JOHANNESBURG - Zebras make the longest migration of any animal in Africa. Scientists just recently tracked the journey. It's an exciting discovery. Long-distance animal migrations like this are rare now.

The 2,000 zebras travel between Namibia and Botswana. The two countries are in southern Africa. Wildlife experts used tracking devices to follow the zebras.

Groups of wildlife traveling together are hard to find these days. Human use of land has limited animal migrations. One study on the subject found sad news. Plants and animals disappear much faster now with humans on the scene.

"It goes to show us that nature still has some surprises," said Robin Naidoo. Naidoo worked on the study of the migration.

Scientists needed GPS tracking technology to learn about the migration. The technology is easier to get now than it was 20 years ago.

Where Their Travels Take Them

The zebras travel a 300-mile round-trip to find fresh grass and water. The zebras start in floodplains at the beginning of the African wet season. Then they follow a route across a wide river. At the end they find full waterholes and fresh grass. The zebras spend about 10 weeks there before heading back.

People already knew the zebras left their home and returned months later. Yet, they didn't know where the animals went until now.

Scientists first had to put the zebras to sleep to track them. They fired tranquilizer darts from a helicopter. Then they landed and attached collars on eight zebras, Naidoo said. The special collars use GPS technology for tracking.

Scientists tracked the zebras in 2012 and 2013. The findings were published recently in the nature magazine Oryx.

David Wilcove is a nature expert at Princeton University. He said the discovery is remarkable. Large animal migrations are shrinking nowadays. People are just beginning to understand how animals migrate, Wilcove said.

Other Animals On The Go

Wildebeest, another large animal, migrate in East Africa. They move across the Serengeti. It's possible that they cover more ground than these zebras. And more wildebeest migrate at a time. But the wildebeest don't always move in a straight line. They wander.

The zebras mostly move in a straight line. They travel 6 to 12 miles farther from start to finish than the wildebeest do, says Naidoo.

Tony Sinclair is an expert on African animal migration. He said the zebras have to move through lands controlled by humans. The migration could be lost because of humans.

Sinclair said the migration route can be protected. Protective measures could be put in place. People can benefit from protecting the route, he said. Linking it to tourism may be one way. It could protect the migration and make money.

A fence blocking a zebra route was removed in 2004. A few years later, studies found that 15,000 zebras traveled the route.

We Still Need To Know More

Much remains to be learned about this zebra migration. One wildlife group says a longer study is needed. Scientists want to know if the migration is the same every year. They also want to know how the zebras know to migrate.

The zebras destination has the water and grass they need. But, they travel past similar areas closer to their starting point. So, why do they take a longer trip than they have to? The zebras could be following a pattern so old it has become an instinct, the Oryx article said. It could be in their genes.

Mike Chase helped in the zebra study. He said the migration stirs the heart. "There are very few places left on our planet where animals and wildlife have the natural ability to roam," he said.