An estimated 1,000 pronghorn gather between Medicine Hat and Dunmore on Tuesday morning. The herd ranged from near Blondies Garden Centre to the start of buildings on the service road alongside the Trans-Canada Highway near Dunmore.--NEWS PHOTo GILLIAN SLADE
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
A large herd of pronghorn stopped for a visit early Tuesday morning.
A herd of about 1,000 could be seen just off the service road along the Trans-Canada Highway between Medicine Hat and Dunmore.
Biologist Joel Nicholson with Alberta environment and sustainable resource development says there is no need for alarm. It is a “snapshot during a particular bad winter storm and isn’t indicative of the entire winter. Pronghorn can cope with storms.”
It is typical for antelope to form herds in winter, numbering in the hundreds, for forage conditions and thermal regulation, said Nicholson.
“Although early November storms have concentrated antelope this year, they are not in immediate danger as we may see warmer temperatures and less snow in the remaining months of winter,” said Nicholson.
One theory for them hanging out near Dunmore could be the fence parallel to the service road where they stood. Pronghorn are capable of jumping but cannot leap over fences.
Nicholson says pronghorn can go under fences but deep snow can slow their movement. Deep snow may see them also favour roadways that have been cleared.
A large herd was seen near Maple Creek earlier this week and there is the possibility it is the same group.
According to several sources online they can run up to 98 km/h, are considered the second fastest land animal, cheetah being the fastest. They can sustain speed for long periods with their long, slim legs taking big strides and their large hearts and lungs providing the necessary oxygen to their muscles.
By early afternoon, Tuesday, the herd had moved further back toward the railway line with not as many visible from the road. Some may have been sheltering among the small hills in the area while others could still be seen grazing on grass.
Pronghorn mate in late summer and early fall and give birth to one or two fawns in the late spring after a 235 day gestation.
The pronghorn name is due to its horns which are a bony core covered with a sheath that sheds every year. Horns on males can grow to 30 cm long and in females are no longer than their ears. Both have reddish-brown or tan fur with white stomach and chest but males have black markings on the lower jaw below the eye and a black mask on the muzzle.
About 10 years ago a herd of 200 to 300 pronghorn entered Medicine Hat seemingly in search of food during a cold and snowy winter. Many ate shrubs in gardens, particularly in Crescent Heights, and a number of them perished.
“Antelope are more at risk to winter die-off during hard winters than deer or elk. However, they have higher rates of twinning, which can allow them to recover quickly following winter die-offs,” said Nicholson.
In May 2019 a local rancher, Tyrel Pahl, helped deliver a pronghorn fawn by cesarean after its mother was hit by a vehicle on Highway 41A. A fish and wildlife officer took the little fawn to a local veterinarian and he was then transferred to a wildlife sanctuary in Saskatchewan.
They named him Saamis.
