Zebra Migration: Factors, Patterns, and Research Summary

This assignment provides a summary of zebra migration, exploring their life cycle, migration patterns, and environmental influences. It discusses how zebras migrate in search of food and water, referencing studies in Etosha National Park, Namibia, and between Namibia and Botswana. The summary details the time zebras spend in grass and shrubs during wet and dry seasons, the use of VHF and GBS tracking collars, and the challenges zebras face during migration. It also references research utilizing GBS, NDVI, and MODIS to analyze vegetation and rainfall patterns. The conclusion highlights the value of satellite imagery and animal tracking models in understanding zebra movement and the influence of environmental changes on their behavior.

Zebra migration summary
Mohammed Ibrahim

In order to understand the life of the zebra, we need to understand the zebra’s life cycle. Furth
more, Zebra can live up to 30 years in the wild. Zebra have the ability to see and hear from birth.
Usually the mothers will guide their young zebra in the first few weeks. On the other hand, zebra
migrate because they are looking for food and water. That means if zebra live in dry areas, they
would migrate to look for water. However, there are many disturbances that cause the zebra to
migrate.
In central region of Etosha National Park, Namibia, majority of the zebra migrate in the
dry season to the east, and all of them return to the west at the beginning of the wet season.
During the wet season, migrating zebra spend 65% of time in the grass and 31% in shrubs. While
during the dry season, zebra spend 30% of time in the grass and 30% in the shrubs.
Zebra have the ability to do migration for long distances. For example, the zebra
migration between Namibia and Botswana which was about 500 kilometers. This travel was the
longest terrestrial wildlife migration. The ability of migration for zebra is based on memory.
There are two types of collars to monitor the zebra. The first one is Slandered VHF
collars. VHF stands for very high frequency, and it is fitted around the nick of the animal. The
other type is GBS tracking collars. GBS tracking has ability to record the exact location of the
animal, and it is fitted around the nick of the animal. On the other hand, Zebra face many
problems during the migration. These problems could lead to the death of zebra; such as, get
killed by wild animals, season change, loss of food and water, and Hunting.
The first study was conducted in Botswana between the Okavango Delta in the northwest
and the Makgadikgadi. In this study, the researches used GBS, NVDI, and MODIS. The function
of NVDI is to quantify vegetation by measuring the difference between near-infrared and red
light. On the other hand, MODIS was used in this study to describe spatiotemporal variability in

vegetation productivity. Figure three is showing how zebras migrate from their dry season
habitat to their rainy season habitat. While figure four is showing the daily rainfall in the
Makgadikgadi by using GBS collars.
In conclusion, the models that have been developed by satellite images with animal tracking are
useful to study the movement of zebra. These models can help to understand how landscape-
scale animal movement behavior is influenced by spatiotemporal changes in the environment.
Moreover, the models that developed by spatiotemporal environmental data can help us to reveal
decision rules, orientation, and navigation mechanisms employed in migration.