The wildebeest, also known as the gnu, is an emblematic figure of the African savanna. These fascinating creatures are an integral part of the ecosystem, playing a vital role in maintaining its balance. Let's delve into some interesting facts about these animals.
What is a wildebeest? Wildebeests, also known as gnus, are hoofed mammals of the Bovidae family. Their Afrikaans name ‘wildebeests’ comes from the description ‘wild beast’, which refers to their beastly appearance.
There are two species of wildebeest:
- the common wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)
- the black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou).
Wildebeests are native solely to Africa’s southern, northern, and eastern landscapes.
Physical Characteristics
The wildebeest is a large antelope measuring between 45 and 55 inches at the shoulder and weighing between 300 and 600 pounds. Wildebeests measure between 5 and 8 feet in length and have a tail length of 14 to 22 inches.
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The body of a wildebeest appears disproportionate, with a hefty front, slim hindquarters, and spindly legs. This animal from the antelope family is not proper proportioned. Wildebeest have a heavy front end and the hindquarters an legs are skinny.
Wildebeests have a long, rectangular-shaped head. They have large heads, hairy beards, and a shaggy exterior. Wildebeest have black mane, which is thick and long. They have long beards which are on their neck with either dark or pale colour.
Both males and females possess lengthy horns that spring outward from the base of their head and form curved semicircles, pointing slightly backward. The long and curved horns wildebeests are known for can be found on both males and females.
The male Wildebeest have horns that are twice the size of the female wildebeest. The male horns are 33 inches with female being anywhere between 12 to 16 inches, the horns base become rougher as they age for both the male and the female.
The different subspecies of the wildebeest vary in color, ranging from slate gray to dark brown, with males darker than females. They have different colours, they are not all of the same colour. All wildebeests have short hair covering their bodies, with black vertical stripes of longer hair on their back.
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Young calves are more yellow and tan compared to their adult counterparts. Newborns are a yellowish-brown, but change to adult color at about 2 months.
The common wildebeest has five subspecies, including:
- the blue wildebeest
- the western white-bearded wildebeest
- the Nyasaland wildebeest
- the eastern white-bearded wildebeest
- Cookson’s wildebeest.
The blue wildebeest is the largest of the subspecies, weighing 230 to 275 kilograms (500 to 600 pounds) and measuring 140 to 152 centimeters (4.6 to five feet) tall. The western white-bearded wildebeest is the smallest, weighing around 50 kilograms (110 pounds) less than the blue wildebeest and standing 10 centimeters (four inches) shorter.
Black wildebeests are much smaller than common wildebeests. They can stand about 3.9 feet (1.2 meters) high and weigh 330 pounds (150 kilograms). Black wildebeests are dark brown to black, with a white tail and mane.
The Great Migration - Wildebeest Migration from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara, Crossing Mara River
Habitat and Feeding Habits
Wildebeest thrive in areas that are neither too wet nor too dry, with their range extending from the equator to the tip of South Africa. Wildebeest are found in the woodlands and grassy plains in various parts of Eastern Africa. These include Maasai Mara in Kenya and Serengeti National park in Tanzania.
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Wildebeests prefer savannah of Acacia. They live in savannas and plains, but they can also be found in bushlands and woodlands.
The blue wildebeest, known as the brindled gnu, ranges from Kenya to northern South Africa. They prefer the dense bushlands, open grasslands and woodland floodplains of the southern savanna.
Wildebeests are strictly grazers, preferring sweet, stocky grasses. They eat mostly on grasses. They have a blunt nose and a large row of incisor teeth designed to consume thick, short grasses. This grass often grows in areas that have seen recent fire, as tall, coarse brush is burnt, permitting room for new vegetation to grow.
Wildebeest will also follow herds of other grazers that eat dry, longer grasses. In addition to grasses, these creatures also eat succulent plants and browse on karoo bushes.
They begin grazing soon after sunrise, rest briefly at midday, and continue feeding until sunset. Wildebeests are active through the day and the night.
Wildebeest need water almost daily. Unlike other savanna animals, wildebeests require water almost daily. They drink water twice per day.
Behavior
Wildebeest are sociable, territorial animals. They are sociable creatures that dwell in big herds of up to tens of thousands. The wildebeest is a highly social animal that stays in larger herds for protection against predators. They move in herds of not less than 1,000 when migrating and are very protective of their territory.
Females and their young form small herds, their territories frequently overlapping. Cow and calf herds typically remain constant; however, when there are many groups clustered close together in an area, cows will often leave their group for another.
After about a year, males will leave their herd and enter into a bachelor herd. Once they reach 4 to 5 years of age, they become territorial and will wander off to form new herds. At 4 or 5 years old, males will become highly territorial and depart from the bachelor herd.
Neighboring bulls will challenge one another when encountering each other at the edges of their territories. They follow a series of ritualized actions: bucking, snorting, pawing at the ground, fighting, and grunting in a deep croaking manner like a frog.
The wildebeests will face one another on their knees, foreheads to the ground, ready for combat. The bulls move forward to strike each other, knocking heads and horns, but rarely will become injured.
Some scientists speculate that these confrontations spark a rise in hormone levels, as non-territorial bulls in bachelor groups are very serene.
Wildebeest are constantly moving throughout day and night, in search of water and preferred grasses. The are constantly moving because of they are in constant look of water and grass. When the weather is dry they graze on fresh grass and then travel back home before the rainy season begins. After the rainy season, they return to the area and graze again .
They tend to migrate in lengthy, single-file columns, traversing long distances at an easy rocking gallop, though they are swift when provoked. Notwithstanding their ungainly look, wildebeests are equipped for speed and endurance. They can attain speeds of up to 50 mph (80 km/h) and are skilled at dodging predators. Their robust body and powerful limbs allow them to evade predators.
Animals such as Thomson’s gazelle, zebra, and even predators will follow the traveling wildebeest. The wildebeest normally live with each other, but they are known to temporarily live with Zebras they encounter on the plains while on Kenya migration. They peacefully coexistence with zebras because they feed on different parts of the grass.
The number of times a herd moves and the number of females in a herd depends on a number of environmental factors, such as quantity of rainfall or quality of dry season pasture.
When wildebeest are in threat by predators, they let out loud calls to alert the whole herd of a looming danger. Male blue wildebeests can bellow extremely loudly. Their roars can be heard from up to 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) away.
Wildebeests demonstrate swarm intelligence, a type of collective learning and decision-making that relies on decentralized, self-organized systems. The notion relates to how individual members of a group interact with each other and their surroundings, resulting in intelligent collective behavior.
Notwithstanding the absence of a single leader, wildebeest herds can travel long distances, locate water and food, and escape predators. This coordination is the outcome of basic principles that each individual follows, such as aligning with neighbors and relocating to places with a larger population. For example, while crossing rivers, individual wildebeest benefit from the behavior of others, learning from their triumphs and mistakes.
The Migration
Each year, wildebeest in the Serengeti-Mara travel in a migratory circle of 500 to 1,000 miles. Wildebeests are well-known for their involvement in the Great Migration. This annual event is a risky yet fascinating adventure. Herds of wildebeest and other animals migrate long distances across the Serengeti and Maasai Mara in search of new food and water.
About 1.5 million wildebeests make the journey, and it is considered one of the most remarkable spectacles on the planet. They can travel hundreds of miles in search of food and water.
After calves are born in January and February, the migration begins in the southeastern Serengeti. Traversing across the short-grass plains, wildebeest approach Lake Victoria in the west. They head toward open woodland, then curve north en route for the Mara. Lastly, they take a turn to the south toward home.
They are single-minded in their pursuit, swimming across bodies of water in such massive numbers that many die, become injured, or are lost (particularly calves).
The migration is more than simply the movement of animals; it is a watershed moment for the entire savanna ecosystem. The migration of wildebeests influences the life of other animals. Migration also assists in seed dissemination and nutrient cycling, which benefits the health of the grasslands. Thus, the vast migration is crucial to the savanna’s ecological and biological processes.
Note that not all wildebeest migrate. Many of the wildebeest are migratory but not all. The best example are the Black Wildebeest herds which are known just to wonder but can’t migrate.
Predators
Wildebeest are highly desirable prey for spotted hyena and lion. The savanna’s predator-prey dynamics rely heavily on wildebeests. Their presence benefits a variety of predators. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and crocodiles prey on wildebeest throughout their migration.
This interaction is critical to maintaining the savanna’s natural equilibrium. Given their numbers, wildebeests are one of the most successful herbivores in Africa.
Although wildebeest are unable to adequately camouflage themselves, they are afforded some protection by gathering in large herds.
Reproduction
The beginning of the mating season, called the rut, is connected to the full moon. Territorial males, however, are constantly prepared to mate.
Throughout the mating season, breeding clusters of around 150 wildebeest form from within the bigger herds. In these groupings, five or six of the most dominant bulls create and guard territories that cows amble through. Bulls make a show of bucking and cantering around their lands.
Bulls also mark their territories by urinating, defecating and spreading secretions in particular areas. Male Wildebeest become ready to mate when it is three or four years old they are ready to mate with females. They secrete and expel faeces into their territory, to attract females. When a male enters the territory, they fight and if a female enters the male will try to mate .
The secretions come from the interdigital and preorbital glands, spread when bulls paw at the ground and proceed to rub it with their heads.
When a bull comes into contact with another wildebeest, they acknowledge one another by moving at a rocking canter. If they are greeting a cow, the bull will attempt to mount or herd her. If the cow is calm, the bull will repeatedly mate with her about two times per minute.
If her herd is mobile, a cow may come across several dozen bulls a day. If she is in full heat, a bull will always be close to her side.
During the mating season, wildebeest are quite a bit more riled-herding, fighting, and calling to each other frequently. An aroused bull will try to herd as many cows as possible, and will not sleep or eat for excitement if a female is nearby.
Females typically reach sexual maturity at 16 months, though they frequently do not mate until around 28 months old. Cows are extremely fertile, conceiving at a high rate, in part because the peak of their breeding season is at the end of the rainy season, anticipating a fair climate for carrying offspring.
