A BUSHBUCK calf was taken in by the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (Crow) after it was found weak and distressed on the roadside in Ballito recently.

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The tiny antelope weighed just 2.5kg and was spotted lying on the tar within a housing estate. Senior nurse Sue-Anne Schutte said when she took the calf in, she noted the front legs of the calf to be deformed and it could not stand.

“She has a congenital disease called valgus deviation. We tried to support the antelope by bracing her to assist her as she could not stand on her own for her first few days with us. Her back legs showed signs that looked like burn marks, but this later turned out to be marks from the tar from the road where she was found,” said Schutte.

To provide the bushbuck with the best chance at survival, she is being hand-raised by Crow’s wildlife rehabilitator, Zoe Dougall. “Zoe will be her main caretaker, feeding her five times a day on a specialised hand-rearing formula. This reduces the risk of imprinting and enables the antelope to remain wild for future release,” said Schutte.

The young bushbuck is doing well and is expected to be released into the wild again by mid to late summer 2026.

Bushbucks are solitary animals, with mothers typically hiding their calves shortly after giving birth in order to protect them from predators.

 “When the mother visits and suckles her calf, she would also eat its dung in order to eliminate all traces of scent to not attract predators. The calf does not accompany its mother for long periods during the day until it is about four months old. A female and her calf often play together, running in circles chasing each other. Therefore, if you should find a young calf on its own rather step back a distance and monitor to see if the mom comes back to suckle and interact with the calf. If you are uncertain, rather call a rehabilitation centre before intervening,” said Schutte.

Crow is dedicated to making sure that wildlife rescued are not only provided temporary treatments but are fully rehabilitated so that they can live on their own within their own habitat.

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