
Wildlife
Blesbok
The blesbok or blesbuck (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi) is an antelope endemic to South Africa.
Species insights
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Curve from 1,691 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property and not from this province. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Gauteng and beyond
Provinces where Blesbok is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,691 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Blesbok
Stays that give back
Across KwaZulu-Natal
Blesbok recorded here · Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Serval
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust
From R 4,100 a night
Blesbok recorded here · Grassland biome · Blesbok · Serval
Gives back to Zululand Conservation Trust and 3 others
From R 1,200 a night
Blesbok recorded here · Savanna biome · Giraffe · Plains zebra
From R 130 a night
Blesbok recorded here · Grassland biome · Tree fuchsia · Black wildebeest
From R 840 a night
Indian Ocean Coastal Belt biome
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
From R 13,000 a night
Grassland biome
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust
From R 4,280 a night
Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Zululand Conservation Trust
From R 1,280 a night
Grassland biome
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust and 2 others
From R 5,400 a night
Grassland biome
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
From R 5,990 a night
Savanna biome · African wild dog · Spotted hyena
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
Price on request
Grassland biome · Spotted hyena · Leopard
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust
From R 1,140 a night
Grassland biome
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust
From R 1,691 a night
Forest biome · Humpback whale · Southern right whale
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
Price on request
Grassland biome
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust
From R 1,950 a night
Forest biome · Hippopotamus · Nile crocodile
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation and 1 other
Price on request
Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Common eland
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust and 1 other
From R 6,800 a night
Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
Price on request
Indian Ocean Coastal Belt biome
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 3,995 a night
Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Vervet monkey
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
From R 795 a night
Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
Price on request
Savanna biome
Gives back to Zululand Conservation Trust and 2 others
From R 1,840 a night
Savanna biome · African elephant · Cape buffalo
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 14,000 a night
Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
Price on request
Savanna biome · Giraffe · Nyala
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 3,280 a night
Rolling green hills, dairy farms, and pottery studios
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Blesbok
Hosts have recorded the Blesbok at stays in or beside Kamberg Nature Reserve, uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park and Weenen Game Reserve.
When to go, park by park
| Park | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamberg | Here | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here |
| uKhahlamba-Drakensberg | Here | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing |
Darker months are each park's own best season, when thinner bush or scarce water makes viewing easier. A sighting is never guaranteed.
Best hours of the day
- Early morning and late afternoon. The Blesbok is out through the day, and easiest to watch before the heat.
- Midday heat. Often resting in shade or near water.
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
Species
Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi
Records
1,691
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Blesbok on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Blesbok in KwaZulu-Natal?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Blesbok at stays in or beside Kamberg Nature Reserve, uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park and Weenen Game Reserve. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the Blesbok in South Africa?
The Blesbok is most recorded in Gauteng (32% of records), Eastern Cape (21% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (16% of records), based on 1,691 iNaturalist observations. 4 places to stay on Spekboom in KwaZulu-Natal have recorded the Blesbok on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Blesbok?
The Blesbok is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Kamberg Nature Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep; uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Weenen Game Reserve: year-round, dry winter Apr-Sep. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Blesbok?
The blesbok or blesbuck (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi) is an antelope endemic to South Africa. It has a distinctive white face and forehead which inspired the name, because bles is the Afrikaans word for a blaze such as one might see on the forehead of a horse.
























