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The Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) is a large African ungulate featured in the Grasslands Animal Pack DLC for Planet Zoo.

Zoopedia Description

General[]

Population In Wild: 1,550,000

The blue wildebeest (or Connochaetes taurinus) is a large antelope native to Southern Africa. It is also known as the common or white-bearded wildebeest, or brindled gnu. They have a pale grey or brown coat with dark stripes across their neck, shoulders, and chest. Blue wildebeest have a long black tail and a long black mane, which either stands up or drapes over the neck depending on the subspecies. The beard trailing under the neck is white. The species is sexually dimorphic, with males being larger than females, but both males and females have distinctive, L-shaped horns. They stand 1.23m to 1.65m tall at the shoulder, are 1.7m to 2.4m long and weigh between 165kg and 290kg. Females on the other hand are 1.14m to 1.42m tall at the shoulder, 1.75m to 2.15m long and weigh 140kg to 260kg.

Blue wildebeest are not endangered and are considered a species of Least Concern, however human expansion impacts their migratory routes while deforestation and loss of water sources threatens their habitat.

Social[]

In the wild, blue wildebeest congregate in large herds comprised of several subgroups of related females and their offspring, bachelor herds of young males and dominant bulls guarding a territory within the herd’s foraging grounds.

Reproduction[]

During the breeding season, which spans over a three week period at the end of the wet season, dominant territorial bulls will track fertile females moving through and feeding in their range. While receptive females are nearby, they will barely eat or sleep. Males may also engage in so-called lekking behaviour, gathering in all-male groups to display to females with sparring and vocalisations. A male outcompeting his rivals in a lek secures mating rights to nearby females. He will then mount a receptive female and mate with her several times. She will remain close to him after mating, and he will prevent other males from approaching her. This way, he may gather a harem of females during the breeding season, although leks and harems will fragment soon after the breeding season to reform into bachelor and yearling herds again.

Following a pregnancy of around 8.5 months, the female gives birth to a single calf. It will feed exclusively off her milk until it is 4 weeks old, which is when it will start eating grasses. Calves are weaned by 8 to 10 months of age, at which time the mother is likely to already be pregnant again. Soon after, the yearling will leave their mother’s female group and join a herd of other yearlings or young adults.

Female blue wildebeest reach sexual maturity at 16 months old, males at 2 years old, though it may take a few years until their horns develop enough for them to defend a territory or claim victory in a lek in order to mate.

Animal Care[]

PREFERRED OBJECTS

Hay · Herbivore Pellets · Fruit and Vegetables

FEEDING STATIONS
Food Trough · Water Trough · Water Pipe · Water Bowl

FOOD ENRICHMENT
Grazing Ball Feeder · Hanging Grazer Feeder · Melon Feeder · Scarecrow Feeder · Small Barrel Feeder · Veggie Jelly Cake

HABITAT ENRICHMENT
Grab Ball · Herb Scent Marker · Large Ball · Large Snow Ball · Rubbing Pillar · Scratching Tree Scots Pine · Scratching Tree Tamarind

COMPATIBLE ANIMALS

IconAfricanBuffalo IconBlackWildebeest IconCommonOstrich IconCommonWarthog IconPlainsZebra IconReticulatedGiraffe IconSableAntelope IconSouthernWhiteRhinoceros IconSpringbok IconThomsonsGazelle

Trivia[]

Zoopedia Fun Facts[]

  • Blue wildebeest are so named because their coat has a blue sheen to it.
  • Blue wildebeest are known to migrate over 1000 miles every year and cross 2 rivers to do so.
  • Up to 90% of blue wildebeest offspring are all born within a 2 week birthing period.
  • Blue wildebeest are often seen in herds with plains zebra. The two species don’t compete for food though because zebras prefer long grass and wildebeest can then graze on the shorter grasses.
  • Not all blue wildebeest migrate; some female groups form closely bonded resident herds and remain in the same area year round.

Other Trivia[]

  • It's also called "Common Wildebeest", "White-Bearded Gnu", and "Brindled Gnu".

Gallery

ANIMAL NAVIGATION
STANDARD: HABITAT
AardvarkAfrican BuffaloAfrican Savannah ElephantAfrican Wild DogAldabra Giant TortoiseAmerican BisonBactrian CamelBaird's TapirBengal TigerBlack WildebeestBongoBonoboBornean OrangutanCheetahChinese PangolinCommon OstrichCommon WarthogFormosan Black BearGalapagos Giant TortoiseGemsbokGharialGiant PandaGreater FlamingoGrizzly BearHimalayan Brown BearHippopotamusIndian ElephantIndian PeafowlIndian RhinocerosJapanese MacaqueMandrillNile MonitorNyalaOkapiPlains ZebraPronghorn AntelopeRed PandaRed Ruffed LemurReticulated GiraffeRing Tailed LemurSable AntelopeSaltwater CrocodileSiberian TigerSnow LeopardSpotted HyenaSpringbokTimber WolfWest African LionWestern ChimpanzeeWestern Lowland Gorilla
ANNIVERSARY UPDATES
African LeopardBlack-and-White Ruffed LemurCollared PeccaryRed Deer
STANDARD: EXHIBIT
Amazonian Giant CentipedeBoa ConstrictorBrazilian Salmon Pink TarantulaBrazilian Wandering SpiderCommon Death AdderEastern Brown SnakeGiant Burrowing CockroachGiant Desert Hairy ScorpionGiant Forest ScorpionGiant Tiger Land SnailGila MonsterGolden Poison FrogGoliath BeetleGoliath BirdeaterGoliath FrogGreen IguanaLehmann's Poison FrogLesser Antillean IguanaMexican Red Knee TarantulaPuff AdderTitan BeetleWestern Diamondback RattlesnakeYellow Anaconda
DELUXE EDITION
Komodo DragonPygmy HippoThomson's Gazelle
ARCTIC PACK
Arctic WolfDall SheepPolar BearReindeer
SOUTH AMERICA PACK
Colombian White-Faced Capuchin MonkeyGiant AnteaterJaguarLlamaRed-Eyed Tree Frog
AUSTRALIA PACK
DingoKoalaRed KangarooSouthern CassowaryEastern Blue Tongued Lizard
AQUATIC PACK
Cuvier's Dwarf CaimanGiant OtterGrey SealKing PenguinDiamondback Terrapin
SOUTHEAST ASIA ANIMAL PACK
BinturongClouded LeopardDholeMalayan TapirNorth Sulawesi BabirusaProboscis MonkeySun BearGiant Malaysian Leaf Insect
AFRICA PACK
African PenguinFennec FoxMeerkatSouthern White RhinocerosSacred Scarab Beetle
NORTH AMERICA ANIMAL PACK
American AlligatorArctic FoxBlack-Tailed Prairie DogCalifornia Sea LionCougarMooseNorth American BeaverAmerican Bullfrog
EUROPE PACK
Alpine IbexEurasian LynxEuropean BadgerEuropean Fallow DeerFire Salamander
WETLANDS ANIMAL PACK
Asian Small-Clawed OtterCapybaraNile LechwePlatypusRed-Crowned CraneSpectacled CaimanWild Water BuffaloDanube Crested Newt
CONSERVATION PACK
Amur LeopardAxolotlPrzewalski's HorseScimitar-Horned OryxSiamang
TWILIGHT PACK
Common WombatEgyptian Fruit BatRaccoonRed FoxStriped Skunk
GRASSLANDS ANIMAL PACK
Blue WildebeestCaracalCloudless SulphurEmuEuropean PeacockManed WolfMenelaus Blue MorphoMonarchNine-Banded ArmadilloOld World SwallowtailRed-Necked WallabyStriped Hyena
TROPICAL PACK
Asian Water MonitorBrown-throated SlothFossaLar GibbonRed River Hog
ARID ANIMAL PACK
AddaxAfrican Crested PorcupineBlack RhinocerosDama GazelleDesert Horned ViperDromedary CamelSand CatSomali Wild Ass
OCEANIA PACK
Little PenguinNorth Island Brown KiwiQuokkaSpectacled Flying FoxTasmanian Devil
EURASIA ANIMAL PACK
Hermann's TortoiseMute SwanSaigaSloth BearTakinWild BoarWisentWolverine
BARNYARD ANIMAL PACK
AlpacaAlpine GoatAmerican Standard DonkeyHighland CattleHill Radnor SheepSussex ChickenTamworth Pig
ZOOKEEPERS ANIMAL PACK
African Spurred TortoiseCoquerel's SifakaHamadryas BaboonKirk's Dik-DikMarkhorPallas's CatSpectacled Bear
For the main article, see here.
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