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Etosha National Park

Fuji Velvia, Sigma EX 105/2.8, Minolta 800Si

The springbuck is one of the most familiar sights in Etosha National Park. They are distributed across southwestern Africa, and the Namib, Kalahari and Karoo deserts. The name is derived from the mainly juvenile and subadult habit of leaping up in a series of graceful and high, hunch-backed bounces when alerted. It is mainly a summer grazer and winter browser.

Habitat:

dry open plains, it is exceptionally mobile, moving long distances to find pastures during droughts, but with an excellent memory for its favorite territory when the rains resume.

Status:

In South Africa occurs mostly as livestock (its meat is dried, a local delicacy called biltong). In parts of Namibia the nomadic migrations continue, while being increasingly hindered by the encroaching livestock industry.