A springbok is a medium-sized antelope found mainly in southern and southwestern Africa. It is the sole member of the genus Antidorcas and is characterized by its slender, long-legged body, reaching 71 to 86 cm (28 to 34 in) at the shoulder and weighing between 27 and 42 kg (60 and 93 lb). The springbok has a light-brown coat marked by a reddish-brown stripe that runs from the upper foreleg to the buttocks across the flanks, a white face, and a dark stripe running from the eyes to the mouth. Both sexes have a pair of black, 35-to-50 cm (14-to-20 in) long horns that curve backwards.

Springboks are active mainly at dawn and dusk and form harems (mixed-sex herds). They are herbivores, feeding exclusively on grasses, flowers, and other plant matter. They are selective feeders, whose diet comprises the best fodder available at any given time. They browse in the dry season and predominantly graze after the rainy season when grasses spout green.

Springboks have an annual rut that commences at the end of the rainy season when the animals are in peak condition; most young are born six months later in the spring, October and November, shortly before the rainy season begins. However, the timing may vary by as much as two months, reflecting the local climatic conditions.

Springboks are preyed upon by large predators such as lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, wild dogs, and caracals, and the juveniles are also preyed upon by eagles, jackals, and wild cats. A feature peculiar to the springbok is pronking, in which the animal performs an energetic, acrobatic series of jumps that can lift them up to 11 feet in the air. The leaps are said to distract predators, such as lions and cheetahs.