日落时分正在迁徙的斑纹角马群，肯尼亚马赛马拉野生动物保护区 Blue wildebeest herd migrating at sunset, Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya (© Denis-Huot/Minden Pictures)

日落时分正在迁徙的斑纹角马群，肯尼亚马赛马拉野生动物保护区 Blue wildebeest herd migrating at sunset, Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya (© Denis-Huot/Minden Pictures)

Wildebeest on the move

Each year, as many as 1.5 million blue wildebeest move through the Serengeti region of eastern Africa, traveling in a roughly 800-mile loop through Tanzania and Kenya as they chase lush, green grass and fresh water. When resources are depleted in one area, the animals move to another. Late summer often finds them Kenya's Maasai Mara nature reserve, shown on today's homepage. The speedy wildebeest (the species can run up to 50 mph!) is not alone in its journey; hundreds of thousands of zebras, gazelles, and elands accompany the herd. The great number of animals makes this phenomenon one of the largest land migrations on Earth, often called the World Cup of Wildlife.