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The Grey Rhebok or Grey Rhebuck (Pelea Capreolus), locally known as the Vaalribbok in Afrikaans, is a species of antelope native to South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini (Swaziland). The specific name Capreolus is Latin for ‘Little Goat’. Approximately 10,000-18,000 Rhebuck are thought to survive in the wild, and these numbers appear stable.
The Vaal Rhebuck is a medium-sized antelope weighing 19–30 kilograms (42–66 lb) with a long neck and narrow ears. The dense, woolly coat of the rhebok is grey with whitish underparts, and lacks any distinguishing markings. The legs and head tend to be more fawn in colour than the body, and the fronts of the lower legs are often darker. The tail is bushy with a fluffy white underside. The patch of black bare skin at the nose (rhinarium) is extremely enlarged in the Rhebuck and contrasts with white hairs on the muzzle. The eyelids are black and the eyes are surrounded by whitish hairs. The ears are extremely long and narrow and stand straight up. Only the males carry horns, which are straight, sharp, ringed at the base, and around 15–25 centimetres (5.9–9.8 in) long.
Rhebuck are active throughout the day and night, spending about 55-60% of their time foraging or moving. Rest usually occurs in open areas rather than in cover. When traveling, a female will usually lead the herd, with the harem male bringing up the rear. Males are very protective of their herds, and defend an exclusive territory of approximately 0.6 km2 that is marked by urinating and defecating, standing or walking in an upright posture, and patrolling. Used fully during the Winter, only a portion of this territory is used in the Summer. Encounters between males involve chasing and stabbing with their sharp horns. While running, the Rhebuck has a distinct rocking gait.
This species is a browser, food includes leaves from shrubs and ground-level forbs. Flowers, roots, and seeds may be eaten if present, and small amounts of grass are eaten year-round. The Vaal Rhebuck gets most of its water from the food it eats, so it can utilize food sources a long distance from standing water.
Males become extremely aggressive during the breeding season. The Vaal Rhebuck usually aggregates in herds of one to 15 females and young and one mature male. This species is therefore polygynous. The Vaal Rhebuck is a seasonal breeder. Most mating activity occurs in the Summer or Autumn, but this varies by region. Births in western South Africa are usually in August, and in eastern South Africa occur between November and February. Infants lie hidden in grassy cover for their first three weeks, and by six weeks are fully mobile.
Vaal Rhebuck predators are Lion, Leopard, Hyena, Cape Hunting Dog, Python and Jackal.
Generally confined to the higher areas of Southern Africa, they typically inhabit grassy, montane habitats – for example, sourveld – usually 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) above sea level, and carry a woolly Vaal coat to insulate them from the cold. They are not strictly limited to this habitat as they can be found in the coastal belt of the Cape, almost at sea level.
Planning carefully is the key to a good Rhebuck 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 Rhebuck 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.
How you choose an Rhebuck 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.
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.
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]
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.
