Wildebeest

The wildebeest ( /ˈwɪldəˌbiːst/ WIL-də-BEEST  or /ˈvɪl-/ VIL- , plural wildebeest or wildebeests, wildebeesties (juv)), also called the gnu ( /ˈnuː/ NOO  or /ˈnjuː/ NEW ) is an antelope of the genus Connochaetes. It is a hooved (ungulate) mammal. Wildebeest is Dutch for "wild beast" or "wild cattle" in Afrikaans (beest = cattle), while Connochaetes derives from the Greek words konnos (beard) and khaite (flowing hair). The name "gnu" originates from the Khoikhoi name for these animals, gnou.