Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Eastern Cape · Year-round
5 places
Wildlife
Black Wildebeest
Connochaetes gnou
The black wildebeest or white-tailed gnu (Connochaetes gnou) is one of the two closely related wildebeest species.
Species insights
When to visit
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.
Best monthsAny month
Records1,115 records
Curve from 1,115 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
Gauteng and beyond
Provinces where Black Wildebeest is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,115 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Black Wildebeest
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Zwartberg View Mountain Lodge
Oudtshoorn
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Fynbos biome · Gemsbok · Greater kudu
Gives back to Wolwekraal Nature Reserve
From R 5,060 a night
Hlosi Game Lodge
Amakhala Game Reserve
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Spekboom
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 4,000 a night
Bartholomeus Klip Farmhouse
Riebeek Valley, Riebeek West
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Fynbos biome · Black wildebeest · Bontebok
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 5,636 a night
Drie Kuilen Nature Reserve
Montagu
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · Gemsbok
Gives back to Cape Leopard Trust
From R 350 a night
Quatermain's Camp
Paterson
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Black wildebeest · Blesbok
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 11,592 a night
Kwandwe Melton Manor
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Heritage View Birding Retreat
Delareyville
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Grassland biome · Brown hyena · Black backed jackal
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,000 a night
Mountain Zebra National Park
Mountain Zebra National Park
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Grassland biome · Black wildebeest · Springbok
From R 449 a night
Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Golden Gate Hotel And Chalets
Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Grassland biome · Black wildebeest · Blesbok
From R 1,741 a night
Highlands Mountain Retreat
Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Grassland biome · Black wildebeest · Blesbok
From R 2,160 a night
Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Monk's Cowl
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Grassland biome · Real yellowwood · Chacma baboon
From R 130 a night
Kamberg
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Grassland biome · Tree fuchsia · Black wildebeest
From R 840 a night
Kwandwe Fort House
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Midmar
Midmar Resort
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Grassland biome · Plains zebra · Black wildebeest
From R 220 a night
Highmoor
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Grassland biome · Real yellowwood · Chacma baboon
From R 200 a night
Kwandwe Ecca Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Chelmsford
Chelmsford Resort
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Grassland biome · Black wildebeest · Springbok
From R 190 a night
Injisuthi
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Grassland biome · Real yellowwood · Chacma baboon
From R 170 a night
Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat
Western Cape
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Fynbos biome · Cape fox · Caracal
Gives back to Saving Private Rhino
Price on request
Woodall Country House & Spa
Sundays River Valley, Addo
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Black wildebeest · Blue wildebeest
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 7,500 a night
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve
Western Cape
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Succulent Karoo biome · Black wildebeest · Black backed jackal
Gives back to Saving Private Rhino
Price on request
Bukela Game Lodge
Amakhala Game Reserve
Black Wildebeest recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Giraffe · Cheetah
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
Price on request
The Drakensberg
Next stop
Sandstone amphitheatres and cool mountain air
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Black Wildebeest
Hosts have recorded the Black Wildebeest at stays in or beside Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park and Amakhala Game Reserve.
When to go, park by park
Here all yearEasiest viewing
| Park | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kwandwe | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | 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 Black Wildebeest is out through the day, and easiest to watch before the heat.
- Midday heat. Often resting in shade or near water.
Where to base yourself
Eastern Cape
Kwandwe · Amakhala · Mountain Zebra
Eastern CapeBig FiveSelf-driveGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Eastern CapeKwaZulu-Natal
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg · Chelmsford Nature Reserve (Ntshingwayo Dam) · Kamberg
KwaZulu-NatalSelf-driveStays in KwaZulu-NatalFree State
Golden Gate Highlands
Free StateSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Free State
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Species
Connochaetes gnou
Records
1,115
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Black Wildebeest on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Black Wildebeest in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Black Wildebeest at stays in or beside Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Amakhala Game Reserve, Golden Gate Highlands National Park, Chelmsford Nature Reserve (Ntshingwayo Dam) and Kamberg Nature Reserve and other reserves. 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 Black Wildebeest in South Africa?
The Black Wildebeest is most recorded in Gauteng (33% of records), Eastern Cape (24% of records), Free State (18% of records), based on 1,115 iNaturalist observations. 24 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Black Wildebeest on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Black Wildebeest?
The Black Wildebeest 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. Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Amakhala Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Golden Gate Highlands National Park: Mar-May, Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Black Wildebeest?
The black wildebeest or white-tailed gnu (Connochaetes gnou) is one of the two closely related wildebeest species. It is a member of the genus Connochaetes and family Bovidae. It was first described in 1780 by Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann. The black wildebeest is typically between 170-220 cm (67-87 in) in head-and-body length, and the average weight is 110-180 kg (240-400 lb).