The migration of 6 million antelopes

A comprehensive aerial survey of South Sudan reveals a massive migration of 6 million antelopes. This is the largest migration of land mammals. By comparison, the annual Great Migration between Tanzania and Kenya includes only about 2 million wildebeest, zebra and gazelles, Guardian June 25 news.

“Estimates indicate that the herds are many times larger than the Great Migration. The scale is truly staggering,” said David Simpson, manager of the NGO African Parks. The herds have been moving through the region despite decades of civil war and instability in South Sudan.

In 2007, a survey by the Wildlife Conservation Society found that the migration in South Sudan included about 1.3 million animals. But African Parks, which manages the Boma and Badingilo national parks in southeastern South Sudan on behalf of the government, was able to provide a more accurate figure by using advanced technology and a more extensive survey of the area. Two camera-equipped aircraft were programmed to take a picture every two seconds. A total of 330,000 images were studied by a team at the University of Juba, using software to count the animals.

From April 28 to May 15, 2023, pilots and observers flew over an area of ​​122,774 square kilometers, nearly the size of Greece. That is the entire known range of antelope species in the Boma – Badingilo Jonglei region. They also looked at some areas that had never been surveyed. In addition to antelope, surveyors also recorded many other species including lions, giraffes, buffalo and elephants.

“The most difficult challenge is to arrange the aerial survey equipment in the aircraft, so that the field of view is correct and calibrated correctly. Low-level flying is extremely dangerous with large birds like hawks in the air around Flying for 4 hours straight and continuously every day for weeks is very stressful,” Mike Fay, coordinator of African Parks, shared.

Estimates indicate there are 5 million white-eared kob, nearly 300,000 tiang antelope, 350,000 Mongalla antelope and 160,000 bohor reedbuck, totaling the four antelope species at nearly 6 million. According to Fay, that number means the antelope migration is among the largest on Earth, far surpassing any other mammal migration on the planet. This great migration is a year-round movement of gazelles from the southwest to the northeast, entering Gambella in Ethiopia and vice versa, possibly prompted by food sources.

In the study, 126 animals from 12 species were fitted with collars to measure the distance they traveled. The 11 white-eared kob, the most numerous antelope species in the region, traveled approximately 2,000 km each. The migration in South Sudan is not the longest migration of land mammals. That record belongs to the reindeer migration in Alaska with a distance of 3,200 km, but is similar to the migration distance between Tanzania and Kenya. In addition, the number of animals in South Sudan is still smaller than the annual migration of 10 million straw fruit bats, which fly from western Africa to Kasanka National Park.