Hartebeest

Hartebeest information and facts:

Scientific Name: Alcelaphus buselaphus
Size: 48 inches at the shoulder
Weight: 165 to 350 pounds
Lifespan: 12 to 15 years
Habitat: Open plains
Diet: Herbivorous/grazer
Gestation: 8 months

Coke's hartebeest, also called kongoni, is the most widespread hartebeest. It is found on the open grassy plains and tree grasslands in southern Kenya and Tanzania.

Hartebeest video.

What does a Hartebeest look like?

The hartebeest is a large, fawn-colored antelope that at first glance seems strangely put together and less elegant than other antelopes. However, being one of the most recent and highly evolved ungulates, it is far from clumsy. In fact, it is one of the fastest antelopes and most enduring runners. These qualities gave rise to its name, which means "tough ox." Its sedentary lifestyle seems to inhibit the mixing of populations and gene flow; as a result, there are several subspecies of hartebeest.

Where do Hartebeests live?

Hartebeest are mainly found in medium and tall grasslands, including savannas. They are more tolerant of high grass and woods than other alcelaphines (archetypical plains antelopes).

What does a Hartebeest eat?

The hartebeest feeds almost entirely on grass, but is not very selective and quite tolerant of poor-quality food. It has suffered from the expansion of cattle raising, as hartebeests and cattle compete for the same food.

Did You Know this about the Hartebeest?

The ancient Egyptians are said to have semidomesticated the hartebeest for use as a sacrificial animal. Because the species competes with cattle for food, further attempts at domestication are unlikely.
Although a prolific breeder and even a dominant species in some areas, the hartebeest has probably suffered the greatest reduction in range of all African ruminants