THE KUDU 



The Kudu male is as large as a horse, and his 

 magnificent spiral horns give him a graceful and 

 majestic appearance ; and there is no finer sight in 

 Nature than to see a herd bull standing amidst a 

 mass of boulders with head erect and horns towering 

 high in the air, listening intently and surveying his 

 surroundings. 



The cry of alarm is described as a loud, roaring 

 bark somewhat like that of the Bushbuck, but 

 louder. During the mating season, and when 

 fighting, the bulls are often heard emitting a grunting 

 sound. 



An adult bull stands from 4 feet 10 inches to 5 

 feet at the shoulder. The prevailing colour is 

 pale ashy-brown ; a fringe of long hairs extends 

 from the head down the middle of the neck and 

 back to the tail ; and another fringe runs from 

 the chin down the middle line of the throat to the 

 chest. Several narrow transverse white lines encircle 

 the barrel. 



The female is smaller than the male, but resembles 

 it in colour, except that it is often of a browner hue. 



In the young animals, the white body-stripes and 

 spots are more conspicuous and in greater number. 



Two local races are found beyond the Zambesi, viz. 

 the Somali race {Strepsiceros capensis chord), which 

 differs from the typical form in having only about 

 five transverse white stripes, instead of nine or ten, 

 as is usual. The other is the East African race 

 {Strepsiceros capensis bed). 



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