Cape Oryx drawing from 1910. This proud fellow was included in the antelope entry of the 1911 Encyclopedia. That edition is surrounded in controversy but thankfully in the public domain. The illustrations are wonderfully vintage and feature so many great animals like this oryz gazella.
The cape oryx is more commonly known as the gemsbok or gemsbuck. It lives in the arid regions of Southern Africa. The animal is featured on the coat of arms of Namibia. While our cape oryx drawing is in black and white; in life, the animals are light brownish-grey. They have some lighter coloring on their backsides and have black tails. And, they are recognized for the ‘white socks’ on their legs. Both males and females have straight horns and are hard to differentiate.
There are around 3,000 gemsbuck living in the Tularosa Basin in New Mexico. 93 were introduced to the area between 1969 and 1977. With no natural predators, the cape oryx are thriving.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
