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To avoid death, bushbucks pretend to be dead




Details Published on Saturday, 14 February 2015 00:52 Written by REGINALD STANISLAUS Hits: 185

MOST antelopes live and graze in large groups called herds which make them more vulnerable to attacks from predators such as lions, leopards, cheetahs and other carnivorous who live by eating meat from herbivorous and omnivorous.

The Bushbuck is aware of this dangerous movement that is why most of the time it browses lonely in bush savannah forest where the antelope run and buck like horse.

It was this act which gave out their English name in 1780 when Sparrman a colonial zoologist who saw them in the Cape colony and made the first description for the outside world although long time before the scramble and partition of Africa the Bantu people of East Africa used the name Pongo.

To avoid predation Bushbuck don’t maintain territory but live individually in an area covering about 50,000 square metre where two or three groups of female with their calves may browse under the guardianship of an alpha male who protects and breeds with them while most other male lead solitary life.

To maintain his reign the alpha male is required to work hard to fight and chase other inquisitive males who try to come closer at the estrous time for some of his females also forcefully to stop greedy ewes or companions from running away from him.

Males or rams use some unusual tricks and methods to attract a female from a rival herd but more than four male may put up a ritualised slow motion match which involves a good display of their masculinity and handsomeness through erected heads and pointed eyes like a military parade.

Naturally these pageants work very well because it’s the rams who only carry horns and like the ewes are decorated by white spots which line in a geometric shapes on each sides of their body and on mobile parts such as ears, chin, tail, legs and necks.

Males are capable of making these spots more visible as they raise their backs to form an arched shape and slow movement toward each other in circle with long steppes gait which force female to look at them and intimately attracted to them and avert fighting among the sexual starving rams.

After a gestation period of 180 days a single calf is born weighing about four kilogrammes. To replenish her energy a weak mother normally eats the after birth which is rich in different materials such as protein but on the other hand this remove all leads to this secret place and protect the defenseless calf from scavengers and predators.

Normally the birth place is located inside a thick bush with grass standing not less than 35 centimetres from the ground and from time in history through different generations female Bushbucks also known as Ewes have maintained a custom of cleaning the place where they hide calves by eating their dung when going or coming from milking her baby.

All these are for the protection of their new born but to protect themselves from attacks by predators adult bushbuck like a full trained commando in a war zone may lay down and burry themselves in sandy soil where they wait until situation allow them to come out and continue with other activities.

In location where sandy soil is not available bushbuck run into a nearby bush where they stand motionless but when the level of danger increases it will embark into a full bust at the top speed of 60 kilometres per hour leaving heavy predators like lions with top speed of 50 kilometres per hour trailing very far behind.

With this athletic speed it’s the cheetah only who is capable of chasing the Bushbuck but what do you expect from a predator weighing between 40 to 65 kilogrammes it’s always a struggle to strangle and kill a prey weighing more than 70 kilogrammes.

Some zoologists who are familiar with the two animals say many cheetahs who attempt to go for male bushbuck end up being killed with 40 centimetre long and sharp horns during strangulation for a kill and escaping for life processes.

Some professional game hunters in Africa have also been killed by the Bushbuck because when the antelope feels it has been overpowered or badly injured it pretends to be dead and allow the enemy to relax but quickly the prey will rejuvenate and launch a quick assault using its sharp horns which kill most of its enemies.

Life in the Savannah is full of unusual challenges which need to be dealt with smart techniques which enable one to survive and avoid death.

Across the might continent of Africa bushbucks or Tragelaphus have different sub species such as Tragelaphus scriptus, Tragelaphus sylvaticus and Tragelaphus scriptus massaicus which is found in Tanzania and dwell in Ngorongoro crater and game reserves such as Rumanyika, Moyowosi, Kimisi, Maswa, Ugala, Ikorongo, Rungwa, Kizigo, Selous and Lukwika Lumesule located in Mtwara region.

These antelopes are also found in national parks like Serengeti, Gombe, Mahale, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Manyara, Tarangire, Saadani, Mikumi, Ruaha and Udzungwa.

We need to help these antelopes and other animals in the savannah to flourish by helping the government the fight against poaching activities stop encroachment on protected areas such as national parks, game reserves, forest reserves and the newly introduced marine reserves

I've got a couple on my wall that are still pretending.

65kg for a cheetah & 70kg for a bushbuck! ??

I have come close to getting one on my hunts.I never fired a shot.I would like to get one.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
I have come close to getting one on my hunts.I never fired a shot.I would like to get one.

Cheetah or Bushbuck?