The wildebeest's grazing action stimulates grass to produce new high-protein shoots, which do not appear in ungrazed grass. On the plains, the Thomson's gazelle moves into areas previously grazed by wildebeest to exploit the new food supply. Its narrow muzzle is adapted for clipping new grass shoots. This is one reason why the Thomson's gazelle population in the Serengeti, estimated to be over 500,000, is second in size only to the wildebeest.
