African antelope migration largest ever but species face extinction

Approximately 6 million antelopes are migrating through East Africa, creating the largest land mammal migration ever recorded. African Parks, in cooperation with the government of South Sudan, is observing this migration.

After the season's first rains between April 28 and May 15, airplanes began researching flights over the Boma, Badingilo, and Jonglei areas in the eastern part of South Sudan. They managed to capture the migration of various antelope species, specifically approximately 5 million yellow-backed kob, 300,000 tiang, 350,000 Mongalla gazelles, and 160,000 reedbucks.

"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," admitted Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks.

Research confirmed that the observed area also maintains populations of elephants, giraffes, lions, and cheetahs. There are also huge populations of large birds, such as various species of storks, black-crowned cranes, herons, and several species of vultures.

This may suggest that there is a lot of wildlife here and nothing to worry about. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Biodiversity in this area faces many threats. Comparing today’s research with studies conducted in the 1980s shows that we are facing a "catastrophic decline in the numbers of most sedentary species." This refers to hippos, buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, and cheetahs.

One of the primary threats to these animals is illegal poaching, which is being conducted "on a scale we have never seen before."

The bloody civil war that has been raging in South Sudan for many years has also not helped the animals in this region. Ethnic cleansings continue to occur.

The conflict has not only caused immense human suffering but also affected the movement of animals and practically made wildlife research impossible.

The future of the rich ecosystems in these areas may ultimately depend on human relations in the region.

"This wildlife and larger ecosystem is the basis for survival for multiple ethnic groupings which are often in conflict with each other over resources. Successful management of this landscape will only be possible through building trust with and amongst these ethnic groupings," notes Fearnhead.

"Working with these local communities to protect this vital ecosystem will help perpetuate this global phenomenon whilst also bringing about stability, safety and security and creating a sustainable future for the people who live in this area – many of whom are still recovering after years of war and disruption," concluded the director of African Parks.