Greater and lesser kudu are highly social African antelopes whose welfare depends on stable group structures, adequate browse availability, and freedom from excessive predator pressure and habitat fragmentation.
Kudu welfare is undermined by habitat fragmentation that isolates social groups and reduces browse availability. Disrupted group cohesion impairs collective predator detection. Fencing across migration corridors forces animals into suboptimal areas. Drought intensifies competition for food and water. Trophy hunting targeting large-horned males removes prime breeding bulls, distorting social structures. Conservation approaches that maintain landscape connectivity and regulate hunting pressure support healthier, more stable kudu populations with better welfare outcomes for individuals.