Black Wildebeest - North America Introduced | Online Record Book Preview

Connochaetes gnou

Nu negro (Sp), Weisschwanzgnu (G), Gnou à queue blanche (F), Swartwildebees (Af). Also called white-tailed gnu ("wildebeest" and "gnu" are synonymous, but the latter has largely fallen out of use).

DESCRIPTION (male) Shoulder height 46-47 inches (114-120 cm). Weight 350-400 pounds (160-180 kg).

A large, dark-brown antelope of grotesque appearance. The shoulders are massive and somewhat higher than the slender hindquarters. The head is large, with a long face that is covered by a brush of stiff hairs pointing upward. There is a beard under the throat, a tuft of long hairs between the front legs, and a stiff buff-and-black mane on the neck and shoulders. The tail is long and white, nearly reaching the ground. The horns (both sexes) form bosses, grow outward and downward, then bend forward and sharply upward. Females are similar to males, though a little smaller and with slimmer horns.

DISTRIBUTION Private ranches in Texas and elsewhere.

REMARKS Native to the central plateau of South Africa. Has been introduced in Namibia and Zimbabwe.

HYBRIDIZATION The black wildebeest is either known or believed to crossbreed, or to be the result of hybridization, when in a game ranch environment.