Kingswood Golf Estate in George in October last year welcomed the birth of its first ever black springbok.
Those who have enjoyed a round at the well-known Garden Route course will have encountered numerous springbok roaming the fairways – and rough – with around 45 reportedly on the estate.
However, until the birth, the course had never had a ‘one in a million’ black springbok born.
The estate’s Community Manager, Dan de Wet, confirmed at the time that the new-born was a ram and he knew who the parents were.
‘Uncommon’
Springboks black in colour are extremely uncommon because of a unique genetic mutation.
While the exact quantities are unclear, they are substantially rarer than their more common counterparts seen widely throughout South Africa.
The public took to social media in their numbers to share their thoughts on the name that should be given to the ram, and after several days of deliberation, one was decided upon.
The top 10 name suggestions included Charkie, Marmite, Rassie, Oreo, Kolisi, Midnight, Black Beauty, KingsBok and Allblack.
The estate, however, opted to name him Siya, in honour of Springbok captain Siya Kolisi.
This week, The South African website received pictures of ‘Siya’ as he continues to roam the fairways as he fast approaches his first birthday.
Siya has a more brown coat than black these days.
Have you ever seen a black springbok in the wild before?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
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