A group of gnus is called a herd, but they may also be called an implausibility.
Gnus, better known as wildebeest, form some of the largest and most dramatic herds in the animal kingdom, part of the annual Great Migration across the Serengeti and Maasai Mara, so it’s no surprise their standard collective noun is the straightforward one.
What Is a Group of Gnus Called?
The most common and accurate term is a herd of gnus, describing the massive, coordinated groups these antelope form for migration and grazing. Implausibility is a much newer, playful addition, poking fun at the wildebeest’s famously odd, seemingly mismatched appearance.
Where Did the Name Come From?
“Herd” is one of the oldest and most general English collective nouns, applied to large hoofed mammals for centuries and fitting gnus perfectly given their genuinely enormous migratory groups, sometimes over a million animals strong. “Implausibility” has no historical roots at all; it’s a modern, humor-driven addition to collective-noun lists, born from the wildebeest’s reputation as looking like it was assembled from spare parts, a horse’s mane, a cow’s body, and an antelope’s horns and beard.
Gnu Facts
- Habitat: Gnus live across the grasslands and savannas of eastern and southern Africa, with the blue wildebeest famous for its Serengeti migration route.
- Social behavior: Highly social and migratory, gnus form massive herds that move in sync, following seasonal rains in search of fresh grazing.
- Diet: Grazers, feeding almost exclusively on short grasses, which is part of what drives their constant, large-scale movement.
- Lifespan: Wild gnus typically live 15-20 years.
- Distinctive: The Great Migration involves roughly 1.5 million wildebeest moving in a continuous loop, one of the largest single movements of land mammals on Earth.
Example Sentences
- A herd of gnus thundered across the river crossing, dust rising behind them for miles.
- “What an implausibility,” the guide joked, gesturing at the odd-looking herd grazing nearby.
Other Names for a Group of Gnus
Gnus are also playfully called an implausibility, a modern, humor-based addition rather than a historical term.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a group of gnus called?
A group of gnus is called a herd, or more playfully, an implausibility.
Are gnus and wildebeest the same animal?
Yes, gnu and wildebeest are two names for the same animal, with wildebeest being the more commonly used term today.
How large can a wildebeest herd get?
During the Great Migration, herds can involve roughly 1.5 million individual wildebeest moving together.
Why are wildebeest called an “implausibility”?
It’s a playful, modern nickname referencing the wildebeest’s unusual, seemingly mismatched appearance rather than any historical collective noun tradition.
Related: Collective Nouns for Mammals