The Wildebeests, also called gnus, are a genus of antelopes, Connochaetes. The belong to the family Bovidae, which includes antelopes, cattle, goats, sheep and other even-toed horned ungulates. Connochaetes includes two species, both native to Africa: the Black Wildebeest, or White-tailed Gnu (C. gnou); and the Blue Wildebeest, or Brindled Gnu (C. taurinus). The most obvious way of telling the two species apart are the differences in their coloring and in the way their horns are orientated.
In East Africa, the Blue Wildebeest is the most abundant big game species and some populations perform an annual migration to new grazing grounds but the black wildebeest is merely nomadic. Breeding in both takes place over a short period of time at the end of the rainy season and the calves are soon active and are able to move with the herd. Nevertheless, some fall prey to large carnivores. Wildebeest often graze in mixed herds with zebra which gives heightened awareness of potential predators. They are also alert to the warning signals emitted by other animals such as baboons. Wildebeest are a tourist attraction but compete with domesticated livestock for pasture and are sometimes blamed by farmers for transferring diseases and parasites to their cattle.
The name Connochaetes was given by German zoologist Martin Hinrich Carl Lichtenstein in 1814. Wildebeest were first discovered about 1700 by Dutch settlers on their way to the interior of South Africa. Due to their resemblance to wild cattle, these people called them "wild ox" or "wildebeest". The black wildebeest was first known to westerners in the northern part of South Africa a century later, in the 1800s.
In the early twentieth century, one species of the wildebeest was identified in eastern Africa. Finally, two distinct types of wildebeest - the blue and black wildebeest - were identified. The blue wildebeest was at first placed under a separate genus, Gorgon, while the black wildebeest belonged to the genus Connochaetes. Today they are united in the single genus Connochaetes: the black wildebeest being named (C. gnou) and the blue wildebeest, (C. taurinus). Blue wildebeest fossils dating back some two and a half million years ago are common and widespread.
Both species of wildebeest are even-toed, horned, greyish-brown ungulates superficially resembling cattle. Males are larger than females and both have heavy forequarters compared to their hindquarters. They have broad muzzles, Roman noses, shaggy manes and tails. The most striking morphological differences between the black and blue wildebeest are the orientation and curvature of their horns and the color of their coats. The blue wildebeest is the bigger of the two species. In males, blue wildebeest stand 150 cm tall at the shoulder and weigh around 250 kg while the black wildebeest stands 111 to 120 cm tall and weighs about 180 kg. The horns of blue wildebeest protrude to the side then curve downwards before curving up back towards the skull, while the horns of the black wildebeest curve forward then downward before curving upwards at the tips. Blue wildebeest tend to be a dark grey color with stripes, but may have a bluish sheen. The black wildebeest has brown-colored hair, with a mane that ranges in color from cream to black, and a cream-colored tail. The blue wildebeest lives in a wide variety of habitats, including woodlands and grasslands, while the black wildebeest tends to reside exclusively in open grassland areas. In some areas the blue wildebeest migrates over long distances in the winter, whereas the black wildebeest does not. Wildebeest can live more than forty years, though their average lifespan is around twenty years.
The blue wildebeest is native to eastern and southern Africa. Its range includes Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland and Angola. Blue wildebeest are mainly found in short grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too dry. In East Africa, the blue wildebeest is the most abundant big game species, both in population and biomass. It is a notable feature of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya and the Liuwa Plain National Park in Zambia.
Wildebeest herding and following zebra in the Serengeti National Park (Tanzania). During these migrations, wildebeest spend 10 months per year in the Serengeti National Park and two months in the Masai Mara, (Kenya). In the Masai Mara game reserve, there is a non-migratory population of blue wildebeest which had dwindled from about 119,000 animals in 1977 to about 22,000 in 1997. The reason for the decline is thought to be the increasing competition between cattle and wildebeest for a diminishing area of grazing land as a result of changes in agricultural practices, and possibly fluctuations in rainfall.
Each year, some East African populations of blue wildebeest have a long-distance migration, seemingly timed to coincide with the annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth. The timing of their migrations in both the rainy and dry seasons can vary considerably (by months) from year to year.
Numerous documentaries feature wildebeest crossing rivers, with many being eaten by crocodiles or drowning in the attempt. While having the appearance of a frenzy, recent research has shown a herd of wildebeest possesses what is known as a "swarm intelligence", whereby the animals systematically explore and overcome the obstacle as one. Major predators that feed on wildebeest include the lion, hyena, cheetah, leopard, and crocodile, which seem to favor the wildebeest. Wildebeest, however, are very strong, and can inflict considerable injury even to a lion. Wildebeest have a maximum running speed of around 50 mph. The primary defensive tactic is herding, where the young animals are protected by the older, larger ones, while the herd runs as a group. Typically, the predators attempt to cut out a young or ill animal and attack without having to worry about the herd. Wildebeest have developed additional sophisticated cooperative behaviors, such as animals taking turns sleeping while others stand guard against a night attack by invading predators. Wildebeest migrations are closely followed by vultures, as wildebeest carcasses are an important source of food for these scavengers. The vultures consume about 70% of the wildebeest carcasses available. Decreases in the number of migrating wildebeest have also had a negative effect on the vultures.
Wildebeasts & Elephant in Ngorongoro crater 1392
Wildebeasts Masai Mara 0131
Wildebeasts in Ngorongoro Crater 0126
Wildebeasts and Elephant Ngorongoro Crater Sa 0202