Greater Kudu Antelope
Greater Kudu Antelope=The greater kudu is one of the largest of the antelopes but it’s a rare sight and only found in any numbers in Marsabit National Park & Reserve. Elsewhere, kudu prefer hilly country with fairly dense bush cover.
The kudu stands around 1.5 metres at the shoulder and weighs up to 250 kg, yet it’s a very elegant creature, light grey in colour, with broad ears and a long neck. The sides of the body are marked by six to 10 vertical white stripes and there is a white chevron between the eyes. Horns are carried only by the males and are both divergent and spiralling.
Kudu live in small herds of up to four or five females with their young but these often split up during the rainy season. The males are usually solitary though occasionally they band together into small herds.
They are mainly browsers and only seldom eat grasses but are capable of eating many types of leaves which would be poisonous to other animals.
Although somewhat clumsy animals when on the move, they are capable of clearing well over two metres when Jumping.
Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) Swahili: tandala mkubwa The greater kudu is one of the largest of the antelopes but it’s a rare sight and only found in any numbers in Marsabit National Park & Reserve. Elsewhere, kudu prefer hilly country with fairly dense bush cover. The kudu stands around 1.5 metres at the shoulder and weighs up to 250 kg, yet it’s a very elegant creature, light grey in colour, with broad ears and a long neck.
The sides of the body are marked by six to 10 vertical white stripes and there is a white chevron between the eyes. Horns are carried only by the males and are both divergent and spiralling. Kudu live in small herds of up to four or five females with their young but these often split up during the rainy season. The males are usually solitary though occasionally they band together into small herds. They are mainly browsers and only seldom eat grasses but are capable of eating many types of leaves which would be poisonous to other animals. Although somewhat clumsy animals when on the move, they are capable of clearing well over two metres when Jumping.