Have I Got Gnus for You Trivia Quiz

Answer: Wildebeest

All the animals listed are antelopes. The name of wildebeest comes from the Dutch settlers, and means exactly what it seems to in English - wild beast. The native name given to the animal by the ethnic group of Khoikhoi was gnou, from which we derive its other common name.

Answer: Africa

The gnu is native to Africa, and can be found in open grasslands, or savannah, from the southern region of Kenya to the northern part of South Africa. Large herds are found in the national parks and reserves in Africa, including the Serengeti in Tanzania, the Masai Mara in Kenya, and the Liuwa Plain in Zambia.

Answer: Bovidae

The bovids include buffalos, gazelles, goats, sheep and cattle as well as the antelopes, of which the gnu is one. They have cloven hooves, and are ruminants, with four chambered stomachs enabling them to digest their food more efficiently. The gnu is often described as a combination of other animals, having the head of an ox, the horns of a buffalo and the mane and hindquarters of a horse. Equidae includes horses, Felidae is the cat family and Cervids are deer.

Answer: Black and blue

The white-tailed gnu is also known as the black gnu, and the brindled gnu is the blue variety. The black gnu is smaller and of lighter build than its blue cousin. The milk produced by the females is also different, with black gnus containing more protein.

They also differ in colour with the black gnu having a brownish body and a white tail, hence its other name. The blue gnu is usually dark grey, with stripes which give it its alternative name of brindled.

Answer: Both male and female

The horns of the male are much bigger than those of the female, and they also differ between the two species of gnu. The white-tailed gnu horns curve forward, while the brindled gnu has horns which curve to the side.

Answer: False

The name can be said with the 'g' sounded, as Flanders and Swann did with such comic effect, or spoken as 'new'. The derivation of the name is unclear, with some sources saying that it comes from the Khoikhoi word for black, while others suggest that it comes from the noise made by the animal when alarmed.

Answer: A big increase

Several websites, notably gnuworld.co.za, quote the total population in 1950 as around 100,000, increasing to 1.5 million. Around 500,000 calves are born each year, mostly in a two or three week period at the start of the rainy season. The calves can run with the herd within a few minutes of birth, but mortality is high.

Answer: Biltong

Biltong originated with the Dutch settlers in southern Africa, with the name coming from the Dutch words for 'rump' and 'strip' (or 'tongue'). Vinegar, salt, spices and herbs were applied to the pieces of meat, before drying, to provide a source of food. Nowadays, biltong is readily available and is something of a delicacy.

The other options are all dried meats from around the world. Pemmican originated with native Americans, and Borts is from Mongolia. Cecina is a Spanish dried meat.

Answer: Alligator

The large herds of gnu are an excellent source of food for many predators, with lions being the major source of danger. During migration, the herds are followed by lions looking for a young, or weak, member to cut out. Crocodiles kill many gnus as they cross rivers looking for fresh pastures, with hyenas, cheetahs, wild dogs and vultures also feeding on them. Alligators are not found in the same continent.

Answer: Herbivores

Gnus are grass eaters, and prefer short grass. One of the reasons they form groups with zebras is that the zebra will eat long grass, leaving the gnus to clear up the shorter stalks which are their preference. During migration, large herds of gnus, zebras and other antelopes cover large distances looking for fresh grass, creating one of the most dramatic sights in the animal world.