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Stuffed
Plush
Brindled Gnu
Soft plush standing Gnu.
Premium quality from
Fiesta Toy.
13
Inches Long
Fiesta
Stuffed Plush Gnu
FTA11760
$18.50
Sold Out
Discontinued
12 May 09
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The
brindled gnu, or
blue wildebeest, is reasonably abundant over much of central and
southeastern Africa, from northern South Africa to Kenya. It is silvery
gray with dark vertical bands on the sides and has a black mane, tail,
and face; whitish cheeks; and a tuft of dark hair on chin and throat.
The horns of the brindled gnu,
present in both sexes, spread sideways and turn up at the tips. The
white-bearded
gnu is a subspecies.
Gnu live in herds, often of
large size, and graze on the grasses and scrub of open plains. Their
herds are on the move almost continually as the animals seek pastures
that have been renewed by the rains. They are the most abundant of all
the wild grazing animals in eastern Africa. When
gnu are disturbed, they dash
away for a short distance and wheel around to gaze at whatever has
frightened them. In flight, they toss their heads, prance about, and
throw up their heels in a wild, erratic manner that is ludicrous to the
human onlooker. They stay within 20–30 miles (32–48 km) of water
sources, which they visit every two or three days. A single
gnu calf is born after a
gestation of eight to nine months. Virtually all the calves are born
within a few days of each other once a year. This ensures the survival
of the majority of them because lions, hyenas, and other predators can
kill and eat only so many of the calves in the short span of time before
the calves themselves become fast runners.
Encyclopædia Britannica 2006. Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. |
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