Live Streaming: Great Adventure in the Wilderness-Chapter 861 - 857: The Great Animal Migration

On the savannah, Bi Fang, with Harley, headed toward the north.

The sparse, withered yellow grass reached up to their thighs.

If one was wearing shorts, with slightly delicate skin, a trek would inevitably leave it marked with white lines, and if luck was poor, encountering prickly plants would certainly lead to scratches, possibly even bleeding.

And if those plants were poisonous, it could mean an immediate game over.

At this point, the different things Bi Fang had mentioned he would teach had not yet manifested.

He was simply chatting with the audience during the hike and introducing some of the vistas of the African Savanna they might encounter, as well as potential food and scenery.

"Actually, the beginning of October is a pretty special time for the African savannah in the northern hemisphere. During this period, we can see a lot of things that aren't usually visible. It's arguably the best time."

[How so?]

[Isn't it the great migration?]

[I've been to Kenya. The migration usually starts in June or July and ends completely by September. It's October now, how can we still see the migration?]

"When it comes to the migration, it generally does start in June or July," Bi Fang acknowledged as he read the comments, but then he smiled and said, "However, the migration happens quickly, and the return is just as swift."

"How the animals migrate is indeed something we missed, being a few months late, but how they return is something we can see very clearly right now. It's perfect timing."

Kenya's geographical location is unique.

It doesn't entirely belong to the northern hemisphere nor to the southern hemisphere but straddles both, with the equator in the middle.

This means that when the northernmost part of the Kenyan savannah is experiencing the dry season, with cracked earth, the southernmost part might be in the wet season, with lush water and grass.

Such stark differences created one of the most stunning spectacles in nature—the great north-south migration of animals.

The dry and wet seasons of the African Savanna coincide with the summer seasons of their respective hemispheres.

So starting from mid-to-late May each year, the northern part of Serengeti National Park is on the brink of its dry season.

During this time, the park's vegetation gradually withers, and the lack of food becomes insufficient for the large numbers of herbivores.

Additionally, the timing is quite coincidental.

Spring arrives, life awakens, and it's mating season for animals.

Anyone familiar with animal documentaries would not find this statement strange.

For most herbivores, their breeding seasons are concentrated between March and May.

This is also true for the herbivores of the African Savannah.

Survival and reproduction are innate to every species.

The mating season may seem to defy the instinct for propagation.

Some believe that if animals could reproduce all year round like humans, their numbers could significantly increase.

However, this idea is mistaken.

In reality, the mating season is not a restriction on population numbers but aims to improve the offspring's survival rates, ultimately leading to population growth.

The laws of nature are vastly different from human society, where "survival of the fittest" is an unchanging truth.

In spring, when life blooms and temperatures are right, the comfortable environment provides shelter and food for animals.

Most animals also choose to be active in this season and then give birth in the summer.

During summer, plants are at their most abundant, and the climate is more suitable.

If offspring were born in winter, they could likely die from cold or starvation without enough food.

Herbivores become more active with plentiful food, which in turn makes hunting easier for carnivores, ensuring better survival for both their offspring.

Mating and reproduction are enormously energy-consuming activities; some extreme animals even choose to fast completely during pregnancy, waiting for birth. After birth, most females are in a weakened state and need timely care.

Just as the best steel is reserved for the edge of the blade, the same principle applies to animal reproduction.

Thus, all energy must be saved up and released in spring when survival rates are highest.

Of course, not all animals choose to be active in spring, and this is also related to the animal's gestation period. For instance, deer mate in autumn.

Due to deer's long gestation period, mating in autumn perfectly times giving birth in spring, following the aforementioned pattern.

The arrival of the dry season.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

A sudden population surge.

These two factors combined severely disrupt the balance of supply and demand.

To survive, herbivores must begin migrating northwest from Serengeti, in search of green pastures and water sources.

As herbivores move on, carnivores follow suit, and under the influence of the food chain, almost all creatures great and small must start moving.

Such a scene is quite spectacular.

Millions of wildebeests, hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles make up an impressive procession from Tanzania's Serengeti, heading north to Kenya's Maasai Mara National Park, covering more than 3000 kilometers.

Along the way, they must not only cross grasslands where lions and leopards lurk but also be wary of the ever-present hyenas and crocodiles that congregate on the narrow banks of the Mara River, with these predators ready to partake in the coming feast.

The massive migration of animals across borders and through the Mara River to Maasai Mara continues until September and even into October each year.

Even if some are seen now, they may just be a few small groups scattered about, hardly constituting a grand migration.

[But why can we see the return journey?]

[Will this live stream go on for several months, too?]

Bi Fang shook his head: "Of course not. We can see the return because this massive animal migration doesn't follow the same pattern as migratory birds, which leave in autumn and return in spring. It's just a stay of less than a month."

"Because soon, the savannas of the southern hemisphere are also about to enter the dry season."

"Moreover, the Maasai Mara National Park, where the animals have migrated, covers only one-tenth the area of Serengeti."

"It simply can't support the large numbers of herbivores."

"Starting from mid-October, as the African Serengeti Savannah enters the rainy season and the grass turns green under the rain, the animals that took refuge there must begin their return journey to Serengeti. This process usually lasts about a month and is generally concluded by December each year."

"In December, the animals returned to their homeland, began reproducing and recuperating, gradually replenishing the numbers of their kin lost on the journey, preparing for the next year."

"Out of the millions in the migrating herds, only 30% of the lucky ones managed to return to their starting point, accompanied by 400,000 newborns birthed during the perilous journey."

"So, in just over ten days, we might be lucky enough to witness this staggering scene."

"[Wow, if we're unlucky, does that mean as soon as we get there, we'll have to head back (dog's head)]"

"[Not necessarily. Everyone's back, so there would be fewer grazing, right? Maybe it'll be just perfect (dog's head)]"

"[So, it seems we'll still get to see the great animal migration.]"

"[Yay!]"

"[No yays allowed]"

Looking out, all the grass was withered and yellow, devoid of any trace of life.

The ground was very hard; although it wasn't cracked, this was also a manifestation of the lack of moisture.

If there were sufficient water sources, the ground shouldn't be as hard as concrete, but softer, capable of retaining clear footprints.

But now, even the reserve's vehicles couldn't leave a mark as they passed, showing just how parched and tough the land had become due to the lack of water.

Still, one could occasionally see animals passing through the savannah.

Rustling sounds came from the grass. A brown mouse disappeared into a narrow rock cave, leaving Harley fruitlessly digging at the entrance.

After walking for several hours, Bi Fang could clearly feel his lips drying out.

Not having caught the mouse, Harley became impatient and began to sidle up to Bi Fang, attempting to "lie down."

Cheetahs by nature dislike long-distance walks, and this was being demonstrated quite thoroughly at the moment.

Faced with Bi Fang who continued to advance, Harley, after several failed attempts to lie down, quickly moved a few steps ahead, walked in front of Bi Fang, and directly lay down on the ground. Regardless of Bi Fang walking over, it refused to stand up, merely heaving its chest, calling out a few times while lying on the ground.

"[Seems like it can't walk any further]"

"[It's giving up already?]"

"[Just throwing in the towel (eating watermelon)]"

Bi Fang laughed, not forcing Harley, but instead looked around and happened upon a small mound, paying no mind to the cheetah beside him, and strode directly towards the mound.

On the ground, Harley lifted its head to look but was blocked by the grass. After waiting for a moment without seeing Bi Fang's figure, it stood up and only then saw Bi Fang atop the mound, hurriedly running over, and then continued to flop down on the ground.

But this time, Bi Fang actually grabbed hold of the nape of its neck and dragged it up the slope.

"Cheetahs mostly lie down, and during the hottest part of the day, their activity is at its lowest. They rest under the protection of large trees' shade."

"Although the weather in Kenya isn't very hot, it doesn't affect their preference for lying down. They also dislike long-distance expeditions, so it really is time for them to rest a bit."

"However, wild cheetahs are quite timid. As they walk, they remain very alert, frequently stopping to look around and check for potential prey."

"Another thing is that they have to protect themselves from other predators, usually resting at noon. During their nap, they will even get up every 6 minutes to check and see if there are any dangers around."

"So, what we're going to do now is interestingly help it develop this habit, on higher ground with better visibility, to cultivate the practice of observing first, and then resting."

"Of course, one time definitely won't work, but with enough attempts, it will eventually understand."

On the hillside, Harley sat down under Bi Fang's insistence. Out of animal instinct, it curiously surveyed its surroundings and then followed behind Bi Fang, stopping to rest under a large tree.

Bi Fang cleared an area and sat down with a plop, feeling not too uncomfortable despite having walked all morning.

His mouth was dry, but it was very mild and not to the point of dehydration.

[Harley's reaction is too funny]

[Never been this tired in my life]

[Harley: What are these bipeds doing (dog's head emoji)]

[I want to pet it]

[Someday I also want to visit the African Savannah! Maybe I'll even run into Harley]

"Don't think I'm not afraid of cheetahs just because it doesn't seem like it, but this doesn't mean cheetahs don't pose a threat to adults."

Bi Fang directly grabbed Harley's paw to compare with his own. Although cheetahs are overall slender, just by looking at their arms, they're not much thinner.

"The arms of an ordinary person are actually not much thicker than a cheetah's forelimb. A cheetah can accelerate to 110 km/h within 3 seconds, which means it can let Bolt start 60 meters ahead in a 100-meter sprint, and the cheetah would still win."

"Moreover, when a cheetah catches its prey at high speeds, it often rolls over together with the prey, so never think that its body is fragile. The bones of felines are much harder than those of humans."

Bi Fang then opened Harley's mouth, and in a reluctant state, photographed its canines.

"The teeth of a cheetah are smaller than those of a leopard, but they are sharp enough. This is because a smaller head ensures higher running speeds. With a small head, the teeth are naturally smaller and, therefore, do not have the strong jaw force of a lion."

"So usually, a cheetah can't bite through the prey's windpipe but suffocate it to death by clamping likened to pliers."

"But human skin is not covered with fur and is thinner than that of wild animals, and the windpipe is smaller, the 3.5 cm protruded canines of a cheetah are enough to pierce a human's windpipe."

"Usually, a person wouldn't die immediately after their windpipe is pierced, and would instead become more alert due to inhaling a large amount of air. However, the accompanying arterial damage to the neck could cause uncontrollable bleeding, leading to the possibility of death from excessive blood loss."

"The bite force of a cheetah can reach 340 pounds, leopard 550 pounds, African lion 1050 pounds, Northeast Tiger 1100 pounds, and spotted hyena 1300 pounds."

"Compared like this, it doesn't seem very high, but if we compare it to a large breed of domestic dog, the German Shepherd, it's quite remarkable. The bite force of a German Shepherd is 230 pounds which is around 40 kilograms, only about two-thirds that of a cheetah."

"So to kill a cheetah, you first have to be able to kill a large canid."

"And canids don't have the sharp claws of feline animals. Although cheetahs' claws are not as sharp as a leopard's or tiger's, they still pose a significant threat to an unclothed human."

"Especially the claw under a cheetah's thumb, which not only can retract, but is also quite long and can hook and cut the prey. Those who often watch feline documentaries should know that sometimes when a cheetah catches its prey, suddenly a cut appears on its body, and that's the handiwork of its thumb claw."

Bi Fang squeezed the cheetah's thumb claw from its paw pad and showed it off as a reminder to the audience not to foolishly think that cheetahs in the wild are all cute and approachable.

He had too many fans, and it wouldn't surprise Bi Fang if there were some oddballs among them.

During the rest, Bi Fang didn't idle; he stripped some bark and rubbed out its fibers, making some ropes for future use.

Having rested for an hour, Bi Fang set off again with Harley, who had nearly recovered, until at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, just as Harley was about to give up again, Bi Fang finally spotted a promising target.

A troop of baboons.

"We've found a water source."