Overview
The Nyasa wildebeest has the smallest body and horns of any blue wildebeest. The general color is brownish gray (browner than in other races), the face is mainly chestnut and the beard is black. Most specimens, though not all, have a conspicuous white facial band below the eyes.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammal
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Bovidae
- Genus
- Connochaetes
- Species
- Connochaetes taurinus
Habitat
Grasslands, open plains, and lightly wooded savannas. Distribution- Southeastern Tanzania, and north of the Zambezi River in Mozambique.
Diet
Primarily grazes.
Behavior
It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary. The mating season begins at the end of the rainy season and a single calf is usually born. The calf remains with its mother for eight months, after which time it joins a juvenile herd.
Hunting
As they live on open plains they are not hard to locate, but approaching them and determining sex and horn size can be difficult, especially in areas where they are regularly hunted. Often there is little cover, and long shots may be required.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN as an overall species.