(Alcelaphus caama), an artiodactyl mammal of the family Cavicornia, a member of the group of bubaline antelopes. Body length, up to 230 cm; height at withers, up to 150 cm; weight, up to 180 kg. The hartebeest has a well-proportioned body with slender legs. Both the male and the female have short horns with two sharp curves. The tail is approximately 30 cm long and is covered with long hairs; there is no tuft at its tip. The hartebeest is reddish in color, with a white patch, or “mirror”, on the haunches; its head, legs, tail, and thighs are partially black. The hartebeest is found on the savannas of southern Africa. It stays in small groups of five to ten individuals and feeds on grass and leaves. It is hunted for its meat and skin. In many regions the hartebeest is in danger of extinction.