GPS Tracking Maps South Sudan’s Antelope Migration Beyond Park Boundaries
Original report:
Tracking data from 262 antelopes is helping conservationists identify migration routes, mating grounds and calving areas across South Sudan. With much of the animals’ movement outside national parks, researchers say protection efforts must involve communities sharing the landscape.
Conservationists have mapped South Sudan’s vast antelope migration using millions of GPS records collected from 262 collared animals since 2023. The tracking covers four species in a migration estimated at around 6 million animals. African Parks, which co-manages Boma and Badingilo national parks with the government, says the data helps identify heavily used corridors and important breeding areas.
The antelopes spend at least 70% of their time outside the parks, where roads, settlements and commercial hunting complicate protection. African Parks reported no detectable population change between its 2023 and 2025 aerial surveys, although estimates carry substantial uncertainty. Conservationists and a local wildlife researcher stress that protecting the wider migration requires community involvement.
The migration landscape is shared with an estimated 1 million people and their cattle. UNESCO recognition now covers 112,000 square kilometers of the Boma-Badingilo landscape, but wildlife biologist Malik Doka Morjan says inclusive local engagement remains essential. The tracking data offers information on wildlife movements to inform discussions about land use and conservation.
Source
Conservation news — 4 November 2026
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