'Remarkable' mammal migration, the largest on Earth, shown from above
Aerial pictures show the largest mammal migration in the world. Six million antelope can be seen making their way from South Sudan. They travel across the border into the Gambella National Park in Ethiopia in what's called the 'Great Nile Migration'.
- Published
The African Parks organisation and the government of Sudan are working together to protect these animals and the landscape around them. As part of this, a survey has been carried out from the sky. Two planes captured 330,000 images of the animals migrating. Migration is the seasonal movement of animals from one region to another.
During the migration, species of antelope travel in search of water, so that they can survive different seasons. African Parks describe the movement as "a remarkable and unmatched wildlife phenomenon". The millions of migrating antelope included white-eared kob, Mongalla gazelle, tiang and Bohor reedbuck.
Many groups live within the Boma Badingilo Jonglei Landscape (BBJL) in South Sudan. Each of these communities have deep cultural traditions that rely on the wildlife. If the landscaped is not properly protected and managed, migratory patterns seen among these animals could collapse.
Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks, says it's important that teams work with the communities within the parks to help protect the animals from threats such as commercial poaching, which is on the rise. By doing this he says it will also help secure a sustainable future for people who live there.
Researchers have also put collars on different species to help understand the ecosystem. Here we can see giraffes in the Boma and Badingilo National Parks. This landscape is important to the Sudd Swamps, which are the largest wetlands in Africa and the second largest in the world.
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