Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure

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Fast Facts:

The wildebeest can be found in the ending exhibit of the museum.
The name gnu comes from the Bushman word for the wildebeest's bellow.
The Masai say the wildebeest, also known as the gnu, is made of creation's leftovers. It has the head of a locust, horns of a cape buffalo, legs of a goat, mane of a lion, body of a donkey and the tail of a horse.

Wildebeest

Scientific Name:	Connochaetes taurinus
Classification:	Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae
Status:	The Blue Wildebeest is numerous, but the black wildebeest was nearly wiped out in the 19th century. Today its numbers have risen to 4,000.
Range:	Kenya to South Africa
Habitat:	plains and woodlands
Diet:	grasses and succulents
Size:	Length: 5-8 feet Height: 50-58 inches males and up to 47 inches female Weight: 500-600 lbs
Lifespan:	21 yrs.
Location:
Print Fact Sheet	Wildebeest

Special Features:

Both males and females have horns, although the male's horns are thicker and heavier.
To groom itself, the wildebeest rubs its face either on the ground or against a tree.
Although wildebeests are known for their seasonal migrations, not all wildebeests migrate. If there is a constant supply of fresh green grass, they will stay in one area. When they do migrate herds of over 1,000 animals will thunder across the plains raising dark clouds of dust visible for miles. Hundreds die on these journeys and many down as they try to cross fast-flowing rivers.

Social Structure & Behavior:

Live in herds of up to 100 animals. Not aggressive or particularly dangerous.

The males owns the females who come into his territory and he will run after a female until he hits another male's territory when he will come to an abrupt stop. A wildebeest will do anything to avoid a fight to prevent losing a horn. One a males loses his horn, he will never attract another female to mate again.

Breeding & Care of Young:
Sexual maturity at 2-3 years old. Gestation: 8-9 months. Calves born at beginning of rainy season when the food is most abundant. Usually just one calf. A calf is stand within 15 minutes and runs shortly thereafter. Weaned at 9 months. Only 1 in every six calves survives its first year.