A grazing antelope that lives in huge herds on the plains of Africa and undertakes spectacular migrations.

Meaning of scientific name
Connochaetes': from Konnos (Greek) a beard; khaite (Greek) flowing hair. 'Taurinus': from Taurus (Latin) a bull.

Subspecies
Five subspecies: Blue wildebeest (C.t. taurinus) in Zambia and to the south and west; Cookson's wildebeest (C.t. cooksoni) in the Luangwa valley of Zambia; White-bearded wildebeest (C.t. mearnsi) in Kenya and Tanzania; Johnston's wildebeest (C. t. johnstoni) and C.t. albojubatus.

Life span
Up to 20 years.

Statistics
194-209cm long, standing 128-140cm at the shoulder and with a tail 45-56cm long.

Physical description
A large grazing antelope with a slatey grey coat, a black tail, and a long narrow head carrying horns which curve down and then up. The front quarters are heavily built and there is a mane and a beard reaching down the throat. This is usually black, but is white in the subspecies C. t. albojubatus and C. t. mearnsi.

Distribution
Northern South Africa north to Kenya.

Habitat
Grassland and open woodland.

Diet
Grass.

Behaviour
Wildebeest live on the great open plains and sparse woodlands - wherever there is short grass. When grass is plentiful, females form small herds whilst the bulls defend territories on their own or in very small groups. During the dry season, though, vast migrating herds of wildebeest form as they follow the rains in search of fresh grass. Here males establish tiny territories for a few hours whenever the herd stops moving. They are most active in the mornings and late afternoons, resting during the heat of the day and night.

Reproduction
All births take place, after an 8 month gestation period, within 2-3 weeks of each other, just before the rains. This means that predators have a glut of prey and are unable to kill as many youngsters as they would if births were spread throughout the year. A single calf is born, which can stand after 15 mins, and soon follow its mother. Weaning is after about 4 months, although suckling can occur for the whole first year. Females become sexually mature at 1.5-2.5 years, males at 3-4.

Conservation status
Lower risk - conservation dependent.

Voice
Grunting calls.

History
The first artiodactyls (also called the 'even-toed ungulates') were present in the Eocene forests. The horned ruminants (deer, giraffe, antelope & cattle) first appear in the Miocene, taking advantage of the opening plains. The grazing antelopes like the wildebeest (or gnu) evolved to take advantage of all the grass-dominated environments in Africa.