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African Animal Day
"Pronk! Pronk!"
South Africa's national animal is the Springbok, a strikingly marked, gazelle-like antelope found mainly in south and southwest Africa. Springbok have a white face with dark stripes from the mouth to the eyes, a reddish-brown coat that turns to a darker shade then to white on the lower third of its body, and a white backside! Both sexes also have black, curved, lyre-shaped horns. When frightened or excited, a springbok makes a series of stiff-legged vertical leaps up to 3.5 m high! This behavior is known as a "pronk" or "pronking" (which in Afrikaans, means to 'boast' or 'show off') and is performed with the head down, hooves bunched, and an arched back! Springbok in their natural habitat travel and live in mega-herds, known as "treks," but because they are now mostly confined to private farms and game reserves, treks are few and are limited to remote areas of Angola and Botswana. The South Africa national rugby union team, commonly known as the Springboks (colloquially the Boks, Bokke or Amabokoboko), is the country's national team governed by the South African Rugby Union. The Springboks play in green and gold jerseys with white shorts. And of course, their emblem is the Springbok! Pronk! Pronk! 🇿🇦 🦌 🏉
The national animal of South Africa is the springbok (Antidorcas Marsupialis), a swift and graceful gazelle.
The springbok appears on the emblems of the South African Air Force, the logo of South African Airways, the reverse of the Krugerrand and also on the official Coat of Arms of the Republic of South Africa.
This tartan employs many different shades of green to resembles the fertile veld of South Africa where the Springbok grazes.
The springbok itself inspires the center of the sett by focusing on the Springboks' beautiful and lustrous eyes and the dainty white patch on its back. It also represents the rich gold found in South Africa. The springbok itself inspires the center of the sett by focusing on the Springboks' beautiful and lustrous eyes and the dainty white patch on its back. It also represents the rich gold found in South Africa.
Springbok often go into bouts of repeated high leaps of pronking up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) into the air. While pronking, the Springbok repeatedly leaps into the air in a particular stiff-legged posture, with its back bowed and the white fan lifted. While the exact cause of this behaviour is unknown, springbok exhibit this activity when they are nervous or otherwise excited.
One theory about pronking is that it is meant to signal to predators that they have been spotted. Another is that springbok show off their individual strength and fitness so the predator will choose another (presumably weaker) member of the group.
For a video of springboks pronking, click the springbok.