# Wildebeest — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Connochaetes taurinus (Burchell, 1823)*

> The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) is a gregarious grazing antelope of African savanna, central to the Great Migration of over a million animals between Serengeti and Maasai Mara; listed as Least Concern but declining outside protected areas.

**IUCN status:** Least Concern (IUCN, 2016)  ·  **WARN range:** East Africa, Southern Africa

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Weight | 118–270 kg |
| Herd size | Thousands to over a million in migration |
| Diet | Grazer — short green grass |
| Migration | ~800 km circular route annually |
| Calving | ~500,000 calves in a few weeks (Serengeti) |
| CITES | Appendix II |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Artiodactyla
- **Family:** Bovidae
- **Genus:** Connochaetes
- **Species:** Connochaetes taurinus (Burchell, 1823)

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Least Concern (IUCN, 2016). Stable in protected areas; declining outside reserves.
- **Population:** Roughly 1.55 million blue wildebeest globally
- **Trend:** Stable in Serengeti–Mara; decreasing in some regions
- **Assessed:** 2016
- **CITES:** Appendix II

## Key facts: Wildebeest
- Blue wildebeest drive the Great Migration — the largest terrestrial mammal migration on Earth.
- More than 1.5 million wildebeest circulate between Serengeti and Maasai Mara annually.
- Calving season sees roughly 500,000 calves born in a few weeks on the southern Serengeti plains.
- Wildebeest are keystone prey for lions, hyenas, crocodiles and wild dogs.
- Black wildebeest of southern Africa is a separate, smaller species.
- Fencing, agriculture and poaching threaten populations outside major reserves.

## Two wildebeest species
Two wildebeest species exist in the genus Connochaetes.

The blue wildebeest (C. taurinus) — also called the brindled or common wildebeest — ranges across East and southern Africa and forms the mega-herds of the Great Migration. Five subspecies are recognised, including the western white-bearded wildebeest of Tanzania and Kenya. The black wildebeest (C. gnou) is smaller, darker and confined to southern Africa, where it was hunted nearly to extinction before recovering through conservation. Both species have a heavy front end, slender hindquarters, a shaggy mane and curved horns — the Afrikaans name 'wildebeest' means 'wild cattle'.

## The Great Migration
The Serengeti–Mara wildebeest migration is driven by rainfall and grass quality. Roughly 1.5 million blue wildebeest, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of zebra and Thomson's gazelle, follow a circular route of about 800 km. Calving occurs on the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti in February, when up to 500,000 calves are born within a few weeks — a strategy that overwhelms predators.

The herds then move northward, crossing the Grumeti and Mara rivers where crocodiles take a toll. This migration is the defining ecological event of East African savanna and supports an entire predator community.

## Ecology and behaviour
Wildebeest are selective bulk grazers, preferring short green grass. Their large herds offer safety in numbers against predators, though lions and hyenas still take significant numbers — particularly calves and weak adults during river crossings. Wildebeest communicate through grunts, snorts and scent marking. Rutting males defend temporary territories on leks during the breeding season. They require access to water and cannot survive in arid zones without regular drinking. As a keystone prey species, wildebeest abundance directly affects predator populations across the ecosystem.

## Conservation challenges
The IUCN lists the blue wildebeest as Least Concern with an estimated 1.55 million individuals and a stable trend in protected areas. However, populations outside major reserves have declined due to agricultural expansion, fencing that blocks migration routes, poaching for bushmeat and competition with livestock. The black wildebeest recovered from near extinction to Least Concern through reintroduction in South Africa. Maintaining open migration corridors between Serengeti and Maasai Mara is critical — border fencing or land conversion could collapse the migration. CITES Appendix II regulates international trade.

## Related WARN guides
Wildebeest drive the Great Migration — read WARN's impala and gazelle guides for fellow grazers, antelope page for the wider family, and lion, cheetah and hyena pages for predators that depend on herds.

Zebra guide covers migration companions.

Open corridors between Serengeti and Maasai Mara are essential.

## What WARN does
WARN publishes this wildebeest guide as free public education. The Great Migration depends on connected savanna habitat — the same landscape-scale protection that benefits all African wildlife.

If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.

## Frequently asked questions: Wildebeest
### What is the Great Migration?
The Great Migration is the annual circular movement of roughly 1.5 million blue wildebeest, plus zebra and gazelle, between Tanzania's Serengeti and Kenya's Maasai Mara — the largest terrestrial mammal migration on Earth.

### What is the difference between blue and black wildebeest?
Blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) are larger, brindled grey-brown and range across East and southern Africa. Black wildebeest (C. gnou) are smaller, dark brown to black and confined to southern Africa.

### Why do wildebeest cross rivers?
Wildebeest follow rainfall and fresh grass. River crossings — notably the Mara River — are dangerous bottlenecks where Nile crocodiles kill many animals, but the herds must cross to reach better grazing.

### Are wildebeest endangered?
Blue wildebeest are Least Concern globally with over 1.5 million in the Serengeti–Mara alone. Populations decline outside protected areas due to habitat loss, fencing and poaching.

### What eats wildebeest?
Lions, spotted hyenas, Nile crocodiles, African wild dogs and leopards prey on wildebeest. Calves are especially vulnerable during the calving season and river crossings.

### How far do wildebeest migrate?
The Serengeti–Mara migration covers roughly 800 km in a circular route, with daily movements of 5–10 km depending on grass quality and rainfall.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List — Connochaetes taurinus](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/5228/50190209)
- [Serengeti National Park — migration](https://www.tanzaniaparks.go.tz/national_parks/serengeti)
- [CITES — Checklist of CITES Species](https://checklist.cites.org/)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/wildebeest