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| Description | An ox-like animal with unusual horns, a beard and hair on the nose. The colouring is darkbrown and the horse-like tail is almost white. The calves are a uniform light brown colour. The back slopes downwards. Both sexes have horns. The Black Wildebeest can be distinguished from the Blue Wildebeest with its conspicuous white tail, smaller build and horns with curve forward. | |
| Sexual dimorphism | Females are smaller than males | |
| Habitat | Open grasslands with sufficient water | |
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Habits |
These animals occur naturally only in South Africa. They form herds of 6 to about 50 individuals consisting of adult males, females and juveniles, or adult males only. The usually graze in the early morning or late afternoon, resting at midday. In cold weather they graze any time. Sometimes they are seen kneeling while they feed. During the mating season males are very aggressive when they protect their territories but serious fights seldom occur. | |
| Voice | A loud snorting bellow and "ghe-nu" sound by territorial males. | |
| Breeding | A single calf is born during November to December after a gestation period of ± 8½ months | |
| Food | Mainly grass and sometimes karoo bush. | |
| Mass |
♂
180 kg ♀ 140 kg |
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| Life expectancy | ± 20 years | |
| Length of horns |
Average ± 52 cm Record 74,61 cm |
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| Enemies | None | |
| Also known as |
Swartwildebees (Afrikaans) White-tailed gnu |
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