The blesbok or blesbuck is an antelope endemic to South Africa. It has a distinctive white face and forehead which inspired the name, because bles is the Afrikaans word for a blaze such as one might see on the forehead of a horse.
Physically, rams and ewes are remarkably similar. Their mass can be as much as 85 kg. A characteristic of the blesbok is the prominent white blaze on the face and a horizontal brown strip which divides this blaze above the eyes. Both sexes carry horns, ringed almost to the tip. Female horns are slightly more slender.
Status
The blesbok was hunted nearly to extinction because of its large numbers, but having been protected since the late 19th century, it has proliferated and today it is sufficiently numerous not to be classed as endangered. In modern times, this is largely because of the commercial value of the blesbok to private land owners, and also because it is one of the few medium-sized antelope that can be contained by normal stock fencing.
At the start of the 21st century, blesbok numbers are stable, estimated to be around 240,000. However, 97% of them live outside reserves, and only 3% in national parks. They also are common in zoos, though in far smaller numbers.
