BOTSWANA’S SECRET ZEBRA MIGRATION
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
In the mid-2000s researchers noticed that Botswana’s zebras were making extraordinary movements through inaccessible parts of the country. They then realised herds appeared to occupy certain places at certain times of the year, which led to further studies. Sarah Kingdom dives deeper into the second-largest migration on the African continent.
Researchers placed GPS collars on eight adult zebras in 2012, tracking their journey over two years, ultimately confirming that the zebras completed a round-trip journey of about 500km each year, making it the longest mammal migration in Africa.
Dr Robin Naidoo, senior conservation scientist at the World Wildlife Fund and lead author of the study, said the distance covered shocked everyone. “Nobody knew that something of this scale, with this much ground covered, was occurring," he said.
Botswana’s Greater Makgadikgadi includes two National Parks–the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park and the smaller, adjacent Nxai Pan National Park. These are the world’s largest saltpans. Nxai Pan National Park covers an area of about 2 578km² and comprises large pans once part of a super lake that, around 20 000–30 000 years ago, covered much of central Botswana. Unlike the salt-encrusted pans at Makgadikgadi, Nxai Pan is a waterless fossil pan covered in grass with occasional acacia islands. Aside from a few bat-eared foxes and the occasional elephant, the pan is almost devoid of life from June to November.
But this changes when the rains come. The pan comes to life. Seasonal waterholes appear, sweet grasses sprout on the edges of the pan and wildlife arrives. Giraffe, elephant, springbok, impala, oryx, red hartebeest, and kudu appear from the desert mirage, flocking to the area for the seasonal food and water. Most impressive of all the new arrivals are the zebra. The new grass is high in protein and minerals, two to three times more nutritious than the grasses of the delta. More than 30 000 zebras make this journey to the Nxai Pan annually, travelling almost directly south from Chobe to Nxai Pan, crossing territory predominantly inaccessible to people.
The zebras follow two main migration routes. When the rain comes, zebras that spent the dry season in the Okavango, start moving from the southeastern part of the delta to the Makgadikgadi Pans. Those from the Chobe floodplains of the Caprivi Strip in northeastern Namibia head to Nxai Pan.
As the rains begin to fall in the Nxai Pan area early in December, the zebras depart southwards from the Chobe floodplains. Most arrive in Nxai Pan National Park two or three weeks later, covering roughly 250km in an almost straight line. Others take a less direct route, with some stopping at Seloko Plain before joining the rest a few weeks later. The herds disperse throughout Nxai Pan National Park, where they stay for about three months before returning north. This is the perfect time and place for the females to give birth. You will see countless long-legged, playful, zebra foals running and gambolling from February to March.
Surprisingly, their return journey isn’t usually as direct or quick as their route south, with most of the zebra taking around 80 days to reach the more permanent water system of the Chobe and Kwando-Linyanti rivers, and typically travelling anywhere from 500-800km to get there.
Botswana’s zebra migration is one of Africa’s best-kept secrets, and a chance to see thousands of zebras moving across the Botswana landscapes is something few travellers will ever experience.
Where in the world?
You can reach Nxai Pan National Park by self-drive, organised safari or flying in. The main entrance to Nxai Pan National Park is just off the A3, the main road from Maun to Nata. From Maun, the distance to the entrance gate is 138 kilometres (2 hours) plus 30km (1 hour) from the gate to the pan. From Nata, it is about 160 km. For direct flights, Helicopter Horizons offers charter flights to Nxai Pan from Maun. Flights take around 45 minutes and offer breath-taking views of the saltpans.
Just as the zebra’s home in Nxai Pan is only seasonal, so is African Bush Camp’s Migration Expeditions Camp. This eco-sensitive temporary camp is only available from December 1 to March 31, but there’s nothing makeshift about it. Four Meru-style canvas tents come with comfortable beds and ensuite bathrooms with basins and bucket showers. There is also a spacious communal dining, lounge tent, and a chef who conjures incredible meals. https://africanbushcamps.com/camps/migration-expeditions/
There are also two campsites at Nxai Pans National Park. The main one is South Camp with 10 camp spots, near the second entrance gate, and is best for wildlife spotting. The second is at Baines Baobabs, next to the Kudiakam Pan, with three camping spots.
Six facts
• The zebras cover a distance of 500+ km one way during their migration, making it the longest land migration in Africa.
• Only the famous Serengeti migration is larger (in terms of animals migrating) in Africa.
• The migration is essential for the ecosystem, stopping zebras from over-grazing in other regions.
• Predators also benefit from this phenomenon, following the zebras and other herbivores and preying on the weak and young.
• Experts believe the migration pattern is hereditary as new generations know where and when to go.
• The ecosystem and weather play an integral part in the migration’s direction.
We published this article in the first edition of ThisWildEarth. Read our publications here.
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