The Not-so-Sleepy Serengeti

Nighttime in the Serengeti As the sun sets in the Serengeti, many people and animals are busy finding a safe place to rest for the night. But some animals are just waking up. The Serengeti takes on a whole new life when night falls.

A typical safari camp in the Serengeti.

As darkness overcomes the Serengeti, the nocturnal fruit bats come out in full force. The fruit bats fly across the dark sky, making a high-pitched buzzing noise. There are 166 species of fruit bats throughout Africa living in a variety of habitats from lowlands to mountains. Despite their spooky appearance and clustering (fruit bats roost in groups of 2-2,000), fruit bats are not threatening. Their diet consists of fruit juices and flower nectar - and, in fact, they play a huge role in pollination.

Fruit bats roost in groups of various sizes - from 2 to 2,000. Fruit bats typically only have one baby a year.

$DATE
Article by Valerie Deveraux
Photographs by $PLAYER

Strictly grazers, wildebeest prefer short grass. They are unable to go without water for more than a few days.

Lions may hunt at any hour, but they typically go after large prey at night. Unlike other large cats, lions hunt together to increase their success rate. Since prey can be difficult to catch and can often outrun a lion, lions tend to fan out along a semicircle to creep up on prey.

Send in the Clowns Wildebeest (also known as gnu), one of the most well-known herbivores in the Serengeti, continue to migrate throughout the night. These antelope, nicknamed the "clowns of the savanna" because of their appearance and behavior, wander the plains of the Serengeti in search of food and water. This "Great Migration" involves a migratory circle of 500-1000 miles (800 - 1600 km). Unlike humans who might be impeded by blocked roadways, broken bridges, or waterways, wildebeests don't let anything get in the way of their migration. In fact, wildebeest will swim across rivers and lakes, often trampling (and killing) each other in the process. Despite the tragedies that occur within the migration, the wildebeest population continues to grow. In 1950, a census revealed a population of 100,000 - today there are more than 1.5 million of these noisy antelope.

Wildebeest travel in herds to help protect against preying lions and hyena.

Day or night, wildebeest typically travel in herds (moving single file when necessary) covering long distances at a slow rocking gallop. But, when necessary, wildebeests can run fast - a useful skill when a lion or hyena sets her sights on wildebeest for its next meal.

While wildebeests continue to graze and move throughout the night, other animals are also busy. During the day, hippos spend most of their time in the water, close to shore, lying on their bellies. At night, hippos come out of the water to graze. Despite their bulkiness, hippos are quite agile. Their agility allows them to climb and traverse steep river banks in search of grass to graze. Typically, hippos will graze for four to five hours each night, often covering one or two miles.

Hippos are quite aggressive and relatively unpredictable. If hippos are not in the safety of water, anything that stands between them and their refuge could be bitten or trampled. Despite their aggressive behavior, hippos do have predators - lions, crocodiles, and humans who hunt them for meat, hides and ivory teeth.

During the day, large herbivores (including wildebeest, gazelles, hippos and zebra) rely on strong eyesight and herding behavior to protect themselves from their predators. But, at night, when predators including hyenas, lion, and leopards hunt their prey, animals must stand guard!

Unlike animals that are strictly diurnal (active during the day) or nocturnal (active at night), elephants can be active at any time of day.

Hippos are the third largest land mammal. They move easily in water, either swimming by kicking their hind legs or walking on the bottom. Adult hippos can stay under water for as long as six minutes.

For more information, visit: Organization for Bat Conservation Serengeti National Park
www.superxstudios.com © Copyright 2005 Super X Studios. All rights reserved. Super X Studios and Wild Earth are registered trademarks of Super X Studios.