#connochaetes

Blue Wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus

Also called the white-bearded gnu, they are found in short-grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid. Three African populations of blue wildebeest take part in a long-distance migration, timed to coincide with the annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth on the short-grass plains. The population is estimated at 1.5 million.

A herd of blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) cross the Mara River in Mbalibali, Tanzania

Common wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus taurinus)

Black Wildebeest Connochaetes gnou

The natural populations of black wildebeest, endemic in the southern part of Africa, were almost completely exterminated in the 19th century, due to their reputation as pests and the value of their hides and meat, but the species has been reintroduced widely from captive specimens, both in private areas and nature reserves throughout most of Lesotho, Eswatini, and South Africa.