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A Nice Speciman we took at Mountain Zebra Park

The Winter Season is upon us and Kudu bulls especially get very skittish and scatter at the slightest threat. It seems even in safe Addo the hunting season has an effect on their nerves

While patrolling my farm on foot, I stumbled from some thick bushes into the precipice of a clearing. Much to my surprise a huge kudu bull was standing under a lone tree in the clearing. His back was turned directly to me and he was eating from some high branches. His long spiral horns almost flat on his back as he was stretching to reach some high branches. I froze on the spot and kept completely quiet, drinking in the beauty of this great animal. Some sixth sense must have alerted him of my presence and in a blink of an eye he was gone. No bark, no looking back - just a dash into the thick bushes. Amazed at him being aware of my presence I tested the wind and found that I was standing downwind. A memory stirred in my mind about once being told that a kudu bull can see the tip of his horn through his spiral. The only conclusion I could come to is that he saw me through the spiral of his horns seeing that they were pointed at me.
QUESTION: Can a kudu bull see the tip of his horns through his spiral?

A very old debate...
Personally I would say yes it can see the tip of its horns but not through the spiral. (spirals are probably part of vision to the horn tip) Remember that they have poor binocular vision. But the do have a extemely wide angle of shrarp clear vision..., and to top that their hearing is also exceptional. (Smell is also up to standard. you just need a little swirl in the wind...)

Put your hands up like horns and without moving your head and by closing one eye you finger tips should be in your field of vision by looking up. (If your eyes are up to scratch of course) now remember you have binocular vision as both eyes are facing forward therfore a Kudu should have a much better picture of its horn tips.... Take an elle for example- they can see behind them by turning the head only slightly (Ever driven behind an elle and watched how it is watching you?)
Just my theory I might be wrong

resized by bert
This photo was taken on the S100 in December 06. Along with sable, kudu are my favourite antelope and I always enjoy photographing them.

Another Addo specimen

Greetings Forumites.
Question, I have allways heard that Kudu bulls have 2 twists 3 twists, where on the horn is a reference point to determine a "twist". Can you determine the age of a bull by the number of twists

Thanks
Myer

Kind of Myer. A kudu bull's horns never stop growing, so a bull with a big pair is old.

Thanks for the answer BB.
But if a Kudu's horns twist as they grow, then there must be a rule of thumb or a guideline where you can tell a bulls aprox age by the number of twists in his horns

and is it counted by the full 360 degree twist ( From front to front) or a 180 degree twist (From front to back) ?????????

Kudu males start showing horns at about 6 mths and by 15 mths have aturn and by 2.5 yrs to 3 yrs have 1.5 to 2 turns Older than that = about 2.5 turns. A kudu can see the tips of his horns by looking through the curls a 4-5 year lod Bull gets ivory tips to his horns
Here is a pic of an estimated 4 yr old bull with 2.5 turns and ivory tips starting. Taken at Addo. Take an imaginary line from his eyeball to the tips of his horn and they pass right through the centre of his curls so he can see the tips of his horns any time.

Interesting info Peter, have another question for you ?
Why is it that majority of the time the adult male would be found wondering by itself or with other males and not with the females ?
The only time I've seen them with the females is early morning or late afternoon.

The kudu is majestic antelope as far as I'm conserned, especially the adult male. The horns, the chest that is at all times pushed forward, always looks clean, well groomed and the walk that says "I am the majestic of them all".

Lovely Kudu at Orpen cam this morning