Greater Kudu Antelope

 

The Zoo’s new Southern white rhinos are sharing their digs with one of the handsomest of all antelope, the greater kudu. Greater kudu are considered to be the tallest antelope species, reaching heights of between 40 and 60 inches at the shoulders. Much lighter than their eland cousins, adult greater kudu weigh between 260 and 600 pounds, depending upon age and gender. Our adult male weighs in at 600 pounds and the young females are currently about 280 pounds each.

 

 

Like other members of the spiral-horned antelope group (which includes eland, bongo, and nyala, among others, all fo which you can visit at the Houston Zoo), greater kudu are adorned with a white facial chevron and white body stripes. Only male greater kudu carry horns; they are the largest of any antelope, measuring up to four feet in length. 

 

Not overly social animals, greater kudu females associate with their offspring in small herds of 3-6 animals. Males may live in transient bachelor groups, coming together with cow-calf herds only at mating time. Females give birth to a single calf after a gestation of about nine months.

 

 

Greater kudu are most prevalent in the woodlands and thickets of southern Africa but also occur in smaller numbers in East Africa. Strictly herbivores, greater kudu feed on leaves, herbs, fruits, vines, flowers, and grasses. Here at the Zoo, our animals receive a nutritionally balanced diet of hay, produce, freshly cut leaves, and a compressed alfalfa pellet with added vitamins and minerals.

 

In the wild, greater kudu may serve as prey for some of their carnivorous neighbors, such as lions, leopards, wild dogs, and spotted hyenas. These antelope have also been hunted by humans as a source of meat and also for trophies because of their impressive horns. Greater kudu are not currently endangered in the wild but their conservation status is routinely monitored to ensure they continue to thrive. Greater kudu are fairly common in zoos and adapt well to that environment. 

 

Not at all! Greater kudu co-exist with many other species, including Southern white rhinos; seeing them together here in The African Forest represents a natural living arrangement and serves to enhance important educational messages about conservation, ecology, and biodiversity.