Saturday, 14 September 2024

Wildebeest

The wildebeests, also called gnus or wildebai, are a genus of antelopes, Connochaetes. They belong to the family Bovidae, which includes antelopes, cattle, goats, sheep and other even-toed horned ungulates. Connochaetes includes two species, both native to Africa: the black wildebeest, or white-tailed gnu (C. gnou); and the blue wildebeest, or brindled gnu (C. taurinus). Fossil records suggest these two species diverged about one million years ago, resulting in a northern and a southern species. The blue wildebeest remained in its original range and changed very little from the ancestral species, while the black wildebeest changed more in order to adapt to its open grassland habitat in the south. The most obvious way of telling the two species apart are the differences in their colouring and in the way their horns are oriented.

In East Africa, the blue wildebeest is the most abundant big game species and some populations perform an annual migration to new grazing grounds but the black wildebeest is merely nomadic. Breeding in both takes place over a short period of time at the end of the rainy season and the calves are soon active and are able to move with the herd. Nevertheless, some fall prey to large carnivores. Wildebeest often graze in mixed herds with zebra which gives heightened awareness of potential predators. They are also alert to the warning signals emitted by other animals such as baboons. Wildebeest are a tourist attraction but compete with domesticated livestock for pasture and are sometimes blamed by farmers for transferring diseases and parasites to their cattle. Some illegal hunting goes on but the population trend is fairly stable and some populations are in national parks or on private land. The IUCN lists both species as being of "least concern".

This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Wildebeest

Latest News for: gnu

Edit

News24 | Steenhuisen backtracks on GNU threats as Ramaphosa prepares to sign controversial BELA Bill

News24 13 Sep 2024

All eyes will be on President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday as he finally signs the Basic Education Amendment Laws (BELA) Bill into law at the Union Buildings ... .

Edit

News24 | 'Renewed hope': Steenhuisen pins SA's hopes on GNU, despite criticism of Ramaphosa over ...

News24 13 Sep 2024

DA leader and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen says he believes there is a renewed hope in South Africa ... .

Edit

News24 | Characterising GNU as anything but 10 parties working together is 'whistling in the ...

News24 13 Sep 2024

Edit

'We broke bread together': Ramaphosa upbeat about GNU despite differences

Eye Witness News 13 Sep 2024

Edit

Bela bill: South African education reform threatens GNU

BBC News 13 Sep 2024

The Democratic Alliance says the president should not sign a controversial education bill into law. .

Edit

News24 | Fitch keeps SA's outlook stable, says GNU will deliver 'modest' boost

News24 13 Sep 2024

South Africa avoided further slippage in its credit rating after Fitch Ratings retained a stable outlook on the nation’s debt, citing a moderate improvement in economic reforms and slower growth in the nation’s debt ... .

Edit

GNU will go nowhere unless we reckon with our divisiveness

Mail Guardian South Africa 13 Sep 2024

The government of national unity (GNU) is a real-life example of what Baldwin warned against ... Therefore I argue that the decision to co-operate and form a GNU is a union of convenience and not of choice ... The current GNU faces major challenges.

Edit

Fitch keeps SA on stable outlook

Moneyweb 13 Sep 2024

GNU a 'factor that reduces short-term policy uncertainty' and will see the 'implementation of reforms' ... .

Edit

News24 | Ramaphosa not moved by Steenhuisen's threats that signing the BELA Bill threatens the GNU

News24 12 Sep 2024

The Presidency says that Cyril Ramaphosa will sign the BELA Bill into law on Friday ... .

Edit

Presidency finds it 'disturbing' that parties threaten to ditch GNU when disputes arise

Eye Witness News 12 Sep 2024

This concern comes in response to ...

Edit

DA could ditch GNU if Bela Bill passed

Sowetan Live 12 Sep 2024

Edit

Ramaphosa says GNU working well, ministers showing great commitment to SA

Eye Witness News 12 Sep 2024

Ramaphosa said if there were ...

Edit

DA’s Steenhuisen says not every policy conflict means the GNU will fail

Eye Witness News 12 Sep 2024

Edit

The DA and the GNU: approach and agenda (DA - Democratic Alliance)

Public Technologies 12 Sep 2024

) The DA and the GNU ... So, I want to set out for you today the DA's approach to the GNU ... So, the first reason we entered the GNU is that our country required it of us ... The second reason we entered the GNU is just as compelling.

Edit

DA plays down option of government exit

Moneyweb 12 Sep 2024

'The DA will not crash the government unless the government is crashing the economy or trashing the constitution,' Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen said ... .