Despite occupying such widespread territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas due to declining habitat, deforestation, and poaching.

[3] Greater kudus have a narrow body with long legs, and their coats can range from brown/bluish grey to reddish brown.

The head tends to be darker in colour than the rest of the body, and exhibits a small white chevron which runs between the eyes.

Greater kudu bulls tend to be much larger than the cows, and vocalize much more, utilizing low grunts, clucks, humming, and gasping.

Cows weigh 120–210 kg (260–460 lb) and stand as little as 100 cm (39 in) tall at the shoulder; they are hornless, without a beard or nose markings.

[3] Giant eland Common eland Greater kudu Mountain nyala Bongo Sitatunga Cape bushbuck Harnessed bushbuck Nyala Lesser kudu Formerly four subspecies have been described, but recently only one to three subspecies have been accepted based on colour, number of stripes and horn length:[6] This classification was supported by the genetic difference of one specimen of northern Kenya (T. s. chora) in comparison with several samples from the southern part of the range between Tanzania and Zimbabwe (T. s. strepsiceros).

The greater kudu was split into four species based on genetic evidence and morphological features (horn structure and coat color).

Their diet consists of leaves, grass, shoots and occasionally tubers, roots and fruit (they are especially fond of oranges and tangerines).

There are several instances reported where Nile crocodiles have preyed on greater kudus,[9][10] although based on records, the larger mammalian carnivores statistically are much more dangerous to the kudu and comparable large ungulates, or at least those with a preference for dry, upland habitats over riparian or swamp areas.

Despite being very nimble over rocky hillsides and mountains, the greater kudu is not fast enough (nor does it have enough endurance) to escape its main predators over open terrain, so it tends to rely on leaping over shrubs and small trees to shake off pursuers.

Male kudus may form small bachelor groups, but they are more commonly found as solitary and widely dispersed individuals.

Rarely will a herd reach a size of forty individuals, partly because of the selective nature of their diet which would make foraging for food difficult in large groups.

Before mating, there is a courtship ritual which consists of the male standing in front of the female and often engaging in a neck wrestle.

[2] Calving generally starts between February and March (late austral summer), when the grass tends to be at its highest.

However, wells and irrigation set up by humans has also allowed the greater kudu to occupy territory that would have been too devoid of water for them previously.

[16] The greater kudu population in the northern part of its range has declined due to excessive hunting and rapid habitat loss.

There are large populations in parks and reserves such as Ruaha-Rungwa-Kisigo and Selous (Tanzania), Luangwa Valley and Kafue (Zambia), Etosha (Namibia), Moremi, Chobe and Central Kalahari (Botswana), Hwange, Chizarira, Mana Pools and Gonarezhou (Zimbabwe) and in Kruger (11,200–17,300)[17] and Hluhluwe–iMfolozi (South Africa).