Gnu

Connochaetes sp.

The gnu, or wildebeest, is an ungainly looking antelope with a large head, an upright mane from the skull to the withers, a beard running from the chin down the underside of the neck, a tufted tail, and horns that jut out from the side of the head before curving up and forward. Gnus are grazers of open savannas and grasslands in Africa, usually near water. They can form vast migratory herds numbering in the millions, but when not migrating females gather in groups of 10 to 1000. Males form bachelor herds, which dissolve in the rut as individual bulls establish and defend territories.

When disturbed, gnus prance, paw the ground, flick their tails, and dig at the ground with their horns. A dangerous predator (such as a human) approaching within 500 meters causes the herd to run off, snorting, and then turn around to face the danger while continuing to prance and paw.

Gnu meat is generally considered poor, being described as coarse, dry, and hard, but the skin makes a good leather and the tails are used for fly whisks.

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