Clowns of the Serengeti
by Gary Hall
Title
Clowns of the Serengeti
Artist
Gary Hall
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
It has been said that the White-bearded Gnu ( pronounced "new") , also known as a white-bearded wildebeest, looks like an animal put together by a committee. With forequarters of an ox, hindquarters of an antelope, mane and tail of a horse and buffalo horns it is one unique looking beast. Not to be outdone by their physical appearance, their behavior can be quite erratic. They romp and jump, turning in circles and constantly utter their one syllable sounds that sound like a low pitched "gnu, gnu, gnu". They are known as the "clowns of the Serengeti".
It is estimated that more than a million white-bearded gnu take part in the great annual East African migration, "the greatest show on earth". The migration takes place in the Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem in Kenya and Tanzania where they complete the circular migration route of somewhere between 500 and 1000 miles (800 to 1600 Km.) each year. January to March usually finds them in Tanzania's southern Serengeti where the calving season takes place. About 80% of Wildebeest births occur within a two to three week span. The sheer number of births in a short time span ensures survival of the species. Although many newborns will succumb to predation, a large percentage will survive.
Uploaded
March 31st, 2014
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