Once the large grazer herds have spent time in a certain spot, its winter appearance may become park-like, for the grass isn’t growing now in this summer rainfall area. The tall bushveld trees appear majestic, bearing their leaves out of reach of most mammals. Annual grasses will grow from seed with first spring rain, the perennial ones sprouting from the tuft cropped to ground level by consumers.

No wonder the animals have moved away for now. The rhythm of recovery in an ecology has triggers for telling all participating species the time for their next moves.