Cape Bushbuck Profile
Antelope taxonomy is probably almost as disorganised and controversial as that of the various worm orders that nobody can agree on.
Despite their decent size, widespread proliferation and historic popularity among hunters for millions of years, they still all kinda look the same and so there are often tens of subspecies, collapsed into just one, and then expanded again by someone else, and corrected in some other way not long after that.
Bushbuck taxonomy is a good example of exactly this; the Cape bushbuck doesn’t appear to have existed until 2018, but we know a fair bit about it from back when it was 40 different subspecies.
Cape Bushbuck Facts Overview
| Habitat: | Varied: forest, savanna, woodland |
| Location: | Widespread across Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Lifespan: | 15 years in Captivity, around 12 in the wild. |
| Size: | 90 cm (35 in) tall |
| Weight: | Up to 80 kg (176 lb) |
| Colour: | Males are golden brown, females lighter and spotted |
| Diet: | Browse: trees, shrubs, and forbs |
| Predators: | Humans and large carnivores: lions, leopard, hyenas, crocs |
| Top Speed: | Average speed of 20km/h (12 mph), max not reported |
| No. of Species: | 1 |
| Conservation Status: | Not Listed |
Bushbucks have been up and down the taxonomic ladder for a while, but are now though to comprise two species. The Cape Bushbuck is one of them, and they’re both cosey-related to bongos and the sitatunga.
These small antelope are very adept at hiding (which might also explain the zoological confusion) and have evaded decline where other species have fallen.
While they’re not very sociable with their own species, they’re respected members of the community and are gentle creatures. This has served them well and they breed plenty and are likely not threatened, although they have yet to be classified by the IUCN Red List in their new taxonomic ranking.
Interesting Cape Bushbuck Facts
1. They’re a mess
There were once about 40 different bushbuck subspecies. This was not a historical difference in the animals themselves, but in the taxonomic clusterbang that is animal categorisation.
In 2011 there were 8 species, then there was only one, Tragelaphus scriptus, which remains now as one of two species of bushbuck, along with the Cape bushbuck, T. sylvaticus.
So, this particular species has only been formally recognized as recently as 2018, and is not yet listed in the IUCN red list, as the bushbuck was only assessed as a single species back in 2016. Molecular analysis suggests the two species are separated by about 2 million years.
But when grouped as a single species along with T. scriptus, they were all doing very well, and this is on account of the adaptability of these animals to various habitats across the continent. 1 2
2. They’re very versatile
These little antelope are found all over Sub-Saharan Africa, munching on forbs and shrubs and living in a multitude of ecosystems.
They are large enough to compete with other antelope like the Nyala but are comfortable in a range of habitats, so have managed to adapt more than most species and can avoid competition in this way. 3
3. They keep to themselves
In terms of general competition, bushbucks aren’t really that way inclined.
Male bushbucks rarely even make eye contact with one another, let alone fight over territory. These are some of the most tolerant antelopes you’ll come across, and yet they’re not very social, either.
They’ll spend most of their time alone, sometimes in pairs. Females will stay with their young for a little while but groups are rare. Still, they will readily share their browsing space with others without a fuss.
4. They do have friends
While bushbucks don’t really show much of an interest in one another, they are often surrounded by friends from other species. Baboons and vervet monkeys like them because the antelope’s vigilance helps them stay safe.
The bushbuck also values the primates’ ability to spot leopards, who really like bushbuck but for a different reason.
5. So, they don’t talk much
There’s not much to say to one another when you don’t speak the same language, so bushbucks are generally quiet animals. They do communicate clearly thought scent though, passing on the most important messages: “I’m here”, “I woz here”, and “I want to have your babies”.
You know, teenager level of communication.
Vocalisations are mostly limited to a brief bark to warn their mates of danger, and there can be some grunting when another male has designs on the same female.
Males will usually size each other up without physical conflict but can get into head smashing and side stabbing matches on occasion.
6. They’re prolific
One of their best survival strategies as a species is to reproduce. A lot.
These animals are almost entirely defenceless and not as fast or agile as some of the truly athletic antelope, so they need to compensate by producing lots more of them.
They stay close to water, so as not to be easily flanked, and can reproduce twice a year at a push. By 11 months, the young adults are off on their own in the adult world among the rest of the population, pretending each other don’t exist.
Sort of like the Swedes.
7. They’re good at hiding
After giving birth, the calf is secreted in the bush, and the mother is so committed to its protection that she’ll eat its dung to avoid leaving a scent for predators.
Bushbucks are on the menu for all the large cat species, so staying out of trouble is one of the things they do best.
When a threat is spotted, they’ve been known to do a sort of awkward baking-out-of-the-room motion into leafy cover to hide.
But they can also swim well, and will often take to the water to flee from predators or to eat in the relative safety of the crocodile habitat. 4
8. They’re doing great
All these strategies have worked out well for this little animal, and the two species combined are one of the most widespread of all antelopes.
They even do well around human settlements and in isolated habitats.
Cape Bushbuck Fact-File Summary
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Genus: | Tragelaphus |
| Species: | Sylvaticus |
Fact Sources & References
- Alexandre Hassanin (2018), “Multi-locus phylogeny of the tribe Tragelaphini (Mammalia, Bovidae) and species delimitation in bushbuck: Evidence for chromosomal speciation mediated by interspecific hybridization”, Science Direct.
- “Bushbuck”, IUCN Red List.
- “The bushbuck: much more than Africa’s Bambi”, africafreak.
- “Bushbuck”, mpala live.