THE BONTEBOK 



THE BONTEBOK 



(Damaliscus pygargus) 



THE Bontebok or Pied Goat of the Dutch colonists 

 existed in tens of thousands in former days on the 

 plains of the south-western corner of the Cape 

 Province. 



Harris mentions having found the Bontebok in 

 vast numbers on the Karoo of the interior of the 

 Cape Province, but this is doubted by Mr. W. L. 

 Sclater. Harris was the first man to define clearly 

 the difference between the Bontebok and Blesbok, 

 and he would, therefore, not have been likely to 

 confuse it with the latter, as was the case with other 

 early travellers. 



The Bontebok is now extinct in the wild or feral 

 condition, and the only living representatives of 

 this once numerous and strictly localised antelope 

 are preserved on some estates in the Bredasdorp 

 Division of the Cape Province. The history of how 

 this antelope was saved from extinction was kindly 

 contributed at my request by J. D. Albertyn, Esq., 

 who has a thriving herd of Bontebok on his estate. 

 I cannot do better than produce it verbatim. It 

 is as follows : 



" The Bontebok is one of an old family of antelopes 



known to exist in large herds on the coastal parts 



of what is now the Swellendam Division in the early 



days when the first European settlers came to these 



9 



