NORTHERN NEWS
Klipspringer: Africa’s dancing antelope By Sipho Mkhwanazi
If you have ever been to Mapungubwe National Park or even Marakele, you will attest that there is a friendly little fella whom you’re bound to bump into as you make your way around the park. The klipspringer is one of the cutest little animals that loves playing around in the rocky areas of our national parks. These monogamous creatures enjoy prancing across the African savanna together for their entire lifespan. When hearing the name klipspringer you may wonder what kind of African animal you can come face-to-face with on an African safari. The tip-toe klipspringer is commonly springing around on Africa’s most vertical rock faces. Here are a few facts about one of the continent’s most elegant antelope. A rare sighting of a klipspringer on it’s own - they are always in pairs
Oreotragus oreotragus is the klipspringer’s scientific name, but who’s going to repeat the same word twice? Instead, the Afrikaans named this gregarious antelope klipspringer, meaning ‘rock jumper’ in Dutch, and you’ll soon understand why. The klipspringer’s incredible agility Klipspringers inhabit rocky terrain in mountain ranges with sparse vegetation. This allows the seemingly defenceless klipspringer to escape their predators easily. It can also be spotted on a South Africa safari, in areas such as Zoutpansberg and Lebombo mountain ranges near Kruger. Klipspringer also inhabit South Africa’s Western Cape, coastal Angola and Namibia. Even though klipspringer live on steep mountainous terrains where not many predators will venture, klipspringers only live as long as domestic cats, up to around 15 years.
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