
07
May 2015Grey Ghost
Posted by Mark / in Africa, Blog, Featured Posts, frontpage /
One of the most beautiful antelopes you will ever encounter in Africa is the “Grey Ghost” which is more usually called the Greater Kudu. Their nickname comes from their brown/grey colour, with a white stripe that runs along their spine with branches radiating off at 90° following the line of the ribs. They are very fast, stealthy and have the ability to mysteriously disappear into the thicket and just as mysteriously re-appear; masters of camouflage.
The rains in southern Africa are in full throttle and the land covered in fresh, green growth. Kudus have excellent hearing and their big ears act as radar dishes; they can pick up even the slightest sound and their bark is an alarm call that alerts other animals. Surprisingly, they are popular prey for cheetah, who hunt alone, and you might think a Kudu would be an over-ambitious target given the difference in size.
Kudus live throughout southern Africa and have done particularly well in recent years in Zimbabwe and some of the private game reserves in South Africa.