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The Gnu, pronounced noo, also called wildebeest, pronounced WIHL duh beest, is a large African antelope. Its high, massive shoulders and thick neck support a large head with long, curved horns. The gnu has thin legs and a horselike tail. It eats leaves, twigs, and grass. Gnu is an African name. There are two kinds of gnu. The brindled gnu stands about 41/2 feet (137 centimeters) high and has a long, sad-looking face. It ranges from yellowish-brown to gray in color, and has dark vertical stripes on its shoulders and neck. Brindled gnu graze in herds between northern Kenya and northern South Africa and Namibia. The white-tailed gnu lives only in South Africa. It stands about 31/2 feet (107 centimeters) high and has a fierce-looking, hairy face. It ranges from brown to black and has a yellowish-white tail.

Scientific Classification. Gnu belong to the bovid family, Bovidae. They make up the genus Connochaetes. The scientific name for the brindled gnu is C. taurinus. The white-tailed gnu is C. gnou.