29 February 2024

Although we name this animal a pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana), it isn’t an antelope in any respect.

Whereas I used to be on Street Scholar’s Southern Africa Birding Safari final month I noticed seven species of antelopes (not my photographs; these are from Wikimedia Commons).

As a result of the pronghorn’s look is comparable, I can see why he’s referred to as an antelope, however his nearest kinfolk are different African animals, the giraffe and okapi.

Pronghorns most likely resemble antelopes as a result of they run like them, a trait they acquired to flee cheetahs(!). Cheetahs was once in North America however disappeared a very long time in the past.

The pronghorn by no means stopped working.