The blesbok was hunted nearly to extinction because of its large numbers, but having been protected since the late 19th century, it has proliferated and today it is sufficiently numerous not to be classed as endangered. In modern times, this is largely because of the commercial value of the blesbok to private land owners, and also because it is one of the few medium-sized antelope that can be contained by normal stock fencing. At the start of the 21st century, blesbok numbers are stable, estimated to be around 240,000. However, perhaps fortunately, 97% of them live outside reserves, and only 3% in national parks. They also are common in zoos, though in far smaller numbers.
Although the blesbok is a close relative of the bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus dorcas) and can interbreed with it, the offspring being known as the bontebles or baster blesbok, the two species do not share the same habitat in the wild. The blesbok is endemic to South Africa and is found in large numbers in all national parks with open grasslands, from the Highveld in Transvaal and the Free State, to as far south as the Eastern Cape. It is a plains species and dislikes wooded areas. It was first discovered in the 17th century, in numbers so numerous, herds reached from horizon to horizon.