AI-based satellite survey offers independent assessment of migratory wildebeest numbers in the Serengeti.

ABSTRACT: The Great Wildebeest Migrationin the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is a globally iconic wildlife phenomenon that supports the health and biodiversity of the region by supporting predator populations, regulating herbivore densities, and driving nutrient cycling. This study presents the first AI-powered satellite survey, using two deep learning-based models (U-Net and YOLOv8) to detect and count wildebeest over more than 4,000 km² across two consecutive years in August 2022 and 2023 with F1 scores reaching 0.830 (Precision: 0.832, Recall: 0.838). The satellite-based results show fewer than 600,000 individuals-approximately half the widely cited estimate of 1.3 million wildebeest, which has remained largely unchanged since the 1970s. While some variation may arise from differences in spatial and t

SUBMITTER: Duporge I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12418379 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature