Male Puku are larger than females, and mature males have especially thick, muscular necks. The coarse coat is golden brown with pale underparts. The Puku lacks distinctive markings on the face or legs, although there is an indistinct whitish ring around each eye. There are two subspecies, the Senga Puku (Kobus Vardonii Senganus) and the southern Puku (Kobus Vardonii Vardonii). Puku are currently listed as “near threatened” because populations are considered stable and are not under immediate threat. Their survival depends on several fragmented populations. Puku have to compete with cattle for forage and populations suffer when habitats are modified for agriculture and grazing.

Additional information

Mount Type

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Facts

The Puku (Kobus Vardonii) is a medium-sized antelope and stands about 80 cm (31 in) at the shoulder and weighs from 70 to 80 kg (150 to 180 lb). The Puku is sandy brown in colour, with the underbelly a slightly lighter brown. The coat is rougher than that of the similar-sized Southern Reedbuck, Lechwe or Impala, or the smaller Oribi. Males have horns which are ridge-structured, 50 cm (20 in) long, and lyre-shaped. They’re highly territorial, defending their patch vigorously against other prime males, and regularly challenging juvenile males within their herd. But it’s a solitary life for many, as males must defend their territories even when they have become depleted and the females have moved on.

Puku are found almost exclusively in marshy grassland and Dambos, where they eat grasses. The Puku diet is flexible in regards to type of grasses consumed. There is little dietary competition with other bovids. This species is crepuscular, active in the early morning and late afternoon. When scared, Puku repeat a shrill whistle sound. Females gather in herds of up to 20 individuals. During the rainy season, herds will come together for added safety, typically reaching around 50 females. Males hold territories and attempt to persuade herds of females to stay within their territories for as long as possible. In the wet season, due to large floods in their habitat they migrate to a higher elevation and in the dry season remain near water.

Puku have a polygynous mating system, in which males mate with more than one female. Puku breed year-round, but there is a peak in births between January and April in Zambia (extending to June in Botswana); this coincides with the wet season. After the gestation period of 8 months, the female gives birth to a single calf in a hidden place. To avoid detection, a female will settle her new-born calf in one spot and leave it while she goes to feed; amazingly, they often choose an open pan, with no cover, and rely on the calf’s lack of scent and camouflage behaviour to protect it. Without scent to guide them, predators often walk right past. The calf remains there for approximately 6 months until it’s completely weaned and ready to return to the herd with the mother. Between 12 and 14 months of age young Puku become reproductively mature and start to breed.

The main predators of Puku are Leopard and Lion, and in the wild they are estimated to have a lifespan of 17 years.

Habitat

The Puku is found in wet grasslands in southern Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and more concentrated in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. They favour a riverine or floodplains habitat. They utilise grasslands adjacent to rivers or swamps.

Taxidermy

What is Puku Taxidermy?

Planning carefully is the key to a good Puku taxidermy job. When tanning and oiling the hides, the best chemicals and methods in the world are used to make sure they will last for generations. At Lifeform Taxidermy, we carefully choose our forms to make sure they fit well, and we’ll even custom make the forms according to any instruction, you may have in mind, at no extra cost. Full-mount trophies come with standard natural habitat bases that are made just for them. We use only the best materials and our 40 years of experience in the field to give your trophies new meaning. The finished trophies look life-like. When repair is needed, every effort is made to repair cuts and scrapes while keeping bullet damage to a minimum. Skin preparation and storage tips for a flawless Puku trophy.

Take care of your trophy before you bring it to the taxidermist – field preparation is the most important start. As soon as you take the hit on your trophy, it starts to rot, and the heat of Africa speeds up the decaying process. The hunter must not drag the body of the animal from the site where it was shot to the waiting hunting truck. The trophy should be protected from the hot metal bed of the hunting truck with a thick layer of cut grass or leaves.

So that nothing goes wrong, the skinning needs to start right away. Remove all of the meat, fat, dirt, and blood from the skin. Clean the skin well. After that, allow the skin to drip dry for a short time, it should then be salted. It is recommended to soak the skin in a salt solution for at least five hours and ideally overnight. Use about 20 kg of salt per 100 litres of water. After taking the skin out of the solution, salt it while it is still flat and flesh side up on a clean surface. To get the full effect of the salt, it needs to be absorbed into the skin all over, into all the crevice’s, especially around the facial features. Put the skin in the shade with a layer of salt on it. After 24 hours, dry the cape. Fold with the hair and ears in when it’s dry. To stop insect damage, pesticides must be sprayed on the skin and in the storage area.

The Puku taxidermy process and method

How you choose an Puku taxidermy mount depends on things like your budget, wall space, and personal taste. When it comes to the creation of a full mount, we find that considerable discussion with the customer yields the best results. This is due to the fact that each form is given a distinct shape and arrangement.

Life-Form Taxidermy will make an exact copy of the skin as soon as they get all of your mounting instructions. All of the skins are tanned and oiled with high-quality products and methods to make sure they are preserved for years. Each skin is put on a manikin to make sure that it fits well. After the eyes and ears are expertly placed, the skin is sewn by a professional. Before making any last changes, the taxidermist waits until the animal is dry. They put the trophies in crates, and the shipping company hired by the client brings them to the client.

Taking care of your Puku trophy

Every year, dust the mounts with a soft brush or compressed air to fluff up the hair. Trophies should be protected from common pests by spraying a light mist of normal aerosol surface pesticide around them. Think about preserving your trophy with Mount Medix Africa. This is a product that Life-Form Taxidermy offers.

Keep trophies in a cool, dry place. Daylight makes the mounts fade over time, so artificial light is better. If there’s too much humidity, open the windows or turn on a fan. Due to salt and tan residue, hair can make moisture beads when the humidity is high. Using a tissue that soaks up water will also soak up the salts.

FAQ's

How much does a Puku trophy cost?

The pricing of any trophy is subject to the costing stipulated per taxidermy order, quantity of trophies and preferred mounting options, along with additional requirements.

Should you wish to receive a quotation prior to the hunt, the taxidermist can generate such for you. Please contact [email protected]

How long does a Puku trophy take?

Taxidermy is an art form that involves a complicated step-by-step process to make sure that each trophy looks just right and is of a high enough quality that it will last your whole life.

The time it takes a taxidermist to mount an animal might range from days to weeks, and possibly several months, depending on the quantity of trophies per taxidermy order, the display preferences, and volumes of client trophies to be produced, simultaneously, per production schedule.

This depends largely on the “what, how, when” factors. A taxidermy order also only becomes available for production scheduling upon receipt of the required deposit and trophy mounting instructions.

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