The springbok is one of the most characteristic game species of southern Africa. Elegant, fast and perfectly adapted to life in dry, open environments, it can be encountered on Namibia’s grasslands, savannahs and semi-desert plains.

At first glance, the springbok may appear to be a relatively small antelope. An adult stands approximately 75 centimetres at the shoulder and weighs around 40 kilograms. However, it is certainly not an easy animal to hunt. Springbok usually gather in herds, which means several pairs of eyes are constantly watching the surrounding landscape. In open country, approaching them at close range can be extremely difficult.

For this reason, springbok hunting in Namibia frequently involves shooting at longer distances. Shots beyond 200 metres are not unusual, and hunters must account for the wind, exposed terrain and the animal’s relatively small vital area. A stable shooting position, accurate range estimation and a confident shot are essential.

The Leaps That Gave the Springbok Its Name

The springbok is famous for a distinctive form of jumping known as pronking. During this display, the animal leaps into the air with all four legs almost simultaneously, arches its back and opens a fold of skin along its rump to reveal a striking crest of white hair.

These leaps may serve as a warning to other members of the herd while also demonstrating the animal’s strength and fitness to a potential predator.

The springbok is so well adapted to arid environments that it can survive for extended periods without direct access to drinking water. It obtains much of the moisture it needs from leaves, roots and succulent plants.

One Species, Several Colour Variants

The best-known form has a sandy-brown back, white underparts and a distinctive dark stripe running along each side. However, several other colour variants can also be found:

• Black springbok – a strikingly dark, almost completely black variant
• White springbok – a pale colour variant that is not an albino
• Copper springbok – a coppery or caramel-coloured variant

These colour forms are not separate species. They are genetic colour variants that have been selectively developed further on South African game ranches. Each produces a distinctly different and highly attractive trophy.

Both males and females have horns, although those of mature males are generally heavier, more deeply ridged and more strongly curved. Together with the springbok’s contrasting coat pattern, they give this antelope its unmistakable appearance.

The springbok is one of the species you can hunt in Namibia with Franc Hunting Safaris. If you are drawn to hunting in open African landscapes, accurate shooting at longer distances and one of southern Africa’s most iconic antelopes, the springbok certainly deserves a place in your hunting programme.

It is not always about lions, giraffes or elephants. From time to time, a truly diverse collection arrives in our workshop – lesser-known game species as well as unusual requests from our clients.

In this gallery, we offer a glimpse of the taxidermy mounts we have worked on over the past week. Some are already finished, while others are shown at various stages of the mounting process.

Among them are elegant reedbuck, an antelope species rarely seen in our part of Europe, as well as bushpigs, lesser-known members of the wild pig family found in southern Africa.

The collection also includes a chacma baboon, a genet and a honey badger captured in striking defensive poses, along with a wildebeest incorporated into an unconventional framed composition.

From the northern regions comes the harbour seal, a species not often encountered in taxidermy, while our native European fauna is represented by the Eurasian beaver.

These are exactly the kinds of commissions we enjoy at Franc & Zugar Taxidermy. Every species has its own anatomy, expression and character, presenting us with a new challenge in craftsmanship. Sometimes the task is to capture an animal’s subtle elegance; other times, its strength, tension or warning posture. Whether we are working with a lesser-known species or creating an unusual composition, we always look for an individual approach – from the initial design to the final detail.

With its impressive spiral horns, elegant build and remarkable ability to disappear into the African bush, the greater kudu is one of the most distinctive and sought-after antelopes in Africa. For many hunters, encountering a mature kudu bull is one of the highlights of an African safari.

And it is not only about the trophy. Hunting kudu is mainly about tracking, patience and observation.

Despite its size, a kudu can move almost silently through dense vegetation. Its grey-brown coat and vertical white stripes provide excellent camouflage, and an animal that was clearly visible only moments ago can seemingly vanish into the bush. This is exactly what makes kudu hunting so fascinating.

Mature bulls are unmistakable. Their long, spiralling horns can reach impressive dimensions, and together with their massive neck and characteristic mane, they give old bulls a truly imposing appearance.

Kudu inhabit a wide variety of African landscapes, from dry bushveld and rocky hills to woodland and riverine vegetation. The hunting conditions therefore vary considerably depending on the area – and that is part of the experience.

With Franc Hunting Safaris, you can encounter greater kudu on several of our African hunting programmes. Whether kudu is the main objective of your safari or one of several species on a plains-game hunt, an encounter with a mature bull is something you are unlikely to forget.

From time to time, an animal arrives at our taxidermy workshop that even an experienced taxidermist rarely gets the opportunity to work with. One such case is the kuland – an exceptionally rare interspecific hybrid between a greater kudu and a common eland.

The kuland is not a separate antelope species. It is a hybrid of two evolutionarily related species belonging to the tragelaphine group of antelopes. The resulting hybrids can be viable, although males are believed to be infertile. This is most likely related, among other factors, to differences in the chromosome structure of the two parent species.

Characteristics of Both Parents in One Animal

Its unusual appearance makes the kuland particularly fascinating from a taxidermist’s point of view. Our specimen clearly displays characteristic features of both parent species.

The powerful build of the neck and body is reminiscent of the common eland, while the long, spiralling horns and some of the proportions of the head resemble those of the greater kudu. The result is an animal that looks strangely familiar at first glance, yet does not quite match the typical appearance of either parent species.

This particular kuland comes from South Africa, and preparing it gave us another rare opportunity to work with a truly unusual specimen.

At Franc & Zugar Taxidermy, we prepare hunting trophies from around the world – from more commonly encountered European and African species to animals that even a professional taxidermist may have the opportunity to work with only a few times in a lifetime.

The kuland undoubtedly belongs among them.

When you’re preparing an elephant mount nearly four metres tall, sometimes you have to think a little differently. To transport it safely – and, more importantly, to actually get it through the doors – the elephant travels without its tusks and ears.

Those are fitted once the mount is in place.

The installation itself then becomes a small logistical operation. Several people, hundreds of kilograms, just centimetres of clearance, lifting, turning, positioning… and preferably no second attempts. When you miscalculate by a few centimetres, you have a problem.

The photos show the entire process – from preparation in our workshop and transport to the final installation. The ears are attached, the tusks fitted, and the elephant finally gets its complete appearance.

And when everything is finished? It looks as though it has always been standing there.

People sometimes ask us what the hardest part of taxidermy is. Sometimes it isn’t the taxidermy itself.

Sometimes it’s simply getting the elephant through the door.