The plains of Africa are filled with a magnificent array of wildlife. From majestic lions to humongous elephants, it is a continent with a huge level of biodiversity. But it’s not just the big animals that gain notoriety. The national animal of South Africa is a modest sized animal, a mere 86cm at the shoulders, yet is the symbol of the nation, plus the nickname of their rugby team. This is of course the Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis), a small antelope, known for pronking about in spring (yes, pronking is a word). There is a very small number of Springbok models out there, and here we see Britains efforts to immortalise the species in plastic. Let’s see how they did.
One thing I brought up in my last Britains review is the nature of the models. The originals for a lot of the zoo line were lead based, so had to switched to plastic when it was found to be toxic. With many of the lead models still being available, I often warn against those. Fortunately, the Springbok models are only in plastic, so no worries there.
To the actual model! It’s a simple pose, walking forward gently. Simple, but effective. The colouration matches the actual animal, but each is slightly different, so you likely won’t find the same markings twice, as can be seen throughout this review. As expected, it is a tiny model, measuring 1.6″ long and 1.2″ high, appropriate for the species. It is a simple model, but all the major features of the animal are captured decently here.
Of the three Springbok figures available, I would put this one in the middle. Good for it’s time, better than some, but not as good as the more modern CollectA version. They are perfect for the collector with limited space, as you could get a herd in a very small space (and some sellers will send more than one when buying). It’s a nice old model that I think is worth considering at the very least.
