Oryx (or Gemsbok)

We had arrived in time for lunch and, more importantly, in time to venture out to the Hoanib River for an afternoon game drive. While windy, it was nothing like the sandstorm we had experienced the previous day at Mowani. We came across Springbok, still elegant and beautiful in their markings and made all the more stunning given the landscape, as well as my first glimpse at Namibia’s national animal; the Oryx (or Gemsbok). Perfectly adapted to desert life, they can survive on moisture from eating plants alone, capable of surviving up to a couple of weeks without water. They have a unique mechanism to maintain their temperature too. They are able to cool the blood flowing to their brain through the capillaries in their nose as they breathe. Equally they dig shallow holes to rest and cool down, when shade isn’t available. There are four species of Oryx, and the Gemsbok found in Namibia is the largest. Combine that with their distinctive black and white markings and impressive horns and you can see why they’re considered so photogenic. It was spellbinding watching them in their environment.