Hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus
🐃
Chordata
Mammalia
Artiodactyla
Pecora
Bovidae
Alcelaphus buselaphus
Swift Survivor of the Savannah, the Hartebeest is a high-speed antelope known for its elongated skull and endurance running. Once widespread across African plains, several subspecies have dwindled due to hunting and habitat fragmentation.
Description
Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) — The Hartebeest is a large African antelope adapted to open savannah and grassland environments. Recognizable by its long, narrow skull and oddly shaped horns that curve in a distinctive pattern, the Hartebeest is built for speed and stamina. These traits help it evade predators in flat, open terrain. While the species as a whole still exists, several subspecies have gone extinct or are critically endangered due to overhunting and habitat loss.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
200
1.4
2.1
2.3
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Herbivores – Grazers
Hunt History
Hartebeest have long been hunted by African pastoralists and hunter-gatherer societies for their meat, hides, and horns. The Bubal Hartebeest, once ranging across North Africa and even into the Middle East, was heavily overhunted by colonial militaries and local populations, leading to its extinction in the early 20th century. Subspecies in West and Central Africa are still under pressure today.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Regionally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
100
BP
Late Pleistocene
Africa
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
6
Est. Renderable Fat
12
kg
Targeted Organs
Hump/backfat, marrow, mesenteric fat
Adipose Depots
Hump/backfat, mesenteric, perirenal; marrow
Preferred Cuts
Hump/backfat & marrow
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
4