HARTEBEEST Alcelaphus buselaphus Six races are recognised

Hartebeest
HARTEBEEST Alcelaphus buselaphus
Six races are recognised: Western major; Lelwel’s lelwel; Tora tora; Swayne’s swaynei;
Coke’s cokei; Southern/Red caama
German:Kuhantilope
French:Bubale
Spanish: Alcelafo buselafo
Breeding
Mating season:
Seasonal ruts for all, e.g. South Africa February – April; Ethiopia mid-December – mid-February; parts of Kenya through year but major February/March peak
Measurements
Total length:
2,3 m (7.5‘)
Gestation:
214 – 242 days
Tail:
47 cm (18.5”)
Number of young:
1
Shoulder Height:
1,25 m (3.9‘)
Birth weight:
6 – 12 kg (13.2 – 26.5 lb)
Sexual maturity:
Female first birth in third year
Longevity:
One captive red hartebeest 15 years 4 months;
estimated 11 – 20 years
Weight: Male
150 kg (331 lb)
Female 120 kg (265 lb)
Western Hartebeest
Lelwel hartebeest
Tora hartebeest
Swayne’s Hartebeest
Coke’s hartebeest
Red hartebeest
Red hartebeest historical range
Right front, 100 mm (3.9”) Right back, 96 mm (3.8”)
Description
All races are similar in appearance,
medium-sized, shoulders higher than
rump, head long and pointed, as are
narrow ears. Tail very short-haired at the
base and much of under surface, with
longish dark brown to black hairs on
outer surface. Both sexes carry horns, but
those of cows more slender. Horns of red,
western and Lelwel approximate a U- or
V-shape; those of Tora, Swayne’s and
Coke’s are more slender, less dramatically
back-swept and with tips spread further
apart.
Western dull sandy-brown; Swayne’s and
red are deep red-brown to fawn, dark
patches on upper legs with pale rump;
Lelwel’s reddish brown; Coke’s sandyfawn, no markings; Tora also uniform in
colour.
Distribution
Red totally isolated in south, Coke’s only
on Tanzanian/Kenyan border, western
from Senegal to south-west CAR,
Lelwel’s Chad and CAR to extreme
north-west Tanzania, Coke’s only Kenya
and Tanzania, Tora and Swayne’s possibly
only survive in Ethiopia. Red huntable in
major range states, Coke’s in Tanzania,
Lelwel’s Ethiopia and CAR, western in
those countries within range that offer
trophy hunting.
Conservation standing
By far most abundant is the red with
more than 100,000 animals, western
>25,000, Lelwel >18,000, Coke’s about
28,000. Both the Tora and Swayne’s
number only in the hundreds.
Shot placement
Habitat
Open savanna and wooded grassland.
Behaviour
All quite similar, living in herds of up
to 20 individuals, but may gather in
hundreds and even thousands seasonally,
smaller herds retaining their integrity. In
arid areas may undertake migrations to
new grazing. Adult bulls are territorial
and try to retain harem herds for
mating with receptive cows. Bachelor
herds circulate outside the territories of
established bulls. Mainly day active, but
do feed at night as well.
Rifles and Ammunition
Food
Mainly grazers, but do feed from
herbaceous plants.
Suggested Calibre: .264 - .308.
Bullet: Expanding bullet designed for penetration.
Sights: Medium-range variable scope.
Hunting Conditions: Expect medium to longer shots
in open country.
171
Hartebeest
Bull and cow red hartebeest “mock” fighting
Coke’s hartebeest, or Kongoni, is an East African form
Coke’s hartebeest has distinctive horns
Red hartebeest cow has slender horns
Red hartebeest bull has more robust horns
170
Game Animals of the World