Food: Exclusively grass. Adapted to dry areas and can go without water for long periods. Will drink regularly where water is available.
Habitat: Dry open plains, savannah and dry scrubland.
Left: MTNZEB. Young animal about 18 months old. Note straight horns and light colour.
Right: MTNZEB. Two youngsters, about 18 months, one about 6 months and a full-grown animal (lying down).
Habits: Occur in herds of up to 30 animals or so, but in dry conditions, herds of several hundreds have been observed. Breeding herds consist of a herd bull, several females and numbers of immature animals. Larger herds are the result of many individual herds coalescing, when there are many dominant bulls in the same herd. However, individual clans still form a unit in the larger herd. Old bulls live alone or in small groups.
Red Hartebeeste have acute sense of smell and hearing, but only moderate eyesight. They are much faster than they look, running at a graceful canter/gallop. Usually graze early in the morning and late afternoon/evening. Lie up in shade during the heat of the day. They are inquisitive and will often stop after running a short distance and look back, even turning arround and approaching again for a closer look. Red Hartebeeste often post sentries, usually old females, which like to take their position on top of some elevated point, such as a rock or large termite hill.
Sounds: A sneezing snort, uttered when thay are puzzled by something and also used as a warning signal.
Range: The drier parts of Southern Africa. Formerly occurred in large numbers from the Cape, through the Freestate and up to the Highveld, but farming and agriculture usurped their range.
Endnotes:For more photos see the Mammals Gallery.
Most pictures in our articles can be enlarged by simply clicking on the picture.
Images are © Copyright Game and Gun (G Grohmann and H Grohmann).
Images may not be used in any format without the written consent of Game and Gun.
Click here to send us an email with your request and our licensing/royalty terms.
