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Red hartebeest (Alcelaphus caama)
The horns are distinct. This powerfully built dweller of open savannah likes running and always is a challenge to hunt. The Red hartebeest is a large, reddish-fawn antelope with sloping back and long narrow face. Both sexes have heavily ringed horns.
Of the 12 subspecies described in Africa, the Red hartebeest is the only one which occurs in South Africa. Due to its re-introduction onto game farms and nature reserves, it has a wide distribution today. Adult bulls weigh up to 340 lbs. It is predominantly a grazing species which prefers medium-height grass stands and relishes fresh re-growth after grass fires or rain.
The name Hartebeest comes from the Dutch word hert which means deer and beest meaning beast. The term hartebeest was used by the early Boers from Europe who thought the animals looked like a deer. Hartebeest is the Afrikaans for hertebeest. Preferred habitat is the dry, arid regions of Namibia, the Kalahari, southern Botswana, and north-western South Africa.