WHAT'S NEW
Births, Hatchings, Acquisitions By Donna Bear, Curator of Species Management, and Jasmine Alvarado, Species Management Officer
Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) The greater kudu is the tallest of the African antelopes. Depending on the subspecies, greater kudu can be found in different regions throughout Africa such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The most prominent feature of the greater kudu is its horns. The average straightline length of a male kudu’s horn is 35 inches long. Including the curves, their horns can reach up to 51 inches, almost the width of a full-size bed. A male’s age can be determined based on the number of spirals in the horns. At two years, he will have one full spiral and at four or four and a half years, he will have at least two full spirals. In the wild, the greater kudu can live from seven to 15 years of age. In captivity, they can live up to 23 years. The Zoo has been housing kudus since 1976. While greater kudu is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, their population is still threatened by poaching, human encroachment, habitat modifications, excessive cattle grazing and disease transmission from cattle.
PHOTOS: JOHN REED
