Wildebeests are gregarious animals and live in herds of 20-50 animals, usually led by a mature male or female. There are no stable social groupings within the herd. Wildebeests are active early in the morning and in the evening and the herd has a number of ┐guards┐ which bark and warn the rest of the herd if danger is sighted.

In spite of their size, wildebeests are not dangerous animals. If confronted they paw the ground, toss their horned head and prance around, then turn to stare at the intruder. Adult bulls establish their territories within the herd, where they try to retain the cows and their calves. A wildebeest fight consists mainly of pushing which causes no bodily harm at all.

Wildebeests must live near water and will search long distances to find it. They are often found together with zebras, and in times of drought, when the animals travel large distances in search of water, herds may amalgamate to form groups of thousands of individuals. Wildebeests have two annual cyclic migrations coinciding with the rainy summer season and the dry season in winter. They follow fixed migration patterns, with the same wet and dry season concentration areas used each year.

Diet

The wildebeests are exclusively grazers, living solely on grass.

Adaptations

The complex behaviour of the wildebeest upon sighting an intruder is aimed at making the animal appear more ferocious than it is.