Bushbuck/Harnessed Antelope

The bushbuck is a widespread species of antelope in Sub-Saharan Africa.

They have a light brown coat, with up to seven white stripes and white splotches on the sides. The white patches are usually geometrically shaped and on the most mobile parts of their body such as the ears, chin, tail, legs, and neck.

The muzzle is also white and horns are found only on the males, which are between 10 and 20 inches long and grow straight back.

At 10 months, young males sprout horns that are strongly twisted and at maturity form the first loop of a spiral.

The bushbuck stands about 1 m (39 inches) at the shoulder and ranges in colour from reddish brown to almost black, depending on the subspecies.
Its markings vary but include white patches on the neck and throat and vertical stripes or rows of spots on the sides. Horns, present in males, are spirally twisted and relatively straight.

The bushbuck inhabits areas of dense vegetation including rain forests, montane forests, forest-savanna mosaics, and bush savannas, near bodies of water and feeds mainly on the leaves of shrubs and small trees.