Black Springbok hunting in South Africa

Black Springbuck is a melanistic colour variant of a Common Springbuck. This medium-sized gazelle is not a subspecies. Irrespective of their colour, all Springbuck have a fold of skin on their back that opens to reveal a length of fanned hair which is often displayed when pronking or when excited. In Common Springbuck this hair is strikingly white but in Black Springbuck, it is black. Black Springbuck are mostly hunted in the Free State, North West, Eastern, Western and Northern Cape provinces. Their favoured habitat is open dry to semi-arid grasslands and they avoid mountainous areas, woodlands and tall grass. Both sexes carry horns. Collectors often hunt the three (Black, White and Copper) recognised SCI colour variant species. Today numerous other colour variants are being selectively bred and marketed and time will tell how popular these new colour variants will be with hunters. Springbuck can but hunted year-round in South Africa. Black Springbuck are classified as Common Springbuck by the IUCN as a species of least concern and no special hunting permits are required.