The pronhorned Antelope

The North American pronghorned antelope (Antilocapra americana) is the fastest animal in the world. Some would argue that it is infact the cheeta that is fastest. I disagree. Why? while it is true that the cheeta can run up to 60 miles per hour for short bursts, The North American Pronghorned Antelope (NAPA), can run a sustained speed of 45 miles an hour or so, for 3 or 4 miles. Pretty Impressive. I have had Male antelope cut in front of my truck while driving on a gravel road, and just stay there and run straight down the road as if racing me and my truck.

 The other day I was exploring the edge of Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah and found the skull cap from a Proghorn. It was pretty old and well weathered. I was reminded that the Pronghorn Antelope is the only member of the horned species that actually sheds ist horns - like the deer family sheds their antlers.

Back in the day on the voyage of discovery, Lewis and Clark made several observations on the behavior of the pronghorn and how the local tribes hunted them. They described the animal, which they referred to as the "Antelope" or the "Goat", as follows:

Of all the animals we have seen the Antelope seems to possess the most wonderful fleetness. Shy and timorous they generally repose only on the ridges, which command a view of all the approaches of an enemy ... When they first see the hunters they run with great velocity ... The Indians near the Rocky Mountains hunt these animals on horseback, and shoot them with arrows. The Mandans' mode of hunting them is to form a large, strong pen or fold, from which a fence made of bushes gradually widens on each side. The animals are surrounded by the hunters, and gently driven towards this pen, in which they imperceptibly find themselves enclosed, and are then at the mercy of the hunters.