Wildebeest hunting in Mozambique

Two subspecies of Wildebeest occur in Mozambique, namely, the Blue Wildebeest (also known as the Southern Wildebeest or Bridled Gnu) and the Niassa Wildebeest, sometimes also called the Nyasaland Wildebeest. Although much smaller than a Cape Buffalo, in some ways they have a similar appearance and are often referred to as a “Poor Mans” Buffalo. Blue Wildebeest occur in Southern Mozambique and in the extreme west of the country in the Tete province. The Niassa Wildebeest is easily identifiable by the white chevron across its face and being lighter grey than its southern cousin. 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. Both Wildebeest species are classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN and no special hunting permits are required.