Zingela Safaris

Open and grassland where water is available, preferring areas of short grass for both feeding and good visibility.

Most active in early morning and late afternoon. Rests in the middle of the day in the open, not seeking shade like most animals. Prime bulls hold territories throughout the year. They mark their areas with scent from preorbital and interdigital glands, and with middens of urine and faeces, usually pawing the ground before defacating, They paw and horn the ground, and can often be recognised by the mud and broken vegetation sticking to their horns. They display their status with a stiff-legged trot and give a loud, high-pitched honking call described as ge-nu, from which they get their species name, and a loud sharp `hic` accompanied by an upward jerk of the chin.

An unselective grazer with a preference for short grass. Grass provides 94% of the diet. Males spend longer feeding than females because territorial bulls have extra energy demands, and bachelor herds occupy areas of poor grazing. The bulls mass is 180kg. and the cow is 160kg.

Females give birth to a single young after a gestation period of 250 to 260 days and give birth from November to January.