Samples from ten thousand trees over a period of several years revealed that on the Serengeti Plain, two out of three acacias of a size suitable for thrashing had been smashed to the ground. In the woodland zone, the horning of young trees bordering open grassland thinned and pushed back the wooded fringe, extending the grassland. Though they are one of the few antelopes without ridges on their horns, wildebeests usually fray the bark and break the branches of small trees during their sparring sessions. The attacks take place either during a confrontation with another male or apparently when a bull is simply in a pushy mood with no particular adversary in mind. A session may continue anywhere from half a minute up to five minutes.
Acacias are among the trees that figure into the reproduction strategy of wildebeest bulls.
The males with good shade trees in their territory attract many more cows during rut. NWF Hosts Expedition to the Serengeti See this amazing habitat in real life with the help of the National Wildlife Federation. Copyright by National Wildlife Federation. Text and photographic images are intended solely for on-screen viewing by individual user. The video screen content is not to be used for any purpose other than individual print out without the written permission of the National Wildlife Federation or copyright holder.