Bontebok National Park is known for its vast array of bontebok, a distinct animal with a bright, white rump patch and purplish highlights on their sleek coat, which only occur in the Western Cape
Dutch settlers saw bontebok – and all hoofed mammals – as competition for farmland. They shot huge numbers of bontebok without restraint. In 1931, the animals were transferred to the park and their population grew slowly. but the habitat was still not quite right for the animals. By 1969, there were 800 bontebok in the world. Today, the population hovers between 2,500 and 3,000.
