Blue Wildebeest /Khukong /Gnu
Connochaetes taurinus
-23.5377, 27.0967
Field Notes
Description:
This is an older male as evidenced by its magnificent set of horns and its moth-eaten appearance, the heavy shoulders slope down to a lower pelvic region at the rear causing the animal to have a rocking-horse type movement when it canters playfully resulting in the title 'Clown of the Kalahari'
Habitat:
Cattle farm (ranch) area in sub tropical bushveld, hot erratically wet summers and mild, dry winters
Notes:
these animals roam wild across 5 cattle farms (+/- 20000 hectares,50000acres) which was no problem 25 years ago when the Wildebeest population was around 50 animals, now, due to some good years weather wise, its nearer 400 and they munch a significant portion of the cattle graze. As the Wildebeest, as wild animals are effectively "State Game" the farmers can do very little about their loss of feed which is beginning to become an significant economic problem, but its still very exciting to get a close view of them.
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