Description
The Gnu is also known as the “Wildebeest,” and is a large hoofed mammal that lives in Africa. There are two different species of Gnu, the Black Gnu and the Blue Gnu. The Blue Wildebeest has a much wider range than the Black Gnu. The Black Gnu and Blue Gnu are closely related but they do have several differences. Blues are larger, standing nearly 5 ft. tall at the shoulder and weighing about 550 lbs. The black gnu stands a little under 4 ft. tall and weigh about 225 lbs. They inhabit open woodlands, savannahs, grasslands, plains and more. Gnus are herbivores, they only eat plants. The two different species feed on different types of vegetation. Blues eat mostly grasses and they migrate to follow the growth of grass as they run out of food. Blacks are browsers and they feed on leaves of shrubs and bushes rather than grass. Because they do not rely on the grasses, the Black Gnu does not migrate over large areas.
Both species live exclusively in southern Africa. They live primarily in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, and Tanzania. The Blue Gnu lives throughout much of this range, while the Black Gnu lives only in South Africa.
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