Black wildebeest look like an easy addition to a savanna, and they mostly are. But their group rules are confusing, and their terrain needs aren't the same as zebras or springbok. Get those two things right and they're a steady, low-maintenance species.
The group rule
The trading screen lists black wildebeest as living in groups of 4–9 males and 4–20 females. Don't let that fool you. In one habitat group you can only have one adult male.
When I first bought eight wildebeest with a couple of males among them, the social tab turned red straight away. Keep your best male (highest appeal, good fertility and immunity) and move the others out.
Wildebeest aren't the most appealing animals (around 1,125 appeal), so buy them for your reserve and your mixed savanna, not to pull in guests.
Terrain and plants
Black wildebeest are pickier about the ground than you'd expect:
- More soil. They want more soil than a typical grassland paint job.
- Long grass, not short grass. Swap short grass for long grass.
- Small bushes. They like some cover, but don't overdo it.
- Drinking water. Make sure it's pumped and clean.
When my wildebeest were unhappy, the complaints were terrain, plants and drinking water, all at once. Fixing the soil and swapping the grass type solved most of it.
Thriving
For thriving, my wildebeest wanted:
- More soil
- Long grass instead of grass
- A forage ball (counts as food optimisation enrichment)
Black vs blue wildebeest
Both are in the game. They're separate species with separate needs, so decide which one you're building for before you start painting the habitat.
Release groups and research
- A group of four black wildebeest went into the Great Rift Valley without problems.
- Some research levels for black wildebeest only unlock after you release them in the Great Rift Valley specifically. If research is blocked, check which reserve the species needs.
Mixed habitats
Black wildebeest mix well with plains zebras, springbok, Cape buffalo and nyala. A big savanna with several of these species can unlock thriving relationships, which helps every animal in the habitat.