Zoo database

Wildebeest / gnu

Connochaetes spp.

Natural diet Wildebeest / gnu

Grasses
Leaves

Wildebeests are herbivorous grazers that primarily consume grasses. They are versatile feeders and adapt to different food sources during migration. They also feed on leaves, bark, and fruits of trees and shrubs in times of scarcity.

Feeding advice Wildebeest / gnu

Feed quantity per day

2-4% of body weight

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 200 kg and eats 3% of its body weight, it will get

200 x 0.03 = 6 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

15% Concentrates
85% Grass, lucerne and other roughages

Proportions (fresh product)

0.15 x 6 kg = 900 g concentrates
0.85 x 6 kg = 5100 g grass, lucerne and other roughages

Diet suggestions

In moderation

Variety of browse

Not recommended

Fruits

Alfalfa hay

Additional advice

Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least two feeding moments per day.
Supplement the diet with ad libitum roughages (read more about browsers and grazers).
In nature, the fraction of grasses is highest during the wet seasons, while the browse fraction increases during the dry season. In captivity, this can be mimicked by incorporating some browse in the diets during the winter.
The browse used in the diet can be a mixture between dried and fresh browse.
In the winter months, either dried, frozen (thawed) branches or leaf silage should be provided.
Feeding fruits might lead to might lead to gastro-intestinal disturbances because of the high sugar level and low fiber level in cultivated fruits compared to wild fruits (read more about nutritional values of (wild) fruits and vegetables).
Stimulate foraging behaviour by hiding, stacking or hanging the feed (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).

Common diseases

An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:

Rumen acidosis
Deformed hooves
Obesity

Species within this group

Black wildebeest
Blue wildebeest

Feed quantity per day

Sample percentage calculation

Feed composition

Proportions (fresh product)

Grazer pellets

Boskos Grazer

KNZ Mineral-lick Wildlife

Birch leaves - 10-20 kg bag

Marieke Post

Manager R&D & QA