Hungry Beasts

Resource for Grades 6-12

WNET: Nature
Hungry Beasts

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Video

Running Time: 2m 47s
Size: 7.9 MB

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Source: Nature: "Earth Navigators"


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WNET

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Collection Credits

Collection Funded by:

Corporation for Public Broadcasting SC Johnson Canon

Major corporate support for the Nature collection was provided by Canon U.S.A. and SC Johnson. Additional support was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the nation’s public television stations.


Animal migrations from the grand to the miniscule enliven the plains of the Serengeti, one of nature's oldest ecosystems. The wildebeests are known migratory inhabitants, famous for their great surge across the plains in search of fresh grasslands. On a smaller scale and lesser known are the locusts, which also make a migratory journey when resources become scarce. Learn more about the wildebeests and locusts of the Serengeti in this video segment from Nature.

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Transcript (Document)

open Background Essay

Seasonal changes impel a wide variety of creatures to begin migrations - sometimes on an epic scale - to feeding, mating, and breeding grounds. These journeys sometimes cover thousands of miles and require ingenious methods to accomplish.


open Discussion Questions

  • Why do wildebeest migrate? Why do locust hoppers migrate? How is the migration of the two animals similar?
  • How many wildebeest might there be in a typical herd? Why do you think the wildebeest travel in such large groups?
  • Locate the Serengeti and Lake Victoria on a world map. Use the map to trace the wildebeest’s annual migratory path.

open Transcript

Six thousand miles to the south, on the Serengeti plains of Africa, the wet season is over. Storm clouds are gathering, but they no longer bring rain to the Serengeti. As lightning sets light to the tinder-dry grass, they bring fire.

With no fresh grazing here, the herds of wildebeest are heading north west for the shores of Lake Victoria where the grass should be greener. Each year, wildebeest trek nearly two thousand miles, clockwise, in a great circular route, following the fresh grazing.

But their migration takes them through the territories of many prides of lion, all of whom have been eagerly waiting for the arrival of the herds.

These herds are huge -perhaps a million animals. However many wildebeest are taken by predators, it can't make an impact on such big numbers.

Not so far away but on a much smaller scale, another migration is beginning. 'Locust hoppers' -young locusts who have not yet developed wings -are also searching for fresh pasture.

Their migration is triggered when their numbers build up and all the food is gone. They have to keep moving to find enough for them all to eat.

But without wings, they can't travel as far or as fast as the wildebeest -yet.


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