Blue Wildebeest

Connochaetes taurinus

### Regions

Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Eswatini

## Habitat

### Water Area

410 m² +40 m²/ea. add'l
0 m²

### Temperature

0 m²
8‒40 ℃

## Social

### Fem. Bachelor

4‒20 (up to 1 male, up to 19 females)
4‒9
4‒20

### Sterility

4 years
Death

### Interbirth

8 months
12 months

## Taxonomy

### Order

Mammalia
Artiodactyla

### Genus

Bovidae
Connochaetes

The **Blue Wildebeest** (*Connochaetes taurinus*) is a large African ungulate featured in the Grasslands Animal Pack DLC for *Planet Zoo*.

## Zoopedia Description

### General

**Population In Wild:** 1,550,000

The blue wildebeest (or Connochaetes taurinus) is a large antelope native to Southern Africa. It is also known as the common or white-bearded wildebeest, or brindled gnu. They have a pale grey or brown coat with dark stripes across their neck, shoulders, and chest. Blue wildebeest have a long black tail and a long black mane, which either stands up or drapes over the neck depending on the subspecies. The beard trailing under the neck is white. The species is sexually dimorphic, with males being larger than females, but both males and females have distinctive, L-shaped horns. They stand 1.23m to 1.65m tall at the shoulder, are 1.7m to 2.4m long and weigh between 165kg and 290kg. Females on the other hand are 1.14m to 1.42m tall at the shoulder, 1.75m to 2.15m long and weigh 140kg to 260kg.

Blue wildebeest are not endangered and are considered a species of Least Concern, however human expansion impacts their migratory routes while deforestation and loss of water sources threatens their habitat.

### Social

In the wild, blue wildebeest congregate in large herds comprised of several subgroups of related females and their offspring, bachelor herds of young males and dominant bulls guarding a territory within the herd’s foraging grounds.

### Reproduction

During the breeding season, which spans over a three week period at the end of the wet season, dominant territorial bulls will track fertile females moving through and feeding in their range. While receptive females are nearby, they will barely eat or sleep. Males may also engage in so-called lekking behaviour, gathering in all-male groups to display to females with sparring and vocalisations. A male outcompeting his rivals in a lek secures mating rights to nearby females. He will then mount a receptive female and mate with her several times. She will remain close to him after mating, and he will prevent other males from approaching her. This way, he may gather a harem of females during the breeding season, although leks and harems will fragment soon after the breeding season to reform into bachelor and yearling herds again.

Following a pregnancy of around 8.5 months, the female gives birth to a single calf. It will feed exclusively off her milk until it is 4 weeks old, which is when it will start eating grasses. Calves are weaned by 8 to 10 months of age, at which time the mother is likely to already be pregnant again. Soon after, the yearling will leave their mother’s female group and join a herd of other yearlings or young adults.

Female blue wildebeest reach sexual maturity at 16 months old, males at 2 years old, though it may take a few years until their horns develop enough for them to defend a territory or claim victory in a lek in order to mate.

## Animal Care

 FEEDING STATIONS
 FOOD ENRICHMENT
Grazing Ball Feeder · Hanging Grazer Feeder · Melon Feeder · Scarecrow Feeder · Small Barrel Feeder
Grab Ball · Herb Scent Marker · Large Ball · Large Snow Ball · Rubbing Pillar · Scratching Tree Scots Pine · Scratching Tree Tamarind

## Trivia

### Zoopedia Fun Facts

* Blue wildebeest are so named because their coat has a blue sheen to it.
* Blue wildebeest are known to migrate over 1000 miles every year and cross 2 rivers to do so.
* Up to 90% of blue wildebeest offspring are all born within a 2 week birthing period.
* Blue wildebeest are often seen in herds with plains zebra. The two species don’t compete for food though because zebras prefer long grass and wildebeest can then graze on the shorter grasses.
* Not all blue wildebeest migrate; some female groups form closely bonded resident herds and remain in the same area year round.

## Gallery

First look at the Blue Wildebeest in the announcement trailerAlbino ColourmorphGolden Colourmorph