Stats

Lifespan: Up to 20 yrs
Size: Large
Diet: Herbivore
Activity: Diurnal
Social: Herd
Biome: Tropical savanna
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa
Movement: Running
Breeding: Live Birth
Defense: Herd Safety
Status: Uncommon

About

The Common Wildebeest is the engine of the world's greatest wildlife spectacle: over 1.5 million individuals thunder across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem each year in a circular migration, following the rains. Calves can stand within minutes of birth and must keep pace with the herd from day one.

Life cycle

1.
newborn calf
A wobbly calf stands within hours of birth and stays close to its mother in the herd.
2.
juvenile
A weaned juvenile grazes alongside adults, develops budding horns, and learns herd hierarchy.
3.
adult
Fully grown, with adult horns and full body size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Connochaetes
Species: Connochaetes taurinus