The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) is a large bovine with dark vertical stripes on a silver-grey coat, a long black mane along its back and a black beard stretching from chin to throat. Both males and females have short curved horns, and blue wildebeest are plentiful on the savannah of the Kruger National Park.
Name
Blue Wildebeest [Connochaetes taurinus]
Appearance
The Blue Wildebeest is a large bovine with dark vertical stripes running along its silver-grey coat. It has a characteristically long black mane running along its back and has a black beard stretching from its chin to its throat. Both the male and female Wildebeest sport a set of short curved horns. The males are much larger than the females, weighing in at about 250kg and stands up to about 1.45m at the shoulder.
Breeding
Blue Wildebeest breed only once a year. Each cow gives birth to a single calf and they are already developed enough to be able to run and move with the herd.
Behaviour
The wildebeest have developed an optimized survival strategy in which they migrate to where the food is more plentiful when food is scarce. The migration of Wildebeest in the Serengeti is one of the largest land migrations on the planet, with some 1.3 million individuals on the move each year. Bulls are very territorial and maintain their territory well.
Where can they be seen?
Blue Wildebeest are natives to the savannah and are plentiful in the Kruger National Park during Private Safaris as well as Kruger Day Safaris . These amazing animals can also be found in a few countries north of South Africa. The numbers in the population are decreased due to fencing, which restricts the numbers of instinctive Migration.
Interesting Notes
The Blue Wildebeest has five known subspecies known in Africa;
Connochaetes taurinus Taurinus – Bridled Gnu or Blue Wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus albojubatus – Eastern White-Bearded Wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus mearnsi – Western White-Bearded Wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus cooksoni – Cookson’s Wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus johnstoni – Nyassaland Wildebeest
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a blue wildebeest weigh?
Male blue wildebeest weigh about 250 kg and are much larger than the females. The bulls are very territorial and maintain their territory well.
Do blue wildebeest migrate?
Yes — when food is scarce, blue wildebeest migrate to where food is more plentiful. Fencing now restricts this instinctive migration, and population numbers have decreased as a result.
How do blue wildebeest breed?
Blue wildebeest breed only once a year, and each cow gives birth to a single calf. The calves are born developed enough to run and move with the herd.
How many subspecies of blue wildebeest are there?
There are five known subspecies: the bridled gnu or blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus taurinus), the eastern white-bearded wildebeest, the western white-bearded wildebeest, Cookson’s wildebeest and the Nyassaland wildebeest.
Where else can blue wildebeest be found?
Besides the Kruger National Park, blue wildebeest are found in a few countries north of South Africa. They are native to the savannah.
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