Bontebok  (Damaliscus pygargus)

Historically, the bontebok was restricted to the coastal plain of the southwestern Cape, South Africa (1), between Bot River (near Hermanus) in the west and Mossel Bay in the east (6), but it is now restricted to the Bontebok National Park and a few reserves and private farms within that same area. The largest single population occurs in De Hoop Nature Reserve near Bredasdorp (4).

Formerly, the blesbok occurred on the highveld of South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho (1), but due to hunting they were exterminated from Swaziland and Lesotho before 1900, and by the late 19th century, populations in South Africa were also reduced (5). Since then, numbers have recovered on farms and game reserves and they have been introduced to areas far beyond their natural range, (Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe) (1), but they are only found on enclosed land (4).

The bontebok inhabits coastal grass plains with fynbos vegetation, whereas the blesbok inhabits open grasslands of southern African highveld (1) (2).