2 Points
Choosing a new subject to study each month is part of living the abc life. For A, it’s ANTELOPES. They’re beautiful and, if nothing else, have some of the best names: the dik-dik, eland, klipspringer, bushbuck, tsessebe, kudu, addax and oryx. (The last three are great scrabble words.) Since there are 91 different types, it’s obviously a big task to study them all – so I’m not.

The most interesting fact I’ve discovered (okay, my knowledge is admittedly limited)) is that antelopes, although commonly thought to be part of the deer family, are actually part of the Bovidae family, which also includes cattle, goats, sheep, bison and buffalo. So the lyric, “home, home on the range, where the deer and the antelope play,” is taking creative license. The truth is they do not play together. They’re quite different beasts – but you’ll never hear a discouraging word from the antelope on the misguided national anthem. They’re way too dignified.