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Hooves on the move
Wildebeest herd crossing a river
On East Africa’s rolling Serengeti plains, over one million grazers gather each year for the biggest movement of large animals on Earth. Blue wildebeest, which are a species of antelope, make up the biggest numbers. Other animals include zebras and gazelles. Each species grazes a different part of the grass, but they all depend upon rain for the grass to grow.
During the rainy season, from December to March, the wildebeest herds stay in the south, where the lush grass allows them to fatten up and have their young. As the rains dry up and the grass starts to disappear, they migrate north.
Young wildebeest can walk within an hour of being born, so they can keep up with the herd as soon as it moves. This is just as well, since lions, hyenas and many other predators lie in wait. On the way they have to cross the treacherous Mara River, where thousands drown or are grabbed by crocodiles.
The wildebeest reach their northern feeding grounds around June, where they mate and enjoy the lush new grasses for a few months. But soon, the rains are falling again in the south, and the wildebeest are restless to return. By December, they are back on their southern breeding grounds, preparing to give birth to next year’s calves.
Last modified: 11 January 2005