You wouldn’t want to find yourself at the pointy end of a
South African gemsbok. The species’ lancelike horns are
present in both sexes (the females’ tend to be thinner)
and are about a metre long. This handsome headgear is
used during the males’ sparring matches for dominancy,
as well as a defence against predators, such as lions.
The angle of attack can take a little working out, though.
As the horns grow almost vertically from the top of the
Wim van den Heever/naturepl.comantelope’s head, a side-on assault is usually adopted.
IN FOCUS^ | Locking horns