Chapter 861 Animal Migration
On the grassland, Bifang led Harley to the north.
The sparse yellow hay spread to the thighs.
If you wear shorts and your skin is a little delicate, you will definitely be covered with white marks after a hike. If you are unlucky and encounter thorny plants, blood marks are inevitable.
If it is poisonous, you may even be killed on the spot.
Bifang said that he wanted to teach something different, but there was no chance to show it at this time.
He just chatted with the audience during the hike, introducing some of the African savannah's features, as well as some food and scenery they might encounter at this time.
"In fact, early October is a very special node for the African savannah in the northern hemisphere. During this period, we can see many things that we can't see at other times. It can be said to be the best time period."
[What do you mean? ]
[Is it the great migration of animals? ]
[I have been to Kenya. The great migration usually starts in June and July and ends in September. Now it is October. How can we still see the great migration? 】
"If we talk about the great migration, it does start in June and July." Bifang admitted this without hesitation after seeing the barrage, but then smiled, "But the great migration comes quickly and comes back quickly."
"We really can't see how the animals migrated there, a few months late, but we can see how they came back now, just right."
Kenya has a special geographical location.
It does not completely belong to the northern hemisphere or the southern hemisphere, but spans north and south, with the equator in the middle.
This means that when the northernmost end of the Kenyan grassland is the dry season and the earth is cracked, its southernmost end may be the wet season, with lush water and grass.
Such a significant difference has created the most shocking scene in the entire natural world - the great migration of animals from north to south.
The dry and wet seasons of the African savannah are the same as the summer time of each hemisphere.
Therefore, starting from mid-to-late May every year, the Serengeti National Park in northern Africa is about to usher in its dry season.
During this period, the water plants in the park gradually withered, and the lack of food could not meet the needs of a large number of herbivores.
In addition, this time point is very coincidental.
Spring is here, everything is revived, and it is the season for animals to mate.
Anyone who has seen the animal world will not be unfamiliar with this sentence.
For most herbivores, their breeding period is concentrated between March and May each year.
The herbivores on the African savannah are no exception.
Survival and reproduction are the instincts of every creature.
The so-called estrus seems to be a violation of the instinct of biological reproduction.
Some people think that if animals can reproduce all year round like humans, the number of that group will definitely increase greatly.
However, this idea is wrong.
In fact, the estrus period of animals is not a limit to the number of populations, but to increase the survival rate of offspring and increase the number of populations.
The laws of nature are very different from those of human society. In nature, "survival of the fittest" is an eternal truth.
In spring, everything is revived, the temperature is suitable, and the comfortable environment provides shelter and food for animals.
Most animals will also choose to be active in this season and then give birth in the summer.
In the summer, plants are lush and the climate is more suitable.
If cubs are born in winter, they are very likely to be frozen to death in the absence of sufficient food.
Herbivores become more active with sufficient food, and relying on this, carnivores also become easier to hunt, so that the offspring of both can survive better.
Mating and reproduction are extremely physically demanding. Some extreme animals will choose not to eat at all when they are pregnant and wait for production. After production, most female animals are also in a weak state and need to be recuperated in time.
The so-called good steel should be used on the blade, and the reproduction of animals is also the same.
Therefore, all energy must be accumulated and released in the spring when the survival rate is the highest.
Of course, not all animals choose to be active in spring. This is actually related to the pregnancy period of animals. For example, deer are active in autumn.
Because the pregnancy period of deer is longer, after being active in autumn, they can give birth to cubs in spring, which actually follows the above rules.
The arrival of drought.
The number of tribes has increased dramatically.
The combination of these two reasons has seriously disrupted the balance of supply and demand.
In order to survive, herbivores have to start migrating to the northwest of Serengeti, just to chase grass and water.
The herbivores have all run away, and carnivores are no exception. Then, under the influence of the food chain, almost all creatures, big and small, have to move.
Such a scene is very spectacular.
Millions of wildebeests, hundreds of thousands of zebras and antelopes form a huge team, heading north from the Serengeti Reserve in Tanzania, and the end point is the Masai Mara National Park in Kenya, trekking more than 3,000 kilometers.
On the way, not only do they have to cross the grasslands where lions and leopards are ambushing, but they also have to beware of jackals that may appear at any time and crocodiles gathered on both sides of the narrow Mara River. These carnivores are ready to share the upcoming feast.
A large number of animals have crossed the border, crossed the Mara River, and come to the Masai Mara. This situation will continue until September or even October every year.
Even if it can be seen now, it may only be a few scattered small groups, and it cannot be called a great migration at all.
[But why can I see the return journey? 】
[Will this live broadcast take several months? 】
Bi Fang shook his head: "Of course not. We can see the return journey because this great migration of animals is not like migratory birds, which leave in autumn and return in spring, but only stay for less than a month."
"Because very soon, the dry season will begin in the prairies of the Southern Hemisphere."
"And the Masai Mara National Park, where the animals migrate, is only one-tenth the size of the Serengeti."
"It's simply not enough to sustain large numbers of herbivores."
“Beginning in mid-October, when the rainy season returns to the Serengeti savannah in Africa, the grass begins to turn green under the moisture of the rain.”
"At this time, the animals after a short period of refuge have to move back to the Serengeti. The whole process lasts about a month and basically ends in December every year."
"In December, the animals return to their homes and begin to reproduce and recuperate, gradually replenishing the number of similar animals lost along the way and preparing for the next year."
"Among these millions of migration teams, only 30% of the lucky ones can return to their starting point, and with them come back 400,000 new lives born during the thrilling journey."
"So, in a dozen days, we may be lucky enough to see this shocking scene."
[Good guy, if you are unlucky, you will have to rush back just as you passed by (dog head)]
[Not necessarily, everyone is back, there will be less people eating grass, maybe it will be just right (dog head)]
[Speaking of which, we can still see the great migration of animals]
【Great! 】
[It’s forbidden to do so]
Looking around, all the grass is withered and yellow, without a trace of life.
The earth is very hard. Although there are no cracks, this is also a reflection of the lack of moisture.
If there is sufficient water, the ground should not be as hard as cement, but softer and able to leave clear footprints.
But now even the car from the conservation center can't leave any trace when it passes by, which shows how hard the land has become due to lack of water.
However, you can still occasionally see animals passing by on the grassland.
There was a chirping sound in the grass, and a brown mouse disappeared into the narrow rock cave, leaving only Harley who was digging ineffectively at the entrance of the cave.
After walking for several hours, Bi Fang could clearly feel that his lips were getting dry.
Harley, who had not caught the mouse, began to look impatient. He began to lean towards Bifang and tried to "lie down".
Cheetahs are creatures that don't like to walk long distances, and it showed quite clearly at this moment.
Facing Bi Fang who was still moving forward, Harley, who had failed to lie down several times, quickly took a few steps forward, walked to Bi Fang, lay down directly on the ground, and did not get up even though Bi Fang walked by. He just raised his chest and screamed a few times on the ground.
【I can’t walk anymore】
[Is it no longer possible? 】
[Displayed (eating watermelon)]
Bi Fang smiled, but did not force himself. Instead, he looked around and found a small slope. He ignored the cheetah on the side and walked straight towards the slope.
Harley on the ground raised his head and looked, but his eyes were blocked by the grass. After waiting for a while, Bifang's figure was not seen, so he had to stand up. Then he saw Bifang standing on the slope and ran away quickly. Go over there and then continue to the ground.
But at this time, Bifang really grabbed the back of its neck and dragged it to the hillside.
"Cheetahs spend most of their time lying down, and during the hottest times of the day, when they are least active, they rest under the shade and protection of large trees."
"Although the weather in Kenya is not very hot, it does not affect its tendency to lie down. They also do not like long-distance expeditions. They really should take a rest now."
"However, the native cheetah is a very timid animal. It will be very alert when walking. It will stop and look around from time to time to see if there is any prey that can be eaten."
"In addition, it also needs to prevent other beasts from preying on it. It usually rests at noon. When taking a nap, it will even get up every 6 minutes to check and see if there are any dangers around it."
"So now we have to make it interesting to cultivate this habit. In some places with better sight lines, that is, at higher altitudes, we should develop the habit of observing first and resting later."
"Of course, it won't work once, but if you do it more times, it will always understand."
On the slope, Harley was forced by Bifang to sit down. Out of animal nature, he looked around curiously, then followed Bifang and stopped to rest under a big tree.
Bi Fang cleared the space and sat down. He didn't feel much discomfort after walking for a long time.
Dry mouth is dry, but the degree is very slight, not to the extent of dehydration.
[Harley’s reaction is too funny]
【I have never been so tired in my life】
[Harley: What are these two beasts doing (dog head)]
【Want to touch】
[Whenever I want to go to the African savannah! Maybe you can even meet Harley]
"Don't look at it. I don't seem to be afraid of cheetahs, but that doesn't mean that cheetahs are no threat to adults."
Bifang grabbed Harley's paw and compared it with his own. Although the cheetah is slender overall, its arms are not much thinner.
"The arms of ordinary people are not thicker than the forelimbs of cheetahs. Cheetahs can accelerate to 110km/h in 3 seconds, which means that when running a 100-meter race with Bolt, he can run 60 meters first, and the cheetah will win."
"In addition, cheetahs often roll with their prey after catching them at high speed, so don't think that their bodies are fragile. The bones of cats are much harder than those of humans."
Then Bifang opened the cheetah's mouth again and took a reluctant photo of its canine teeth.
"The teeth of a cheetah are smaller than those of a leopard, but they are sharp enough because their small head can ensure a higher running speed. With a small head, the teeth are naturally small, and they naturally do not have the strong jaws of a lion."
"So cheetahs usually cannot bite through the throat of their prey, but instead suffocate the prey to death like a pair of pliers."
"But human skin is not covered with hair, and is thinner than that of wild animals, and the throat is also small. The cheetah's canine teeth with an exposed length of 3.5 cm are enough to bite through the human throat."
"Usually, a person's throat will not die immediately if it is bitten, but will become more energetic due to the large amount of air inhaled. However, if the artery in the neck is bitten, it will bleed continuously, so there is a possibility of death from excessive blood loss."
"The bite force of a cheetah can reach 340 pounds, leopard 550 pounds, and African lion 500 pounds. 1050 pounds, Siberian tiger 1100 pounds, and spotted hyena up to 1300 pounds. "
"Compared to this, it doesn't seem very high, but compared with the big wolf dog German Shepherd, it is very impressive, because the bite force of the German Shepherd is 230 pounds, which is 40 kilograms, only about two-thirds of the cheetah. "
"So if you want to kill a cheetah, you must first be able to kill a large canine. "
"And canines don't have the claws of cats. Although the claws of cheetahs are not as good as those of leopards and tigers, they are still very effective against a naked cheetah. ”
“Especially the claw under the cheetah’s thumb, which is not only retractable but also relatively long, which can help hook and cut prey. People who often watch cat documentaries should know that sometimes when a cheetah catches up with its prey, a cut is suddenly opened on the prey’s body. This is the credit of its thumb claw.”
Bifang squeezed the cheetah’s thumb claw out of his palm and showed it to remind the audience not to be silly and think that cheetahs in the wild are cute and want to touch them.
He has too many fans, so it’s no surprise that some of them are weird.
During the rest period, Bifang was not idle. He peeled some bark, rubbed out the fibers, and made ropes for backup.
After resting for an hour, Bifang continued to travel with Harley, who had almost recovered, until three o’clock in the afternoon. When Harley was about to give up and was about to give up, he finally found a good target.
A group of baboons.
“We found a water source.”