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Northern Bushbuck
Tragelaphus scriptus
Silhouette: Robert Hering · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderArtiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans)
- FamilyBovidae (Bovids)
- GenusTragelaphus (Spiral-horned Antelopes)
- SpeciesTragelaphus scriptus (Northern Bushbuck)
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
5 Verified sightings at De Hoop Nature Reserve From 2019 to 2026
2,022 In all 36 parks
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the Northern Bushbuck
The harnessed bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) or northern bushbuck, is a medium-sized antelope, widespread in sub-Saharan-Africa. The harnessed bushbuck species has been separated from the Cape bushbuck, a southern and eastern species.
In a 2007 study, 19 genetically-based groupings were found, some of which do not correspond to previously described subspecies; eight of these were grouped under the nominate taxon. Former subspecies included as synonyms to the nominate taxon are phaleratus, bor and dodingae.
Hassanin et al. (2018) found an mtDNA/nuclear DNA discordance between scriptus and sylvaticus clades. Their phylogenetic analyses showed that the scriptus (northern) lineage is a sister-group of sylvaticus (southern) lineage in the nuclear tree, whereas it has nyala (Tragelaphus angasii) haplotypes in the mitochondrial tree. They also found different karyotypes (chromosome numbers and arrangements), with those of scriptus deriving from the nyala. They concluded that scriptus (but not sylvaticus) had hybridized with an "extinct species closely related to T. angasii" in ancient times; and that "the division into two bushbuck species is supported by the analyses of... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Northern Bushbuck in De Hoop Nature Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Academy of Sciences | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Kano Zoo | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | |
| 3 | Valencia Bioparc | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Gladys Porter Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Audu Bako Zoo | 🇳🇬 Nigeria |
Closest Relatives at De Hoop Nature Reserve
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Northern Bushbuck in De Hoop Nature Reserve?
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Bushbuck sighting in De Hoop Nature Reserve on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 15th most-seen of the 18 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Northern Bushbuck in De Hoop Nature Reserve?
June
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Bushbuck in De Hoop Nature Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in January–May, July and September, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a Northern Bushbuck?
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Bushbuck sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is De Hoop Nature Reserve the best place to see a Northern Bushbuck?
32nd of 36
Of the 36 parks where we can rate Northern Bushbuck sightings, De Hoop Nature Reserve ranks 32nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Aberdare National Park (Kenya, about 80%), Arusha National Park (Tanzania, about 80%) and Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal, about 70%). All parks ranked.
Which relatives of the Northern Bushbuck live in De Hoop Nature Reserve?
Same family: Bovidae
The closest relatives of the Northern Bushbuck that you can see in De Hoop Nature Reserve (family Bovidae, Bovids) are Bontebok/Blesbok (about 80%), Common Eland (about 80%) and Common Rhebok (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Northern Bushbuck sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Bushbuck is recorded against all the mammals logged in De Hoop Nature Reserve (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
