Beware the fury of the white-tailed gnu

White-tailed gnu, better known as black wildebeest, are used by some farmers to address security challenges. But these odd-looking antelope can be very dangerous under certain circumstances

- Mike Burgess

Black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou), known for their nervy and eccentric disposition, also have a sinister look to them, with their black-and-brown coats, front-curling horns, white swishing tails, and mohawk manes that run all the way down to their bovine-like snouts.

Endemic to South Africa, the black wildebeest once roamed the country's central and eastern grasslands (including Lesotho and what is now called Eswatini) in their hundreds of thousands, but by the early 1900s, they had been hunted to the brink of extinction.

However, since the rise of game farming in the 2000s, the black wildebeest has made a comeback across its historic range, not only on game farms but also on more traditional livestock and cropping farms.

AGGRESSIVE TRAITS

Black wildebeest can be aggressive when breeding or threatened, but the chances of an attack increase exponentially when bull calves are bottle-reared and deployed as 'security guards' on farms. Once these calves reach sexual maturity, they can weigh over 180kg and have the potential to be extremely dangerous.