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Specie
Information
Black Wildebeest
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Specie
Name : BLACK WILDEBEEST
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Scientific Name : Connochaetes gnou
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Body colour:
brownish-black.
Distinguish from the blue wildebeest as follows:
Tail yellow-blond (blue wildebeest black)
Horns grow forward (blue wildebeest sideways.)
Mane lighter in colour and stands up (blue wildebeest's mane lies flat)
Hairy fringe under throat stretches further back, almost to belly.
Longer facial hair and beard.
Smaller and not heavy.
Horns:
Both sexes have horns sloping down forward, then turning up.
Bulls' horns are thicker with broader bosses.
Mass:
Males 150 - 190 kg.
Females 120 - 160 kg.
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Habitat :
Short, open savannah without bush.
These animals are unique to Southern Africa and are found on the central
highveld plateau of the country.
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Behavior :
Bulls demarcate their territory during the breeding season by scraping hollows and depositing their
urine and dung there.
Family groups of females and young occur, as well as bachelor herds and solitary bulls.
Graze on short grass in the cooler hours and then lie and ruminate when it gets hotter.
Will also eat Karoo shrub in drier areas.
They drink daily, usually in the afternoon.
Mating takes place in Mar/April and a single calf is born around Dec, joining the herd.
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Hunt Method :
These noisy animals seldom stand still for long and have good vision.
This makes it difficult to approach them in the bare environment they prefer.
Be careful with distinguishing gender: the cow has a tuft of hair under the belly that is easily
mistaken for a penis sheath.
The bull may sometimes be identified by mud and grass adhering to his horns and he likes to hide
among the cows, where he will move about with loud snorts.
The mane makes the body appear higher and may influence shot placement.
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