giving birth. The gestation period lasts 270 days and mothers give birth to 1–2 offspring. The calf remains hidden 6 weeks after birth, after which mother and calf rejoin the herd. The calf is weaned at 3+1⁄2 months, becomes independent at 4+1⁄2 months, and achieves sexual maturity at 1+1⁄2–2 years in both sexes

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Conservation Analysis

Current & Historic range: The Gemsbok formerly occurred widely in the semi-arid and arid bushland and grassland of the Kalahari and Karoo and adjoining regions of southern Africa, with a marginal intrusion into south-west Angola (East 1999, Knight 2013).

The extensive contraction in its distribution and decline of its numbers which accompanied the expansion of human activities in Southern Africa during the 19th and 20th centuries have been partly compensated in the last 10-20 years by the widespread reintroduction of Gemsbok to private land and protected areas. Today, they remain widely, albeit patchily, distributed in south-western southern Africa, although populations in Angola are now considered extirpated, even from the former stronghold in Iona N.P. (East 1999). They have also been introduced in small numbers to areas outside their natural range, such as private game ranches in Zimbabwe (East 1999), and to the Eastern Cape of South Africa, where there are no records of their existence.

Map of Gemsbok Distribution

Current & Historic Populations: Population estimates are available for almost all of this species’ range. Summation of these estimates gives a total population of 326,000, but actual numbers are probably higher because of an unknown level of undercounting bias in aerial surveys.

Assuming an average correction factor for undercounting bias of 1.3 would give a total population estimate of 373,000. Overall population trend is increasing in private farms and conservancies and protected areas, and stable elsewhere (East 1999, Knight 2013). This increasing population trend is especially noticeable on the edges of their historic range, where additional populations are being reintroduced for the purposes of hunting.

Threats to Species Survival: Presently there are no major threats to the survival of gemsbok. In the last two decades there has been widespread reintroduction of Gemsbok to private land and protected areas, For example, in Namibia the largest numbers occur on private farmland, where the estimated population increased from 55,000 in 1972 to >164,000 in 1992 (East 1999). This estimate is now likely closer to the 300,000 mark, though this needs to be properly assessed.

In some areas such as south-western Botswana its distribution is increasingly restricted to protected areas, to the point where there are now two discrete concentration areas within this region, in Central Kgalagadi-Khutse Game Reserves and within and to the north and east of Gemsbok National Park. Outside these protected areas, it occurs mainly in areas of the Kalahari without cattle (East 1999).

Its ability to meet its survival needs within a relatively small area of semi-arid or arid savanna, even during severe droughts, enable it to occupy much smaller mean annual ranges than migratory species such as blue wildebeest and red hartebeest. The Gemsbok’s independence of surface water and non-migratory behavior have enabled it to largely escape the adverse effects of veterinary cordon fencing across Namibia and Botswana, especially when compared to Burchell's Zebra or Blue Wildebeest.

Recommended Conservation Actions:

Further resource and manage protected areas where Gemsbok exist.
Continue to promote the harvest and management of gemsbok population for recreational, subsistence, and commercial harvest.
Improve survey methods to get accurate population data, such as implementing long-term monitoring programs.

Economic & Cultral Analysis

Ecotourism Value: Very High

Hunting Value: High

Meat Value: High

Average Trophy Value: $1,200-1,800 USD

Meat Yield per Animal: 65-190 kg

Economic Value/Impacts: Gemsbok are one of the most valuable herbivores species across their range, especially in the arid regions of Namibia where they are often the most common large herbivores in the area. From an ecotourism perspective, they are a significant attraction for visitors of the Namib Desert and Etosha region, due to their relative abundance.

They are also incredibly valuable to the Hunting industry in Namibia and South Africa, being a staple game animal for thousands of international hunters each year. The draw to this species is partially because of it's unique looks, massive horns, and also because the difficulty of the hunt. Their sharp eyesight makes getting into shooting range a challenge, with herds often running away at top speed before the hunter can get any closer. Their meat is also been held in high regard, often serving as a replacement for beef & lamb in communities where animal husbandry is difficult due to aridity.

Cultural Value: The gemsbok is depicted on the coat of arms of Namibia, and is widely regarding as the nations national animal. They have been pursued as prey by hunter gatherer tribes thousands of years, being a staple food source for communities in many areas. In parts of Namibia, the San People used Persistence Hunting as a technique of harvesting these animals, running them down to pure exhaustion in the desert heat.

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