WILDEBEEST (PLACENTAL)
Wildebeest (large antelopes also known as gnus) are in the same family as gazelles, African antelope, buffalo, and mountain goats, in addition to domesticated species such as cattle, sheep, and goats. Most of these 137 Bovidae family members live in Africa, but they also range throughout much of Europe, Asia, and North America.

Wildebeest live on grassy plains and open woodlands in southern, central, and eastern Africa. Weighing 160 to 250 kilograms, they primarily eat grasses while living a nomadic life always in search of optimal food and water sources. Spectacular migrations of more than 1 million wildebeest are seen in Africa during May, when they go to feed in woodlands before returning in the fall to the Serengeti.

Both males (bulls) and females (cows) have horns, though the cows' horns are smaller than the bulls'. After a female's gestation period of eight-and-a-half months, one infant is born. The calf stands and is able to walk within minutes of birth, an adaptation that enables it to quickly join the herd and flee from predators such as lions and hyenas.