Kenya Wildebeest in Masai Mara

The Kenya Wildebeest, Connochaetes taurinus, is possibly most famous for occurring in spectacular numbers seasonally in the Maasai Mara and Serengeti.

The regular migrations of enormous herds, which may contain hundreds of thousands of animals, allow Wildebeest to follow the good grazing which comes after the rains in East Africa.

This leads Wildebeest to cross dangerous stretches of water like the Mara River which claims the lives of the weak and those unfortunate enough to get too close to the Crocodiles that lie in wait.

At other times Kenya Wildebeest gather in smaller groups with females and calves forming herds and young males forming separate bachelor herds.

One of the classic sights in Kenya is the long lines of Wildebeest travelling insingle file to and from water (they drink daily).

They look rather tired since they travel with their heads hanging down, but in fact this isn't tiredness, Wildebeest have scent glands in their feet and so as members of a herd travel they keep their noses close to the ground to catch the scent of other group members.

Unlike the majority of Kenyan mammals Wildebeest young all tend to be born within a 3 week period which coincides with the peak rain season.