The natural world is full of examples of reciprocity between differing species. I’ve written about the interdependence between algae and fungi that creates a whole new structure, lichen, HERE. The most basic example of reciprocity in nature is between plants and animals in their exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, HERE.
I saw this play out again on the Serengeti plain when I was on safari. We had the gift of timing our adventure to witness the Great Migration—the largest movement of land mammals on earth. I had known, superficially, that wildebeests moved en masse with the wet season in search of greener grasses. The Lion King has a memorable scene illustrating a stampeding herd on their migration, and countless documentaries depict wildebeest herds crossing a dangerous river full of lurking crocodiles and swift moving waters. Although we didn’t see any stampedes or river crossings, we definitely witnessed this steadily moving herd.
What I didn’t know, and what surprised me, were the zebras mixed among the wildebeests. I tend to picture different species is separate categories, staying with their kind, but that’s not always the case. Especially when one species is dependent on the other, or where there is a mutual and symbiotic relationship between them.
Such is the relationship between the wildebeest and the zebra. Each relies on the strengths of the other to compensate for their particular weaknesses in regards to food access and predator detection.
Zebras prefer to munch on taller grasses, mowing through the plains and leaving the shorter, nutrient-rich new grasses for the wildebeests in their wake. This means the two species can share the same far-ranging grazing grounds. The zebra’s remarkable memory for where the best grasses were growing in previous migrations makes them wonderful navigators for the journey, benefitting both species. And the wildebeest’s greater sense of smell leads them both to needed watering holes.
The zebra has far better eyesight than the wildebeest, and is able to spot predators from a long distance. Wildebeests have better hearing, and along with their keen sense of smell, can detect dangerous big cats or hyenas before they can even be seen. The loud zebra bray alerts both species when a predator is detected. Too, by combining their herds, the larger group provides protection by virtue of their sheer number.
The symbiotic relationships that exist in nature can point to how we as humans are meant to live in community, sharing our gifts when we have an abundance, relying on others when we are in need.
Traveling together is mutually beneficial to both the zebra and the wildebeest. Who do you travel life with? What strengths do you bring to these relationships? What weaknesses of yours are compensated for by your community?
I invite you to pause for a moment and offer a word of gratitude for your particular herd.