Limpopo
Kruger · Timbavati · Welgevonden
Big FiveSelf-driveGuided drives
Stays in LimpopoWhere to see
Where to see the Bushbuck in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the Bushbuck at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park and Sabi Sand Game Reserve.
Tragelaphus sylvaticus
Planning 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
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).
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the Bushbuck
Every stay on the Bushbuck page lists the species its host has recorded on or near the property. A record is a sighting, never a promise.
See where to stay