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| Common Name: | Lesser kudu | Family: | Bovidae |
| Latin Name: | Tragelaphus imberbis | Diet: | Herbivore |
| Type: | Mammal | Habitat: | Woodlands, Grasslands |
| Native To: | Africa | Social Unit: | Group |
| IUCN Red List Status: | Near threatened |
Lesser kudus at Edinburgh Zoo
Edinburgh Zoo has the only lesser kudus in Britain. Our two females, named Bibi and Chara, arrived here in June 2006 from Basel Zoo, Switzerland. Bibi and Chara were born a year apart – Bibi in November 2004 and Chara in November 2005. We received a male named Julius in May 2007; he came from Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic and was born in October 2005. In January 2009, a male baby was born and was named Badru.
Where it can be found at Edinburgh Zoo
Our kudus share the African Plains exhibit with our zebra and nyala.
Lesser kudus in the wild
The Lesser kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis) is native to the semi-arid areas of north-eastern Africa, with a range that includes parts of Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania. It is active mainly at night and the early morning, seeking shelter shortly after sunrise.
The lesser kudu is a browser, eating mainly the leaves of trees and bushes. Its water requirements are small, and are largely satisfied through the moisture in the food it eats. It is a shy and elusive animal, preferring to stay in thick cover and fleeing with leaps of up to 2 meters (6.6 feet) when startled.
The lesser kudu has a long neck, large ears, and a reddish-brown coat with white stripes on the side, two white patches on the front of the throat, and a white underside on the tail. Males of the species have long, spiralled horns. Older males’ coats turn to a blue-gray colour.
Although there is a large population of lesser kudus currently in the wild, the species faces several threats that could cause worrisome declines. Hunting by humans, overgrazing by cattle, and outbreaks of rinderpest, an infectious disease spread by cattle, are all serious threats to the lesser kudu. For these reasons, the lesser kudu has been classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a Near Threatened species. This means that the lesser kudu is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.
Breeding programme category: ESB
IUCN Red List category: Near Threatened
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