Gnus, also known as wildebeests, are African antelopes belonging to the Bovidae family. They are specialized herbivores that thrive in plains ecosystems. The common wildebeest ( Connochaetes taurinus ) is a keystone species in the plains and acacia savannas from southeastern Africa to central Kenya. They possess a deep chest, short neck, and thin legs, with a slate gray to dark brown coat, black vertical stripes, and black markings on their forehead, mane, and tail. Both sexes have cowlike horns. The black wildebeest ( C. gnou ) is smaller, with a dark brown to black coat, a white tail, a prominent beard, facial tufts, and an upright mane. Its curved horns point forward and are exceptionally dangerous. Once nearly extinct, it has recovered, with around 20,000 now on private ranches.

Gnus, also known as wildebeests, are African antelopes belonging to the genus Connochaetes . The common wildebeest ( Connochaetes taurinus ) thrives in plains and acacia savanna ecosystems from southeastern Africa to central Kenya, showcasing a remarkable adaptation to migratory life. The black wildebeest, or white-tailed gnu ( Connochaetes gnou ), once flourished in South Africa's Highveld and Karoo. Though nearly hunted to extinction, their numbers have recovered to around 20,000, mostly on private ranches. Common wildebeests migrate in search of water and green grass, especially after seasonal rains. The Serengeti plains and acacia savanna of northwestern Tanzania and adjacent Kenya are home to more than one million of these gnus.

What do gnus look like?

Gnus, also known as wildebeests, are large African antelopes belonging to the Bovidae family. The common wildebeest ( Connochaetes taurinus ) has high shoulders sloping to lower hindquarters, a deep chest, a short neck, and thin legs. Their coat is slate gray to dark brown with black vertical stripes on the forequarters, forehead, mane, beard, and long tail. Both sexes have cowlike horns. The black wildebeest ( C. gnou ) is smaller and dark brown to black, with a white tail, prominent beard, facial tufts, and upright mane. Its curved horns point forward.

What do gnus eat in their natural habitat?

Gnus, also known as wildebeests, are herbivores that graze on grasses in their natural habitat. Common wildebeests possess specialized features such as a blunt muzzle and wide incisor teeth, which allows them to efficiently feed on the short grasses prevalent in plains ecosystems during the rainy season. As water-dependent animals in search of green grass, gnus migrate at the end of the wet season. They spend the dry season roaming the acacia savanna, where they can access water and taller grasses that remain green for longer periods.

How do gnus migrate and why do they do it?

Gnus, also known as wildebeests, are migratory herbivores well-adapted to the plains and savanna ecosystems of Africa. Specifically, the common wildebeest is known for its migratory existence, constantly seeking water and green grass. When the rainy season ends, gnus migrate from the short grasses of the plains to the taller grasses of the acacia savanna, where water is available, and grass remains green longer. These migrations often coincide with the annual rut in June, during which hundreds of thousands of females are bred. Gnu calves are unique in that they accompany their mothers immediately after birth, an adaptation that helps with migration.

What are the main predators and threats to gnus in the wild?

Gnus, also known as wildebeests, face threats from predators and habitat challenges. As specialized African herbivores, common wildebeests are keystone species in plains and savanna ecosystems. Their main predators include lions, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, and African wild dogs. Gnu calves are especially vulnerable. Habitat loss and fragmentation due to human activities like agriculture and construction also pose significant threats. These activities reduce the availability of short grasses that gnus rely on, forcing them to migrate in search of food and water.

gnu

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Images & Videos

White-bearded wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus albojubatus).

Observe a brindled gnu herd migrating and grazing followed by zebras, crowned cranes, lions, and hyenas

A herd of wildebeest, including calves, moves across a dusty savanna in Africa with scattered trees visible in the background.

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania: herd of gnu (wildebeests)

A herd of wildebeest leap down a dusty riverbank and cross the Mara River in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, with splashing water and visible movement.

Quick Facts

Also called:: wildebeest

Related Topics:: antelope; western white-bearded wildebeest; common wildebeest; black wildebeest; blue wildebeest

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gnu

mammal

Also known as: Connochaetes, wildebeest

Written by

Richard Estes

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Sep. 25, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is a gnu?
Gnus, also known as wildebeests, are African antelopes belonging to the Bovidae family. They are specialized herbivores that thrive in plains ecosystems.

The common wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) is a keystone species in the plains and acacia savannas from southeastern Africa to central Kenya. They possess a deep chest, short neck, and thin legs, with a slate gray to dark brown coat, black vertical stripes, and black markings on their forehead, mane, and tail. Both sexes have cowlike horns.

The black wildebeest (C. gnou) is smaller, with a dark brown to black coat, a white tail, a prominent beard, facial tufts, and an upright mane. Its curved horns point forward and are exceptionally dangerous. Once nearly extinct, it has recovered, with around 20,000 now on private ranches.
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Where do gnus live?
Gnus, also known as wildebeests, are African antelopes belonging to the genus Connochaetes. The common wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) thrives in plains and acacia savanna ecosystems from southeastern Africa to central Kenya, showcasing a remarkable adaptation to migratory life.

The black wildebeest, or white-tailed gnu (Connochaetes gnou), once flourished in South Africa's Highveld and Karoo. Though nearly hunted to extinction, their numbers have recovered to around 20,000, mostly on private ranches. Common wildebeests migrate in search of water and green grass, especially after seasonal rains. The Serengeti plains and acacia savanna of northwestern Tanzania and adjacent Kenya are home to more than one million of these gnus.
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What do gnus look like?
Gnus, also known as wildebeests, are large African antelopes belonging to the Bovidae family. The common wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) has high shoulders sloping to lower hindquarters, a deep chest, a short neck, and thin legs. Their coat is slate gray to dark brown with black vertical stripes on the forequarters, forehead, mane, beard, and long tail. Both sexes have cowlike horns.

The black wildebeest (C. gnou) is smaller and dark brown to black, with a white tail, prominent beard, facial tufts, and upright mane. Its curved horns point forward.
1 Britannica Source
1. gnu
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do gnus eat in their natural habitat?
Gnus, also known as wildebeests, are herbivores that graze on grasses in their natural habitat. Common wildebeests possess specialized features such as a blunt muzzle and wide incisor teeth, which allows them to efficiently feed on the short grasses prevalent in plains ecosystems during the rainy season.

As water-dependent animals in search of green grass, gnus migrate at the end of the wet season. They spend the dry season roaming the acacia savanna, where they can access water and taller grasses that remain green for longer periods.
1 Britannica Source
1. gnu
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do gnus migrate and why do they do it?
Gnus, also known as wildebeests, are migratory herbivores well-adapted to the plains and savanna ecosystems of Africa. Specifically, the common wildebeest is known for its migratory existence, constantly seeking water and green grass.

When the rainy season ends, gnus migrate from the short grasses of the plains to the taller grasses of the acacia savanna, where water is available, and grass remains green longer. These migrations often coincide with the annual rut in June, during which hundreds of thousands of females are bred. Gnu calves are unique in that they accompany their mothers immediately after birth, an adaptation that helps with migration.
1 Britannica Source
1. gnu
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are the main predators and threats to gnus in the wild?
Gnus, also known as wildebeests, face threats from predators and habitat challenges. As specialized African herbivores, common wildebeests are keystone species in plains and savanna ecosystems.

Their main predators include lions, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, and African wild dogs. Gnu calves are especially vulnerable.

Habitat loss and fragmentation due to human activities like agriculture and construction also pose significant threats. These activities reduce the availability of short grasses that gnus rely on, forcing them to migrate in search of food and water.
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gnu, (genus Connochaetes), either of two species of large African antelopes of the family Bovidae in the tribe Alcelaphini. They are among the most specialized and successful of African herbivores and are dominant in plains ecosystems.

The common wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) is a keystone species in plains and acacia savanna ecosystems from southeastern Africa to central Kenya. It is highly gregarious and superbly adapted for a migratory existence. C. taurinus has high shoulders sloping to lower hindquarters, a deep chest, a short neck, and thin legs. It is conspicuously coloured, its coat being slate gray to dark brown and reverse counter-shaded (that is, lighter above and darker below), with black vertical stripes on the forequarters as well as black markings on the forehead, mane, beard (white in two subspecies), and long tail. The horns, similar in both sexes, are cowlike.

Five different subspecies are recognized. The blue wildebeest, or brindled gnu (C. taurinus taurinus), of southern Africa is the largest, weighing 230–275 kg (510–605 pounds) and standing 140–152 cm (55–60 inches) tall. The western white-bearded wildebeest (C. taurinus mearnsi) is the smallest, 50 kg (110 pounds) lighter and 10 cm (4 inches) shorter than C. taurinus taurinus. It is also the most numerous; more than one million inhabit the Serengeti Plains and acacia savanna of northwestern Tanzania and adjacent Kenya, the only remaining intact ecosystem within the species’s range.

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

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Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz

The black wildebeest, or white-tailed gnu (C. gnou), is a much smaller animal (110–147 kg [240–323 pounds], 106–121 cm [42–48 inches]) and is dark brown to black with a conspicuous white tail, prominent beard, facial tufts, and upright mane. Its curved horns point forward, are 45–78 cm (18–31 inches) long, and are exceptionally dangerous. It was once one of the dominant herbivores of the South African Highveld and Karoo, along with the blesbok, springbok, and now-extinct quagga, but it was hunted nearly to extinction in the late 19th century. However, it slowly recovered, and at the end of the 20th century it numbered around 20,000, though nearly all of these were found on private ranches.

Common wildebeests, with their blunt muzzle and wide row of incisor teeth, are able to feed efficiently and in dense aggregations on the short grasses that carpet plains in the semi-arid zone during the rainy season. Being water-dependent and ever in search of green grass, they migrate when the rains end and spend the dry season roaming the acacia savanna, where there is water, taller grass that stays green longer, and flushes of new grass that come up after fires or local thunderstorms. The Serengeti gnu population usually has its annual rut in June, while migrating. Five hundred thousand females are bred within the space of a month by thousands of bulls that compete to hold as many cows as possible on small, temporary territories. The noise and confusion make for one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife events.

Eight months later most of the year’s crop of calves are born during a similarly short birth peak, between the short and long rains. Unlike all other antelopes (except the related blesbok), gnu calves accompany their mothers as soon as they can stand instead of hiding for days or weeks. This is an adaptation to migrating. The gnu is possibly the most precocious of all hoofed mammals.

Richard Estes

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