Miracle in motion: Wildebeest calf finds its footing mere minutes after being born

She looked so incredibly uncomfortable, while at the same time absolutely unbothered.

We first spotted the female wildebeest ambling along in a single file line. Herds of gazelle and zebra mingled among them. As the line neared the road, the lead picked up the pace to a trot as they made their way across toward the sea of tall grasses.

We were driving from the Ndutu Region bordering the Southern Serengeti toward Tarangire National Park. The female wildebeest who caught our attention was a soon-to-be mother intermixed amongst the migrating herd. The reason she stood out from the rest was due to the pair of hooves working their way out of her. February is the height of calving season, and it was this female’s turn to bring new life into the world.

Despite her condition, she continued to keep pace with the others around her. Calves were as far as the eye could see, and soon one of her own would join the ranks.

The female continued to walk further from the road toward the center of the herd. From our vantage point the wildebeest looked to extend for miles. We watched on from a distance, straining our eyes through binoculars and telescopic camera lenses to see if we would be lucky enough to see the Serengeti’s newest resident make their debut.

The female dropped down to the ground onto her side for what we assumed would be the final stages of labor. In a matter of minutes she was back up on her feet, but this time instead of walking on, she quickly looked down toward the ground. After about 30 seconds, was joined by a very damp newborn calf wobbling as it tried to find its footing for the first time.

After a quick once over to make sure all on the little one was accoutned for, the new mother was once again walking toward the rest of the group as her newborn shakily took its first steps behind. It took a handful of falls but within mere minutes after being born the calf was at a full trot, keeping up with its mother’s stride.

Being quick on their feet is the first of many skills the calf will need to make it through this season and continue the ancient migration the herd has made for eons. Millions of years led to this moment that we were so very fortunate to witness.

Best of luck, little calf.