Greater kudu

Scientific name: Tragelaphus strepsiceros

How weight is recorded: Carcass weight

Field notes

Appearance

Males are large, grey-brown animals with 8–10 vertical white stripes on the body; females are more rufous and lack stripes. Males carry long, spiral horns (up to 1.2 m); females are hornless. Both sexes have a pronounced dorsal crest and a white chevron between the eyes.

Size and weight

Males 240–315 kg, 140–150 cm at shoulder; females 150–210 kg, 125–140 cm at shoulder. Body length 190–245 cm.

Habitat

Greater kudu inhabit woodland savanna, thornbush country, and rocky hillsides from sea level to 2,000 m. They favour areas with dense cover and access to water, typically in broken terrain with scattered trees.

Distribution

Found across sub-Saharan Africa from Ethiopia and West Africa through East Africa to South Africa. Absent from dense rainforest and open grassland; patchy distribution reflects habitat fragmentation.

Diet

Browsers of leaves, twigs, and bark; also consume wild fruits, seed pods, and grasses seasonally. Activity shifts toward green growth after rains.

Behaviour

Primarily crepuscular, moving at dawn and dusk; nocturnal in areas of disturbance. Solitary or in small groups (females and young); males often solitary. Wide home ranges with predictable movement patterns between bedding and feeding areas.

Hunting tips

Look for tracks in sandy washes and game trails, and fresh dung clustered in bedding areas on steep hillsides. Approach upwind through rocky terrain during early morning or late afternoon, using cover to move close before glassing. Stalk slowly and deliberately; listen for alarm calls and watch for the white rump flash when animals bolt.

Carcass weight

This species is logged by carcass weight — the animal weighed dressed, the way hunting teams normally report it.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 8 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.