The western white-bearded wildebeest is a subspecies of the blue wildebeest, or brindled gnu. It is a large, bearded antelope with a deep chest, a short, thick neck, high shoulders, and thin legs. It has smooth, cow-like horns that are thicker and wider in males, a short, glossy, grey to dark brown coat with contrasting stripes, and a shaggy black mane and tail. Males can be as long as 2.4 metres from head to base of tail and weight up to 290 kilogrammes. Females have a lighter coat and are usually smaller.<\/p>\n
The name \u201cwildebeest\u201d is derived from the impressions of Dutch settlers who thought that the animal resembled wild cattle. The blue wildebeest includes both migratory and nonmigratory populations and is widespread in grassy plains and open woodlands in much of southern and eastern Africa. The western white-bearded subspecies is the smallest blue wildebeest and is specific to northern Tanzania and southern Kenya.<\/p>\n<\/div>