Gnus live in groups of females with their young and with territorial males. The great seasonal migrations to new grazing lands see tens of thousands of gnus come together.
 
Just a few minutes after birth, young gnus stand on their feet to follow their mother, with whom they remain until they wean at about 9 months of age. Horns appear at the age of 3 months, pointing upwards to start with but starting to bend outwards at 8 months. The females give birth around the same time, which helps to limit the numbers lost to predators, but young gnus remain very easy prey.
 
This species is not considered endangered but does suffer periodic declines in number, especially during droughts. Hunting, the growth of farming and cattle-transmitted illnesses could threaten its survival in the long run.