Mind-blowing migrations of African animals or insects?

January 22, 2013 9:12 PM

I'm looking for instances of animal or insect migration that occur annually within a limited geographical area in Africa. The more concentrated the accumulation of one species in a relatively small area, the better. Thanks!

I'm thinking of something along the lines of the swarms of ladybugs that descend upon northern California every year. However I'm less interested in destructive bugs like cicadas and locusts than I am in animals or insects unique to Africa.

Any specific species that is known to flock to a particular area in droves, and has been doing so for thousands of years, would be perfect!

posted by np312 to science & nature (8 answers total)

The wildebeest in Kenya and Tanzania. I went on safari during the migration once, it was amazing.
posted by Kololo at 9:32 PM on January 22 [2 favorites]

Saw this on Attenborough's current series on Africa: giant fruit bats in Zambia.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 10:04 PM on January 22

I immediately thought of the chapter in the Poisonwood Bible where ants swarm a village.
posted by asphericalcow at 10:18 PM on January 22

Speaking of Attenborough, the sequence he narrates in Planet Earth about the annual, transformational flooding of the Kalahari Desert's dust-choked Okavango Delta (and the myriad species it draws in) is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in a documentary.
posted by Rhaomi at 10:24 PM on January 22 [1 favorite]

Nature's Great Events had an episode about the Wildebeest in Africa. Youtube vid.

There's also Swarm, which has sections specifically about insects. Youtube vid. It seems that the full 2 episodes might be available on there.
posted by Solomon at 1:14 AM on January 23

South Sudan's migration of species in the Sudd is legendary, as is the Sudd.
posted by jwells at 6:23 AM on January 23

Adding to those suggested, the sardine run in South Africa.

Also, the migration routes of flamingos (pdf).
posted by Gomez_in_the_South at 10:06 AM on January 23

Also in / around South Africa are the great white sharks and the southern wright whales. And up and down the eastern coast of the continent you have the whale shark migrations. Not as huge of numbers there however.
posted by allkindsoftime at 2:06 AM on March 21