Pronghorns up Close!

These are Pronghorns (Antilocapra americana), a type of New World antelope-like animal which resembles antelopes in Europe. Pronghorns live only in western and central North America (I blipped one in western Canada over two years ago). According to Wikipedia, it is "generally accepted to be the fastest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere," reaching speeds as high as 100 km per hour (60 mph).

These two individuals were resting as I targeted them (47 meters away according to the EXIF data); the one behind was facing away most of the time, but he turned to the left for about two seconds--presto!

We drove a day-long circuit from Custer South Dakota, south to Route 5 where we saw about two dozen buffalo, then around the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park (it's large and wonderful), then to the Needles Highway with its dramatic uplifted rock formations.