Wildlife Guide · East Africa & Southern Africa

Wildebeest

Connochaetes taurinus (Burchell, 1823)

The gnu of the Great Migration — a million hooves shaping the savanna.

Least Concern (IUCN, 2016)

A herd of blue wildebeest with shaggy manes and curved horns crossing open savanna grassland beneath a wide African sky.

Image: Source: Wikimedia Commons — verify license before production

In brief

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.

By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated June 2026

The blue wildebeest — also called the brindled gnu — is one of Africa's most iconic grazing antelopes and the dominant species in the Great Migration of the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem. More than a million wildebeest, together with zebra and gazelle, circulate annually between Tanzania's Serengeti and Kenya's Maasai Mara in the largest terrestrial mammal migration on Earth. Wildebeest are gregarious, forming herds of thousands, and are a keystone prey species for lions, hyenas, crocodiles and wild dogs. Listed as Least Concern globally, wildebeest numbers remain substantial in protected areas but have declined where fencing, agriculture and poaching fragment their range.

1.5 million

Wildebeest in the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem

Least Concern

IUCN Red List status (2016 assessment)

250 km

Round-trip migration distance

Appendix II

CITES listing (South African population Appendix III)

Figures sourced from IUCN Red List — Connochaetes taurinus, Serengeti National Park — migration, CITES — Checklist of CITES Species .

Wildebeest: Quick Facts

Vital statistics and key facts about the Wildebeest
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

Scientific classification of the Wildebeest
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Artiodactyla
Family	Bovidae
Genus	Connochaetes
Species	Connochaetes taurinus (Burchell, 1823)

Conservation Status

IUCN 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.

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.

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Wildebeest: Frequently Asked Questions

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 do wildebeests eat?

Wildebeests eat Grazer — short green grass. 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.

Where do wildebeests live?

Wildebeests live in East Africa, Southern Africa. 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.

Are wildebeests dangerous?

Wildebeests are not generally dangerous to people. 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. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.

How long do wildebeests live?

A precise wild lifespan for wildebeests is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. 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. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

How big is a wildebeest?

A Wildebeest is about 118–270 kg. 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.

Sources & References

Population figures, conservation status and biological facts on this page are drawn from authoritative scientific and intergovernmental sources.

Terms used on this page

Plain-English definitions, from our wildlife and conservation glossary.

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