- Baboon
- Buffalo
- Bushbuck
- Cheetah
- Duiker
- Eland
- Elephant
- Giraffe
- Grysbok
- Hippopotamus
- Hyena (Spotted)
- Impala
- Jackal (Black-Backed)
- Klipspringer
- Kudu
- Leopards
- Lion
- Mongoose (Banded)
- Nyala
- Porcupine
- Rhino
- Roan Antelope
- Sable Antelope
- Smaller Carnivores
- Steenbok
- Tssessebe
- Vervet Monkey
- Warthog
- Waterbuck
- Wilderbeest (Blue)
- Wild Dog
- Zebra
Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)
THE HERBIVORES AND OMNIVORES
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Wildebeest are gregarious, forming small herds each averaging four to eight animals, but often congregating in large herds of 100 and more. Both sexes have broad horns which project sideways and then curve upwards, rapidly tapering to a fairly sharp point. Lean, with long thin legs and broad necks, wildebeest are a uniform grayish-black, patterned with indistinct vertical stripes.
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Like zebra, with which they are often found grazing, wildebeest prefer open plains not densely covered with thorn trees and other vegetation. Such a habitat not only makes it easier for them to detect potential predators such as lion, but also enables them to run more effectively. Here they feed on short tufts of grass, avoiding the taller clumps.
They are most abundant on the eastern side south of the Letaba river. With zebra and waterbuck, they are the favorite prey of lion, and many are killed each year.
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