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Informationen zum Autor Nico Medina; Illustrated by Manuel Gutierrez Klappentext If you've never known what a wildebeest is, you'll find out now in this latest Where? Is title about the Serengeti. Each year, over 1.5 million wildebeest make a harrowing journey (more than one thousand miles!) between Tanzania and Kenya. They are in search of new land to graze. Even if these creatures avoid vicious attacks from lions and crocodiles, they could still fall prey to thirst, hunger, and exhaustion. This book not only follows the exciting Migration, but also tells about the other creatures and peoples that co-exist along these beautiful landscapes of the Serengeti. Where Is the Serengeti? The lioness approaches the herd of wildebeests in plain sight. If she were hunting the wildebeests, she would crouch low and disappear into the tall grass. Her tan coat would help camouflage the lioness. ( Camouflage means to blend in with her surroundings.) But for right now, she’s only watching the herd. And the herd watches her back. Nervously. The wildebeests walk on, all the while keeping an eye on the female lion. The lioness can’t outrun the wildebeests. In short bursts, lions can reach speeds of fifty miles per hour. But wildebeests can run that fast for a long time. So if the lioness is far away from the herd, the wildebeests will be safe. And if the lioness decides to charge them, they’ll have plenty of time to run for their lives. The lioness walks alongside the herd. Lions prefer to attack when their target is no more than a hundred feet away. With a good running start, they can leap as far as thirty-six feet! But this lioness doesn’t want the wildebeests to panic and run—at least not yet. For now, she wants to keep their attention on her. Slowly, she begins closing the distance between them. The wildebeests notice, and turn to flee. The lioness charges, running straight for the herd! She’s too far back. She’ll never catch up. But on the other side of the herd, lying in wait in the tall grass, are two more lionesses. And the panicked wildebeests are running right toward them. Suddenly, the other lionesses spring into action. They jump up into a run and select their target: a lone wildebeest that has separated from the herd. The lioness that reaches the wildebeest first sinks her claws into its backside. The wildebeest bucks in an attempt to shake the lioness off, but it’s no use. The wildebeest is one of the largest species—or types—of antelope, weighing up to six hundred pounds. But the lioness is strong. The wildebeest is pulled to the ground. Now a second lioness arrives and delivers the killing blow: a sure and swift bite to the throat. The wildebeest’s death may seem brutal. But lions and their cubs need meat to survive. Predators, like lions, must hunt and kill prey, like wildebeests. As the lions feast on their fresh kill, smaller carnivores (meat eaters), like jackals, wait in the background. Vultures circle overhead. After the lions have had their fill, the jackals and the vultures will swarm in to fight over the scraps. Soon, the wildebeest’s bones will be picked clean. When survival is at stake, nothing goes to waste. This is life in the Serengeti (say: sair-en-GET-ee), a wide, grassy plain in the east-central African nation of Tanzania. Serengeti National Park was established in 1951. It covers an area of 5,700 square miles—about the size of Connecticut. Soon after the park was founded, elephants began moving back to the Serengeti. They had not been in the area for many years, having been driven out by hunters. Today, there are thousands of elephants on the Serengeti Plain. The area is also home to as many as two million wildebeests, four thousand lions, and a wide variety of other animals, including zeb...
