Try GOLD - Free
What's the largest animal gathering on Earth?
BBC Wildlife
|October 2025
PEOPLE LOVE A PARTY. BUT AS POPULOUS as our species is, the headcounts at our gatherings don't match those of other species. The Maha Kumbh Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage in Prayagraj, India, drew more than 660 million people in January 2025. But this horde - thought to be the largest in human history – pales in comparison to the groups formed by our animal relatives.
The largest animal gatherings in the world likely occur in the chilly depths surrounding Antarctica. The Southern Ocean is home to Antarctic krill - tiny crustaceans that form swarms more than 20km long. A single swarm may contain trillions of individuals. Krill are a crucial food source for other organisms, including fish, penguins and whales.
This story is from the October 2025 edition of BBC Wildlife.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM BBC Wildlife
BBC Wildlife
"I was terrified the elephant would ram us"
African elephant in Kenya
2 mins
January 2026
BBC Wildlife
ALL YOU EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT THE Fennec fox
THE FENNEC FOX IS THE SMALLEST fox in the world, with a body length that can be as little as 24cm.
3 mins
January 2026
BBC Wildlife
INTO THE PLASTISPHERE
A unique synthetic ecosystem is evolving in our oceans – welcome to the plastisphere
7 mins
January 2026
BBC Wildlife
“More than half of all animal life exists in a parasitic relationship, and all life lives in symbiosis”
Our survival depends on species evolving to live together - but some relationships take dark turns
7 mins
January 2026
BBC Wildlife
Are animals able to dream?
SLEEP IS A MYSTERIOUS THING. FOR A long time, we weren't sure why we do it.
1 mins
January 2026
BBC Wildlife
Does a cuckoo know it's a cuckoo?
ABSURD LITTLE BIRDS ACROSS THE world lay their eggs in the nests of other species, leaving the hapless parents to raise a changeling at the expense of their own offspring.
2 mins
January 2026
BBC Wildlife
Orcas killing young sharks
Juvenile great whites are easy prey for orca pod
1 mins
January 2026
BBC Wildlife
Ocean goes on tour
Acclaimed film touring the UK, backed by live orchestra and choir
1 min
January 2026
BBC Wildlife
Feisty bats hunt like lions
Winged mammals use a 'hang and wait' strategy to take down large prey
1 mins
January 2026
BBC Wildlife
SNAP-CHAT
Richard Birchett on magical merlins, wily coyotes and charging deer
2 mins
January 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size