Nick Holmes! This is your post!!

OK, first I had better explain what this is all about for the benefit of those currently thinking, "why doesn't she just send this geezer and email??" Well I'll tell you why... people like to see their name in lights! Also, because the focus of the personalised blog posts I've promised to a few people are things that I've found myself talking about more than once with people before, so putting such subjects on the blog make a good point of reference and may prevent unneccessary lengthy discussions and/or scribbling on resteraunt napkins or pub beermats in the future (although I fear there may be no stopping those aspects of my behaviour!!). So here goes, Nick, this one is for you, I hope you like it.....

Gemsbok, AKA [Southern] Oryx, Oryx gazella

*PICTURE TO BE UPLOADED AT A LATER DATE AS COMPUTER PLAYING UP, SORRY!!*

The Oryx is a large, South West African antelope, with a bovine appearance, and long (60-150cm!), straight, backward facing ringed horns. They measure 115-125cm high at the shoulder, are 180-195cm long and weigh 180-240kg (that’s almost 4 times my weight!!). They occupy arid grassland and desert habitats and occur in herds of about 25 individuals, consisting mainly of females and their calves, and a few males. Lone bachelor males were also a frequent sighting for me while I was on safari.

They have many clever adaptations for surviving in their harsh environment, such as very dry droppings, powerful kidneys that produce highly concentrated urine, and they don’t sweat or pant until their bodies reach temperatures in excess of 45 degrees C, plus are able to voluntarily raise their body temperature from 37.5 C to that figure in order to delay evaporative cooling- all to conserve water.

Their diet is mainly grasses and low growing shrubs, plus wild cucumbers, melons and similar succulents to obtain the moisture they need. A Namibian bushman told me that even when the rains come and desert waterholes form, he very rarely, if ever, saw Oryx drink from them.

Oryx are nomadic and can cover great distances with ease on their long, sturdy legs. If a bushman wishes to marry, he must demonstrate that he is worthiness to the girls’ father, so he and other suitors are sent into the desert to kill an Oryx. This is no easy task in the desert! Tracking and navigation on foot can be hard in the unforgiving environment, and the chase may go on for days. And the men have only traditional weaponry of course. The first young hopeful to return with the tail of the Oryx he has killed wins the hand in marriage, and a feast of the animals’ meat is had by all.

Speaking of feasting, I was told that Oryx meat is quite delicious, and in Swakupmund in Namibia, my friends all ordered Oryx steak, which they all agreed was very tasty. I tried some too, but being a vegetarian and rather repelled by meaty smells tastes and textures, didn’t find it all that appetising!!

See you soon, and thanks for the photography exhibition! Green Shoe Fairy!