Evening at Rietfontein

The Gemsbok are incredible creatures, designed in every way to withstand tremendous temperatures and long periods with little water. Part of their range includes the Kalahari Desert where temperatures easily reach 120 F, and water is in short supply. To cope with these temperatures Gemsbok have a fur coat that is partially made up of coarse hollow hairs, and lots of them. These hairs trap air and help to reduce the amount of ambient as well as direct solar heat that reaches the skin, allowing them to withstand high temperatures. To touch the coat of a Gemsbok feels like thousands of tiny straws! They are strikingly beautiful, normally having a grayish cast to the body color. This grayish cast also allows the body to pick up light in wonderful ways, as in this piece. The low hanging evening light has cast a warm hue on these two while they take water at Rietfontein waterhole.