Hartebeest

Alcelaphus buselaphus

MammalHuntableEach hartebeest subspec…

Overview

It has a particularly elongated forehead and oddly shaped horns, short neck, and pointed ears. Its legs, which often have black markings, are unusually long. The coat is generally short and shiny. Coat colour varies by the subspecies, from the sandy brown of the western hartebeest to the chocolate brown of the Swayne's hartebeest. Both sexes of all subspecies have horns, with those of females being more slender. Horns can reach lengths of 45–70 cm (18–28 in). Apart from its long face, the large chest and the sharply sloping back differentiate the hartebeest from other antelopes.

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammal
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Alcelaphus

Habitat

Inhabiting dry savannas and wooded grasslands, hartebeest often move to more arid places after rainfall. They have been reported from altitudes on Mount Kenya up to 4,000 m (13,000 ft)

Diet

They are primarily grazers, with their diets consisting mainly of grasses.

Behavior

ctive mainly during daytime, the hartebeest grazes in the early morning and late afternoon, and rests in shade around noon. Gregarious, the species forms herds of up to 300 individuals. Larger numbers gather in places with abundant grass. In 1963, a congregation of 10,000 animals was recorded on the plains near Sekoma Pan in Botswana. However, moving herds are not so cohesive, and tend to disperse frequently. The members of a herd can be divided into four groups: territorial adult males, non-territorial adult males, young males, and the females with their young. The females form groups of five to 12 animals, with four generations of young in the group. Females fight for dominance over the herd. Sparring between males and females is common.

Hunting

Hartebeest are primarily hunted using spot-and-stalk methods in open savannas and grasslands, where hunters glass herds from afar and make careful approaches for clear shots; blinds near waterholes can also be effective during dry periods. Use reliable calibers like .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, or .300 Winchester Magnum with a good scope for accurate, ethical shots at distances up to 300 yards, focusing on vital areas such as the heart-lung region for a quick, humane harvest. The best hunting season is during the dry months from May to October in Southern Africa, when hartebeest concentrate around water sources, making them easier to locate and pattern. For trophies, select mature bulls with long, curved horns measuring 24 inches or more, as recognized in record books like Safari Club International (SCI) and Rowland Ward, where exceptional specimens exceed 30 inches. Legal hunting is available in countries such as South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Tanzania, often through guided safaris on private conservancies, as well as on private game ranches in Texas; these programs fund essential conservation efforts, including anti-poaching patrols and habitat restoration, which have helped maintain hartebeest populations as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List through effective management systems.

Conservation Status

Each hartebeest subspecies is listed under a different conservation status by the IUCN. The species as a whole is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.