uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
KwaZulu-Natal · Year-round
10 places
Wildlife
Common Eland
Taurotragus oryx
The common eland (Taurotragus oryx), also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern 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
Records3,632 records
Curve from 3,632 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 Common Eland is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
3,633 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Common Eland
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Montusi Mountain Lodge
Drakensberg, Bergville
Common Eland recorded here · Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Common eland
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust and 1 other
From R 6,800 a night
Hutwini Walking Camp by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
Common Eland recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Spotted hyena
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 11,820 a night
Jaci's Private Lodge
Madikwe
Common Eland recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Jaci's Lodge Trust
From R 31,500 a night
Qambathi Mountain Lodge
Nottingham Road
Common Eland recorded here · Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Serval
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust
From R 4,100 a night
Mdluli Safari Lodge
Kruger National Park
Common Eland recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
From R 10,670 a night
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park
Common Eland recorded here · Savanna biome · African wild dog · Spotted hyena
Gives back to Isibindi Foundation
Price on request
Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge
Kruger National Park
Common Eland recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 17,400 a night
Quatermain's Camp
Paterson
Common Eland recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Black wildebeest · Blesbok
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 11,592 a night
Melkkamer Homestead, De Hoop
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Common Eland recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · Southern right whale
Price on request
Kruger Untamed - Satara Plains Camp
Kruger National Park
Common Eland recorded here · Savanna biome · Impala · Spotted hyena
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 11,980 a night
Kruger Untamed - Tshokwane River Camp
Kruger National Park
Common Eland recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 17,500 a night
De Hoop Collection
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Common Eland recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · Southern right whale
Price on request
Aquila Private Game Reserve & Spa
Touws River
Common Eland recorded here · Fynbos biome · Giraffe · Leopard
Gives back to Saving Private Rhino
From R 7,820 a night
Smitswinkel Tented Camp
Table Mountain National Park
Common Eland recorded here · Fynbos biome · King protea · Sugarbush
From R 965 a night
Kwandwe Melton Manor
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Common Eland recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Olifantsbos Guest House
Table Mountain National Park
Common Eland recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · King protea
From R 4,859 a night
Grootkolk Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Common Eland recorded here · Savanna biome · Gemsbok · Springbok
From R 2,634 a night
Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Common Eland recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Bitterpan Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Common Eland recorded here · Savanna biome · Gemsbok · Camel thorn
From R 2,634 a night
Spekboom Tented Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
Common Eland recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Black backed jackal · Spotted hyena
From R 1,490 a night
Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Common Eland recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Tlopi Tented Camp
Marakele National Park
Common Eland recorded here · Savanna biome · African elephant · Leopard
From R 1,866 a night
Kieliekrankie Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Common Eland recorded here · Savanna biome · Camel thorn · Gemsbok
From R 2,634 a night
Kwandwe Fort House
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Common Eland recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
The Karoo
Next stop
South Africa's vast inland heart: silence, stars, and wide horizons
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Common Eland
Hosts have recorded the Common Eland at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Kruger National Park.
When to go, park by park
Here all yearEasiest viewing
| Park | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| uKhahlamba-Drakensberg | Here | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here |
| Kgalagadi | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | 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 Common Eland 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
KwaZulu-Natal
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg · Hluhluwe-Imfolozi · Giants Castle
KwaZulu-NatalBig FiveStays in KwaZulu-NatalLimpopo
Kruger · Welgevonden
LimpopoBig FiveSelf-driveGuided drivesStays in LimpopoNorthern Cape
Kgalagadi
Northern CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Northern CapeEastern Cape
Kwandwe · Addo Elephant
Eastern CapeBig FiveSelf-driveGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays 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
Taurotragus oryx
Records
3,633
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Common Eland on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Common Eland in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Common Eland at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kruger National Park, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and De Hoop 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 Common Eland in South Africa?
The Common Eland is most recorded in Western Cape (49% of records), Gauteng (11% of records), Eastern Cape (9% of records), based on 3,633 iNaturalist observations. 50 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Common Eland on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Common Eland?
The Common Eland 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. uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May; Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; 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 Common Eland?
The common eland (Taurotragus oryx), also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. It is a species of the family Bovidae and genus Taurotragus. It was first described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1766.