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The traditional animals of Kalahari

What I always have thought was typical for Kalahari was Springbuck and Gemsbuck (Oryx) and when I finally saw the Kalahri it was the correct belief.

We saw them in huge numbers and after a couple of days we stopped looking at them they were too numerous, they were everywhere, running jumping, underneath trees in the open etc.

My first Kalahari Springbuck, an old ram with one horn broken of, from a fight as we first thought but then we found a bullet hole in the ear that was at the same height as the broken horn. Shot at 145 meters after that we found him resting in the open with a group of others in the afternoon.

Now Frederik started to get itchy with his finger after a couple of days filming and no shooting so he wanted to find a Springbuck too, so of we went, with me behind the camera and he with the rifle. It did not take long before Karl found one that Frederik thought was ok and he took the shot. Distance about 120 meters and he ran about 80 meters (the Springbuck not Frederik)

After walking over numerous dunes we found a big group of Springbuck and this ram was the biggest, about 14 1/2 inches. He took the shot at 180 meters but did not want to die and with the blood pumping out of his lungs he ran about 200 meters.

This springbock we ran into on our way back to camp for lunch and we decided he was good enought to shoot. He was shot at about 150 meters and dropped directly. Look at his face more like a thompson or grant's gazelle with the brown on his face comparing it to other springbucks.

My first gemsbuck we found after a couple of attempts to get closer to some herds, he was not so big but old so he was good to take out of the herd to give room for the younger and bigger bull. He measured around 33. Shot him at 214 meters and shot was little far back so it took him a while to drop.

Saw the herd at a far distance and in cover of a dune we got closer and then got into position we crawled through the grass. Shot was at 240 meters and it was the biggest female in the group, just as I took the shot they started to run so this shot was also to much back and she took off over the next dune. As we came over the top she was walking away from us and I stopped her with a shot from behind. She measured about 39 inches and was quite old as the horns had started to flatten out at the bases.

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Christer Hansson

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