18/08/2019
Inspiration for today: Gemsbok (Oryx gazella): This powerful, handsome animal – a southern race of East Africa’s oryx – is synonymous with the Kalahari. A herd of gemsbok cresting a red sand dune is one of the region’s iconic wildlife spectacles. Behind the impressive appearance are some remarkable adaptations to its arid environment.
A low metabolism allows these antelopes to survive for much of the year without drinking. They get the moisture they need from their food, including desert melons that they dig up in times of drought.
Gemsbok minimise water loss through perspiration by allowing their body temperature to rise to an astonishing 45°C and then dissipating the stored heat at night. Overheating is averted by a filigree of blood vessels in the nose, known as the carotid rete, through which all the blood that passes to the brain is circulated and cooled.
With most other Kalahari antelope, one dominant breeding male controls a harem of females and young, and bachelor males form separate herds. By contrast, gemsbok form mixed herds of males and females. (Mike Unwin, 20 September 2015).
By observing the Gemsbok we can learn a lot from it. When I am able to adapt my behaviour and thinking pattern, it increases my ability to communicate and build relationships with other people. Versatility is my ability to adapt. It's my aptitude. People with adaptability skills are both flexible and versatile. And as the Gemsbok, we are part of a “herd” and may use our support system to help us through difficult changes.
