The greater kudu, a tall woodland antelope of eastern and southern Africa with 4–12 thin white stripes on its sides. Males have huge corkscrew horns. It hides in thick bush, freezes when alarmed, and can clear a tall fence from a standing start.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?Yes
Hunted for its meat, which is lean and similar to venison.
At a glance
Found inAfrica
HabitatScrub, Forest, Mountains
ColoursGrey, Brown, White
SizeLarge
HeightMales up to 1.6 m at the shoulder; females from 1 m
WeightMales 190–270 kg; females 120–210 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives inherds
Lives for7–15 years
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Eastern and southern Africa, from Ethiopia and Eritrea south to South Africa, with a small population in Chad and Sudan.
- What it eats
- Leaves, grass and shoots, with some tubers, roots and fruit; in dry seasons it eats wild watermelons for their water.
- Conservation
- Least Concern (IUCN Red List)
Did you know
The male's spiral horns would measure over a metre if you unwound them.
Sparring males sometimes lock horns so tightly they cannot separate, and both die.
A newborn calf lies hidden in vegetation for 4–5 weeks while its mother returns only to feed it.
Often confused with
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