Wildebeest hunting in South Africa

Often, Wildebeest are one of the first big animals hunted by visitors to these shores. They can be extremely tough to bring down and earn the reputation of being a "Poor Man's Buffalo". They are also sought after by meat hunters due to their bulk, making them good value for money. Officially only two species and no subspecies occur in South Africa. The Blue Wildebeest also known as a Brindled Gnu have Buffalo shaped horns and is much larger in size than the comical-looking Black Wildebeest with their forward curving horns and their white tail that gives them the alternative name of White-tailed Wildebeest. The Blue Wildebeest originally occurred at low altitudes in the Bushveld savannas and has now been introduced to many high-lying areas. However, the Black Wildebeest on the other hand inhabited the high-altitude grasslands and does not survive in the lower-lying regions of the country. When ranched together they have been known to hybridise. Numerous colour variants have now been selectively bred by game ranchers in South Africa. The Golden Wildebeest is the more common of the colour variants and along with the Kings Wildebeest can be trophy hunted as their numbers continue to increase. Today, good quality Wildebeest hunting is available throughout the country. Classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN, no special hunting permits are required. However, a Threatened and Protected Species (TOPS) permit is required before hunting a Black Wildebeest.