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 towards more permanent water sources in the Okavango Delta. Rainfall in Angola causes the annual flood pulse in the Okavango, which rises from May to peak in July before receding, leaving fresh green grasses in its wake. These floodplain grasses provide sustenance for buffalo during the driest time of the year, when vegetation in all other habitats is senescent. When the rainy season starts in earnest, Cape buffalo can travel to their wet season range in a matter of hours. In contrast, their return migration to the dry season range is usually slower as buffalo can still access some water and forage along the way.