During migration season, wildebeests are attacked by the Masai and are lucky to only get spears piercing their skin.
Wildebeest pierced by a spear. Photo: Stuart Porter
Photographer Stuart Porter captured this unusual wildebeest during their migration in Ndutu, Tanzania, as Latest Sightings reported on July 16. "This wildebeest looks like it's carrying a spear. But in fact, it's a lucky escape from an attack. This area is prone to human-wildlife conflicts during the wildebeest migration," Porter said.
The Masai are troubled by wildebeests during migration because they invade their grazing areas. They eat large amounts of grass that the Masai need for their cattle. In addition, wildebeests give birth to many calves during their migration. During this process, their afterbirth, which is toxic to cattle, is left on the ground.
“These are some of the reasons why the Masai chase away, or even kill, wildebeest that get too close to their herds. This wildebeest was lucky. The Masai spear didn’t penetrate very deeply. It just pierced the first layer of skin and got stuck there,” Porter explains.
Wildebeests ( Connochaetes ) are animals native to Africa. In the wild, their main enemies are lions, hyenas, cheetahs, leopards and crocodiles. They eat grass and usually travel in herds, sometimes combined with zebras in large groups.
The largest herds are concentrated in the Serengeti region of Tanzania and Kenya, where more than 1 million wildebeest migrate. Along with hundreds of thousands of gazelles and zebras, their journey is one of the largest animal migrations on land.
Thu Thao (According to Latest Sightings )
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