Gnu is one of those great words to use in a scrabble game. But, to be honest, I would have only been able to make guesses about what one actually looks like or where they live. Finding this white tailed gnu drawing from a 1910 encyclopedia reminded me what these large animals look like.
Connochaetes gnou is known as the black wildebeest or white-tailed gnu. Whatever name you use, these are some fairly large fellows. They generally weigh between 240 and 400 pounds and stand 44-48 inches tall at the shoulder.
The encyclopedia mentioned that these animals were almost extinct in the wild. Animals, such as the one depicted in this white tailed gnu drawing were seen as pests and hunted almost to extinction for their hides and meat. Fortunately, captive specimens were successfully bred and reintroduced to their native habitats in Lesotho, Swaziland and South Africa. Herds are also living now in Namibia and Kenya.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
