Royal Wildebeest hunting in South Africa

Royal or Ghost Wildebeest, is a colour variant of the Blue Wildebeest also known as a Brindled Gnu. They are white in colour but not a true albino as they have dark eyes. This animal's horns mimic those of a Cape Buffalo and are often referred to as a “Poor Mans” Buffalo. They are renowned for being tough animals to bring down with a single shot. This colour variant of Wildebeest is rare and only found on a handful of game ranches in South Africa. Game breeders are making an effort to increase their numbers but currently hunting opportunities are limited. These Wildebeest originate from Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) a small independent landlocked country in northeastern South Africa. All wildlife in the country belongs to the Swazi king, hence the origination of the name Royal Wildebeest. Both males and females have horns, however, trophy hunters will hunt the more sought-after bulls that have thicker (boss) horns. They stand high on the shoulder which often misleads hunters into shooting higher on the shoulder and missing the vital organs. They are a water-dependent species and often large herds when congregating to drink at a waterhole. Royal Wildebeest (Blue Wildebeest) are classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN and no special hunting permits are required.