Members of the antelope family, the hree great kudus males, named Dice, Scout and Sterling, arrived from the Santa Rosa Zoo in Northern California in November 2011 and have spent the past two months getting acclimated. They are sharing the African Savannah exhibit with the giraffes and ostriches. / Courtesy of The Living Desert
PALM DESERT — Visitors to The Living Desert will find three greater kudus have moved in with the giraffes and ostriches in the park’s African Zavannah exhibit.
Members of the antelope family, the young male kudus, named Dice, Scout and Sterling, arrived from the Santa Rosa Zoo in Northern California in November and have spent the past two months getting acclimated.
Dice is the youngest, born Sept. 27, 2009, while half-brothers Scout and Sterling were born Sept. 4, 2010 and Sept. 15, 2010, respectively. Their weights range 250 to 400 pounds, and when full grown at about 4 or 5 years old, they will weigh more than 750 pounds.
“These greater kudu are a marvelous addition to our African Savannah exhibit and will cohabitate with the giraffe and ostrich just as they do in the wild, said Liz Hile, curator of animals at The Living Desert.
“The addition of these animals brings an added dimension to one of our most popular attractions,” she said.
The greater kudu large, yet generally shy and known for their long, twisting horns and their brown and striped pelts, which help them to disappear in scrub environments. When threatened, they will often run away rather than fight, though fighting for dominance does happen.
Their large ears are extremely sensitive to sound making it difficult for a predator to approach them, according to The Living Desert.
They are accomplished jumpers, able to clear approximately 7 feet with ease. Their horns can grow to a 56 inches long.
