African Black Wildebeest

Black Wildebeest

(Connochaetes gnou)

Current all time records
SCI: Score 101 1/8
Rowland Ward: Score 29 3/8 - Free State, RSA - 1977

Description: The chocolate brown to black coat is short and glossy in summer, becoming shaggier in winter. There are tufts of long, brush-like blackish hair on the face, and a beard on the neck which extends to the chest. There is a light patch on the nape of the neck, which is topped by a dark-tipped mane. The back is nearly level, and the neck is quite thick. The most conspicuous feature is the long, horse-like tail, which is bright white. The eyes are small and beady, which, along with bristly hair on the face create a very strange look. This is enhanced by the hook-like, smooth horns which curve downward, forwards, and then upwards. Found in both sexes, they can grow 45-78 cm / 18-31 inches long, and expand into a hard shield-like base in males.

Other Common Names: White-Tailed Gnu, White-Tailed Wildebeest

Size:

Range: South Africa, and introduced to parts of Namibia and Zimbabwe; year around.

Natural History: No truly wild white-tailed gnus survive today - all are descended from captive individuals, and those in their native habitat are kept on game farms. Therefore all recorded behavior of this species is not necessarily accurate - fenced paddocks restrict long-term movements and human intervention has limited herd size. Maternal herds have a distinct hierarchy, and females have been seen attacking and fighting with strangers. Bachelor herds, on the other hand, rarely display any aggressive symptoms. Herds of females and their young wander in home ranges averaging 250 acres in size, passing through territories of breeding males. These territories are set up by males over four years of age, and are marked in the centre with dung middens, in which the owner urinates, scrapes, and rolls. Territorial conflicts involve ritualized posturing and horn wrestling, accompanied by a blaring, two-part call -"ge-nu". The white-tailed gnu is quite vocal, including a metallic snort and a resonant "hick" in its repertoire.

Hunting Characteristics: