Greater kudu are one of the most striking buck to see. The males especially hold themselves gracefully and majestically, wearing their antlers like a crown.
They’re the kind of antelope we never get tired of seeing on safari.
They don’t seem to stay around in one place too long though. They seem quite eager to seek the cover of the bush when a car approaches. So you’ll generally only see them half hidden in the bush or flitting across the road to their favourite environment of trees and shrubs.
Be prepared for this and have your camera ready at all times so you’re prepared to take pictures!
It’s good to have your camera out anyway at any time, because in a game park, you never know what animal you’re going to come across and you have to be ready to photograph the image.
The males of the species, known as bulls, have prominent stripes on their backs, like white paint that’s been dripped down their flanks. Their horns are twisted and they have a ruff along their backs like a mane and along the underside of their necks which resembles a beard.
Females also have the ruffs, but they’re smaller, and the stripes. They don’t, however, have horns. Females are often seen together in family groups with other females and calves. Mature males live in bachelor herds or alone.
| Quick facts | |
| Latin name | Tragelaphus strepsiceros |
| Diet | Herbivore, eating leaves, new shoots, seed pods and fresh grass |
| Weight | 120-270kg (265-595lb) |
| Shoulder height | 1-1.6m (3.3-5.3ft) |
| Gestation period | 7 months producing a single calf born between November and January |
Both males and females are pale to brownish-grey in colour and have a distinctive white stripe across the bridge of their nose. They also have noticeable humps on the shoulders.
They like to look for food and drink in the morning and late afternoon, so you may see them more often at these times.