Cape buffalo rely on consistent access to large amounts of water, so they time their movements to stay close to water sources. In northern Botswana, rainfall is highly seasonal, falling between November and March. The rains fill ephemeral waterholes and promote the growth of annual, productive grasses. During the rainy season, buffalo move extensively across the landscape to forage on new growth during the rainy season, including into dryland areas dominated by mopane woodland and sandveld grasses. When the rains cease, vegetation dies back and waterholes dry up, pushing buffalo to move back