A grass-eater travelling in herds

Follow a wildebeest herd

Connochaetes taurinus

A herd may pause to graze, then move on as food changes with the seasons. In the Serengeti and Maasai Mara, this journey links many parts of the landscape.

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Hear how wildebeest live

The grasslands of the Serengeti and Maasai Mara

This page introduces the blue wildebeest of East Africa. The ecosystem spanning the Serengeti and Maasai Mara supports large migrating herds, though not every wildebeest population makes the same journey.

Moving with the rains

Wildebeest live in herds and graze on the savanna. Large migrating herds move with seasonal rains to find fresh grass.

Three things to notice

Wildebeest are antelopes, despite their cattle-like heads.
Grazing herds help keep grass short.
As herds travel, their droppings move nutrients across the grassland.

Grass, grazers and hunters

Food for lions

Wildebeest are prey for lions. A grazing animal passes energy from plants into the predator's part of the food web.

Feeding on grass

Wildebeest eat grass, including fresh growth after rain. Their grazing changes the height of the vegetation they move through.

Find wildebeest in Nature Reach

Open the free savanna map and try the midday scene to find wildebeest. Hear their introduction and compare their grazing life with the zebra's.

Explore the savanna

Meet another species

Lion

Panthera leo

A lion resting under a tree gives us one glimpse of its day. Later, as daylight fades, the pride may become much more active.

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Zebra

Equus quagga

A zebra's coat is covered in stripes, but the pattern is its own. Look beyond the stripes to discover a life spent grazing and moving with other zebras.

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Umbrella thorn acacia

Vachellia spp.

Its spreading crown makes a patch of shade on a sunny plain. For animals, this tree can offer somewhere to rest or something to eat.

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Warthog

Phacochoerus africanus

A warthog may lower itself onto its front legs while feeding. A nearby burrow gives this busy forager somewhere to shelter.

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White-backed vulture

Gyps africanus

A vulture circling overhead is searching for food on the ground. Its meal comes from an animal that has already died.

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Impala

Aepyceros melampus

Notice the impala's curved horns and light-footed movements. Only males have those horns.

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Giraffe

Giraffa spp.

A giraffe stretches towards a leafy branch. Its neck brings the food within reach, and a long, flexible tongue helps gather the leaves.

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Elephant

Loxodonta africana

An elephant can curl its trunk around a branch or lift water towards its mouth. The same flexible trunk is also its nose.

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Hippo

Hippopotamus amphibius

A pair of eyes, small ears and nostrils may be all you can see above the water. Much of the hippo’s body is resting beneath the surface.

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Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus

A cheetah’s chase can begin with a careful approach. Then its long legs carry it across the grass in a sudden burst of speed.

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Sources

Reviewed by Nature Reach on 28/09/2026.