Greater Kudu
wildlife of Namibia
Introduction - The Greater Kudu is the second tallest antelope in Africa and the kudu bulls bear long, spiral horns which reach record lengths of up to 1.8 m. Horns grow to their full length at the age of six years. Kudus live in small herds comprised of females and their young. During the breeding season the herds are occasionally joined by the normally solitary males.
Despite their large size kudu are surprisingly agile and from a virtual standing start can jump great heights easy clearing game fences of 2m or more.
Kudu are found on commercial farmland and in game parks all over central Namibia. They are an extreme hazard to those driving at night as they often freeze in the oncomming headlights, and being a large solid animal (with massive horns) can do serious damage. There is a particular risk when driving north out of Windhoek towards Tsumeb and the Etosha Park.
Diet -As a browser this species feeds on a wide variety of tree and shrub leaves, favouring fruits, pods and creepers when available
Colouring - Tawny-brown to grey-brown coat, marked with white stripes on flanks which vary greatly in shape, size and pattern. V-shaped band on forehead and white spots on cheeks. Manes of long hair extend from the back of the head along the back to the tail, as well as on the lower neck to the belly.
Breeding -
Size - Bulls are much larger than cows. Bulls can weigh as much as 300 Kg with a shoulder height of 1.4m and cows weigh 210 Kg with a shoulder height of 1.25m
