Kruger National Park
Limpopo · Best Apr to Sep
11 places
Wildlife
Bushbuck
Tragelaphus sylvaticus
The Cape bushbuck (Tragelaphus sylvaticus), also known as imbabala is a common, medium-sized bushland-dwelling, and a widespread species of antelope in sub-Saharan Africa.
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
Records4,840 records
Curve from 4,840 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
Western Cape and beyond
Provinces where Bushbuck is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
4,840 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Bushbuck
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Montusi Mountain Lodge
Drakensberg, Bergville
Bushbuck recorded here · Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Common eland
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust and 1 other
From R 6,800 a night
Jaci's Private Lodge
Madikwe
Bushbuck recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Jaci's Lodge Trust
From R 31,500 a night
Woodall Country House & Spa
Sundays River Valley, Addo
Bushbuck recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Black wildebeest · Blue wildebeest
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 7,500 a night
Makongo Hills Lodge
Magudu
Bushbuck recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Zululand Conservation Trust
From R 1,280 a night
Forest Hills
Rheenendal, Knysna
Bushbuck recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Caracal
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 2,000 a night
Tanda Tula Safari Camp
Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
Bushbuck recorded here · Savanna biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Frog Mountain Getaway
Swellendam
Bushbuck recorded here · Fynbos biome · Boomslang · Bushbuck
Gives back to Cape Leopard Trust and 1 other
From R 1,950 a night
Qambathi Mountain Lodge
Nottingham Road
Bushbuck recorded here · Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Serval
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust
From R 4,100 a night
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park
Bushbuck recorded here · Savanna biome · African wild dog · Spotted hyena
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
Price on request
Lupus Den Country House
Sundays River Valley, Addo
Bushbuck recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Black backed jackal · Bushbuck
Gives back to Wilderness Foundation Africa
From R 2,600 a night
Mdluli Safari Lodge
Kruger National Park
Bushbuck recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
From R 10,670 a night
Lion Sands Ivory Lodge
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Bushbuck recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Price on request
Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge
Kruger National Park
Bushbuck recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 17,400 a night
Dulini Moya
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Bushbuck recorded here · Savanna biome · Leadwood · Leopard
Gives back to DAKTARI Bush School
From R 28,990 a night
Lion Sands Tinga Lodge
Kruger National Park
Bushbuck recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Price on request
Quatermain's Camp
Paterson
Bushbuck recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Black wildebeest · Blesbok
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 11,592 a night
Kruger Untamed - Satara Plains Camp
Kruger National Park
Bushbuck recorded here · Savanna biome · Impala · Spotted hyena
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 11,980 a night
Lion Sands Narina Lodge
Kruger National Park
Bushbuck recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Price on request
Kruger Untamed - Tshokwane River Camp
Kruger National Park
Bushbuck recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 17,500 a night
Birdsong Cottage
Howick
Bushbuck recorded here · Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Vervet monkey
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
From R 795 a night
Hinkwenu Villa, Lion Sands
Kruger National Park
Bushbuck recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Price on request
Tomjachu Bush Retreat
Mbombela
Bushbuck recorded here · Savanna biome · Giraffe · Plains zebra
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 3,300 a night
Pabala Private Nature Reserve
Hankey
Bushbuck recorded here · Fynbos biome · Giraffe · Impala
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 485 a night
Lion Sands River Lodge
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Bushbuck recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Price on request
The Midlands
Next stop
Rolling green hills, dairy farms, and pottery studios
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Bushbuck
Hosts have recorded the Bushbuck at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park and Sabi Sand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kruger | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | 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
- First and last hours of daylight. The Bushbuck moves and hunts in the cool.
- Midday, resting. Usually lying up in shade and hard to spot.
- After dark, on a night drive. Where the reserve or park offers one.
Where to base yourself
Limpopo
Kruger · Timbavati · Welgevonden
LimpopoBig FiveSelf-driveGuided drivesStays in Limpopo
KwaZulu-Natal
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg · Hluhluwe-Imfolozi
KwaZulu-NatalBig FiveStays in KwaZulu-Natal
Mpumalanga
Sabi Sand
MpumalangaBig FiveGuided drivesStays in Mpumalanga
Eastern Cape
Kwandwe · Addo Elephant · Tsitsikamma
Eastern CapeBig FiveSelf-driveGuided drivesStays in Eastern Cape
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
Guided drives from a lodge
A guide who knows where to look, with off-road and night drives in the private reserves.
Where hosts record it
Species
Tragelaphus sylvaticus
Records
4,840
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Bushbuck on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Bushbuck in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Bushbuck at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Goukamma Nature Reserve and Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 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 Bushbuck in South Africa?
The Bushbuck is most recorded in Western Cape (29% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (25% of records), Mpumalanga (22% of records), based on 4,840 iNaturalist observations. 79 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Bushbuck on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Bushbuck?
The Bushbuck 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. Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Sabi Sand Game Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep optimal; Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Bushbuck?
The Cape bushbuck (Tragelaphus sylvaticus), also known as imbabala is a common, medium-sized bushland-dwelling, and a widespread species of antelope in sub-Saharan Africa. It is found in a wide range of habitats, such as rain forests, montane forests, forest-savanna mosaic, savanna, bushveld, and woodland. It stands around 90 cm (35 in) at the shoulder and weigh from 45 to 80 kg (99 to 176 lb).