Live Streaming: Great Adventure in the Wilderness-Chapter 889 - 885: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind

Gazing at the river channel for a long time, the wildebeest leader finally decided to take the first step and give it a try.

The water was still and clearly reflected the golden, flowing fur of the wildebeest leader as its round hoof hung in the air, slowly stepping in.

"Splash!"

A huge splash startled the wildebeests by the riverbank, including the leader who had just wanted to test the waters, leaving a trail of circular prints in the mud with its damp hooves.

The river channel, once crowded with wildebeest, suddenly cleared, creating a semicircular space with a diameter of over ten meters. This also allowed Bi Fang in the tree and the viewers a better opportunity to observe what exactly had happened.

In the space cleared by the wildebeest, a Nile Crocodile, estimated to be over four meters long, had clamped onto a young wildebeest.

A successful hunt!

The young wildebeest's entire lower half, from the abdomen to the buttocks, was firmly torn by the crocodile's sharp teeth, rendering it immobile, as only its front hooves kicked continuously. Even so, the kicks began to weaken.

Having trudged a long distance, nibbling on yellowed, dry grass without any moisture, many of the wildebeests were panting with thirst, their thick tongues frequently licking their lips and nostrils, emitting low, heavy breaths.

Confronted by the calm river, a number of wildebeests chose to drink a few mouthfuls of water before crossing, risking their lives.

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The crocodile did not hesitate to strike at this moment.

This young wildebeest, only one meter in length, was too small for an adult Nile Crocodile and was easy to prey upon, even without the crocodile's signature death roll. The crocodile raised its head high and with a fierce jerk to the side of its head.

Under the force of the heavy blow, the sound of breaking bones could be heard as the young wildebeest's body bent at an exaggerated angle, clearly having its spine snapped on the spot.

Not a single wildebeest attempted to reclaim their companion; they watched indifferently as the successful Nile Crocodile took its trophy back into the river, seemingly apathetic to their companion's death.

Only a few equally formidable Nile Crocodiles approached their peer to share the meal, adding noise to the otherwise eerily silent scene.

[That tail flip was cool]

[The image is so clear, I'm shocked. I want to get a drone like Old Fang's someday]

[You'll find you can't afford it]

[Million-dollar drone, check it out]

Many viewers admired the crocodile's strength, while some focused their attention on the wildebeest.

[These wildebeest are so cold-blooded, not reacting at all]

[Cold-blooded? This is nature. Nature is just like this; there is no thriving lushness, everything is subjective feelings imposed by humans]

"Indifference is a very normal behavior," Bi Fang replied after seeing the comments. "Or rather, it's their survival strategy, just like how we humans would actively avoid a big pit on the road instead of stepping into it."

The wildebeest, able to become the largest group among large wild animals on the African Savanna and even the world, naturally had unique survival strategies.

Sitting on a tree branch, Bi Fang adjusted his seating position and, facing the camera, put up two fingers: "The actions of the wildebeest herd follow two rules."

"The first is to follow the leader or companions, and it's almost a blind following."

"When wildebeest cross a new area, they often line up one by one in a row. If we follow the herd, we can frequently witness a scene where, halfway through, suddenly one of them swerves to the right."

As if to confirm Bi Fang's words, the semicircle vacated due to the hunting of the young wildebeest remained unfilled, even though the crocodile had left.

The wildebeest leader, originally prepared to cross the river, once again fell into a state of indecision. Many wildebeests continued to approach the river to drink, but none ventured near the recently vacated semicircle.

Clearly, every other spot was equally unsafe, filled with crocodiles.

Such a scene undoubtedly surprised many viewers.

[It seems like it]

[What's the saying? Once bitten by a snake, one fears ropes for a decade?]

Bi Fang continued: "The reason might be that the first wildebeest to do so encountered a snake or smelled a predator, and then for the next half hour, every following individual repeated the same action, curving the entire column, even if the danger there had already passed."

"To us, this rule might seem foolish, but for creatures of lesser intelligence, it can ensure their safety,"

"The same occurs when crossing rivers. It looks foolish, yet it enables them to cross the most difficult stretches of water successfully, for the most part,"

Pausing for a moment, Bi Fang began his second point.

"The second rule is that the movement of the group is more important than anything else."

"Zoologists have witnessed the following scene near Mara: a female wildebeest, after crossing the river, realized that her calf was missing. While the other individuals continued to move forward, she considered returning to the river's edge to search for her child."

"Hearing its mother's call, the calf responded and swam toward her but couldn't manage to climb ashore because where the mother stood was a four-meter-high cliff. However, just fifteen meters away, there was a gentler slope."

After a brief pause, Bi Fang added, "I don't know if any of you have ever been in danger, but if you think back carefully, you'll find that in dangerous situations, our brains are very bad at noticing changes in our environment. There might be a safe area right next to you, but when you're seized by fear and panic, you simply can't notice it."

[I have never encountered danger, but I feel like what Old Fang is talking about is similar to my first public speech. I was so focused on the script and then hurried off the stage that I had no idea what reaction the audience had at the end.]

[Wow, with that comparison, I can really feel it.]

"Humans are like this, and even more so are instinct-driven animals. The calf instinctively chased after its mother's direction, struggling ceaselessly at the steep slope."

"If the mother wildebeest could have moved to the gentler area 15 meters away from the bank to guide her bewildered offspring, the calf might have been able to get ashore."

"But the momentum of the herd's movement was too great, and the female wildebeest, after only brief hesitation, turned back to run towards the main group, choosing abandonment."

"In the end, the abandoned calf struggled in the same spot until it was exhausted, slipped back into the water, and became food for the crocodiles,"

The audience, upon hearing this, was mostly left speechless with an indescribable feeling.

Sadness?

Or anger?

Nothing.

Faced with her own child, the female wildebeest ultimately chose to follow the main group.

These were their two main strategies: blind obedience and close following.

In the face of the silent live broadcast, Bi Fang actually smiled, "The survival strategy of wildebeests, in fact, contrasts sharply with the survival laws of zebras."

"Zebras usually form a family unit based on a breeding group, consisting of one leading stallion, several mares, and their offspring."

"Family members have very close relationships, especially the males, who will stick closely to their progeny."

"Once in the Ngorongoro Crater, a zoologist inadvertently killed a young male zebra that had strayed from the group while fitting it with a radio collar. The foal's father began a frantic search, scouring every family group in the area for a full ten months."

[Gosh, you're killing me here.]

[This contrast...]

[Though it's not as touching, it's still a little heart-wrenching.]

[Wait, did Old Fang say 'Ngorongoro' twice?]

Bi Fang shrugged, "The place is called the Ngorongoro Crater, I didn't say it wrong; it's an extinct volcano in the northern part of Tanzania, in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, heralded as the 'Eden of Africa,' and it is one of the most pristine and beautiful volcanic craters in the world."

"Zebras are so persistent and their family ties so strong, yet there, their population numbers are only one-fifth of the wildebeests'."

"Although wildebeests are surrounded by waiting predators from birth and their existence looks foolish, they have established the most perfect strategy to adapt to the entire ecosystem - the maximum foraging and the minimum predation, making themselves the largest kingdom on the Serengeti Plains."

The vast beauty of the savanna coexists with the looming presence of predators, yet millions of wildebeests manage to survive, becoming a miracle in the world of mammals.

"Many actions that seem cruel, indifferent to us, are key to the continued proliferation of the great collective."

"That is why I rarely and do not like to anthropomorphize animals. It is very difficult to achieve mutual understanding of different species' perspectives. We don't need to understand; we just need to record as observers,"

As Bi Fang's words settled, the tumultuous sound of splashing water rose again.

This time it was not hunting but finally, the wildebeest took steps leading the great troop across the river.