[imagesource: Marcus Westberg]

In a first-of-its-kind study, the scale of the world’s largest land mammal migration in South Sudan has been revealed.

The breathtaking spectacle, known as the Great Nile Migration, includes approximately six million antelope along with other wild animals. The millions of migrating antelope included white-eared kob, Mongalla gazelle, tiang and Bohor reedbuck.

In August 2022, African Parks signed a 10-year management partnership for Boma and Badingilo National Parks with the Government of the Republic of South Sudan. Since then, the task of establishing an effective approach to manage over two million hectares of thriving biodiversity, in a largely unknown landscape, has been “mammoth”, the organisation said on YouTube.

A year later, African Parks conducted a mass collaring survey followed by an aerial survey to understand wildlife movement and the extent of the antelope populations. The survey covered an area of 122,774 km2.

“The results were astonishing: South Sudan is home to the largest land mammal migration on Earth, estimated at approximately 6 million antelope which move north and east across the country towards Gambella National Park in Ethiopia after the seasonal rains.”

“Knowing this has amplified the significance of safeguarding this globally significant landscape and its wildlife, while working together with local communities, to uphold their livelihoods and cultural needs.”

Feed your soul with this magnificent video footage of the epic migration:

Discover Wildlife notes that the survey results will be used to help develop an understanding of the landscape, allowing conservationists to develop ways to ensure it can deliver sustainability for both wildlife and people in the area.

“As we all know South Sudan is a land rich in biodiversity, boasting some of the most beautiful animals,” said H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan, who announced the results of the survey.

“Our grasslands and protected sites provide a haven for some of the largest populations of antelope on earth. Today with great pride I announce the findings of this census to this nation and the international community. It has brought us the position of number one (in the world).

The president added that as South Sudan develops further, they are committed to transforming the wildlife sector into a sustainable tourism industry.

“To activate this I call upon the security forces, particularly the Ministry of Wildlife and its partners to prioritise the training and equipping of wildlife rangers to combat poaching and trafficking of illegal wildlife products in protected areas.”

Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks, said “The astonishing scale of the migration is only equalled by the responsibility to ensure that it survives into the future in an extremely complex landscape.”

With everyone on the same page, we can expect to see this epic migration play out for years to come.

[source:discoverwildlife]