Why South Sudan is home to the world’s biggest animal migration

Conservationists say urgent action is needed to preserve it, or the world may lose its largest animal migration before most people even know it exists.

Deep inside South Sudan unfolds the greatest animal migration on Earth, a phenomenon that even most wildlife enthusiasts have never seen. Around six million antelope, including white-eared kob, tiang, Mongalla gazelle and Bohor reedbuck, surge across savannah and wetlands each year in what scientists call the Great Nile Migration. A single herd can number more than 100,000, dwarfing the famed Serengeti wildebeest trek, the Wall Street Journal reported.

An awe-inspiring but hidden event

Researchers discovered the migration’s true scale only recently, after aerial surveys in 2023 estimated more than five million white-eared kob alone. The herds follow complex routes shaped by seasonal floods and human activity, moving north during the dry season and south when the rains arrive. For conservationist Mike Fay, who is helping count the animals, the event is unmatched: “The entire planet should be amazed that this exists.” Yet the migration is virtually impossible for outsiders to witness, given South Sudan’s conflict and lack of infrastructure.

A fragile natural wonder

Despite its scale, the migration is increasingly fragile. South Sudan’s decades of ethnic fighting have left vast areas sparsely inhabited, unintentionally shielding the herds. But poaching is now a growing threat. Armed hunters equipped with military-grade weapons mow down antelope for meat worth around $50 per carcass. Conservationists warn that even enormous herds can collapse quickly; zebra once thrived in Boma National Park but may now be extinct there.

Conservation efforts under pressure

African Parks, which manages Boma and Badingilo National Parks under a deal with South Sudan’s government, is trying to balance protection with community needs. Rangers are present, but the group emphasizes persuading locals to hunt only what they need rather than enforcing strict bans. Still, the scale of commercial hunting is daunting. In one month alone, officials recorded 14,000 antelope carcasses sold in Bor, a nearby town.

Human conflict and environmental risks

Interethnic violence adds complexity. The Murle people, feared by neighbouring groups, have created a de facto no-man’s-land where antelope find refuge from settlement but also face heavily armed hunters. Meanwhile, government plans for oil drilling threaten to fragment habitats with new roads, opening the way for more poaching and villages that could block migration routes. Conservationists fear the spectacle could degrade as it already no longer reaches areas seen in the mid-20th century.

A vanishing chance to witness

Few outsiders have glimpsed the Great Nile Migration. Access is limited to helicopters or ultralight aircraft, and even then, security risks often halt trips. Attempts to build a safari camp for ecotourism collapsed when fighting reignited earlier this year. For now, the migration is largely invisible to the world — a natural wonder unfolding in silence.

The Great Nile Migration is both a marvel of nature and a reminder of fragility. While the Serengeti attracts global attention, South Sudan’s antelope migration remains hidden, threatened by war, poaching and development. Conservationists say urgent action is needed to preserve it, or the world may lose its largest animal migration before most people even know it exists.