The blue wildebeest, also known as the white-bearded gnu, is a large antelope. These creatures have broad shoulders and muscular bodies. Adults have blue-gray or gray-brown fur with darker fur on their face, mane, and tail. Males are usually darker in color when compared to females.

Adult blue wildebeests measure about 67 to 94 inches in head to body length and are 45 to 57 inches in height. Females weigh up to 570 pounds while males can weigh up to 640 pounds! Both males and females have large curved horns which can grow up to 33 inches long!

Blue wildebeests live in southern and some eastern African countries. Some countries include Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia, and others. Although their population is not threatened, they have been reintroduced in countries like Namibia.

Blue wildebeests love acacia plains and savannas with plenty of grasses to feed on. These creatures live in large herds that constantly travel together to find food and water. 

The blue wildebeest is an herbivore and mostly eats short grasses. Their wide mouths are adapted to eat large quantities of grass at a time. They eat all throughout the day and night and are constantly traveling to find suitable grasses and vegetation to eat, as well as water to drink.

A large portion of the blue wildebeest’s diet consists of short grasses. As for water, the blue wildebeest cannot go more than a few days without it, so they are constantly searching for watering holes.

Female blue wildebeest can conceive as early as 16 months of age, however, most tend to wait until they are around 2 to 3 years old. Males usually become sexually mature but 2 years old. Blue wildebeests mate during the end of the rainy season, usually spanning across 3 weeks.

Females conceive after about 8 to 9 months. They give birth in the middle of the herd, unlike most animals who go find a hidden spot to conceive. Calves weigh about 42 pounds at birth and can stand on their own after minutes of being born! They are born with tan/brown fur and develop their adult coloration at around 2 months.

Blue wildebeests are highly social animals, hence why they are usually seen in herds of up to the thousands! However, when wildebeests migrate, there can be up to 1.5 million of them traveling together! Other herd animals like gazelles, zebras, and other species will also join them on their migratory route.

Blue wildebeests usually migrate from May to June and travel up to 1,000 miles! When facing danger, these noisy animals will make loud signals to the rest of the herd and are known to come together and chase after the predator to scare it away.