Introduction |
Northern Circuit |
Southern Circuit |
Coastal Circuit |
Western Circuit
Please select the National Park or Game Reserve from the list below:
Northern Circuit
Serengeti National Park
Wildebeest Migration (Map)
The Annual Movement of Wildebeest and other grazing
herbivores across the Serengeti - Mara
ecosystem is one of the greatest spectacles
in the natural world. Over 2 million animals
partake in this great migration, with some 200,000
Zebra ahead of, and 500,000 Thomson's Gazelles
behind, the players - one and a half million wildebeest,moving
in a gigantic herd, migrate
from the south-east part of the park to the greener
west and north and return again
to the south in a clockwise
circle.
Members of the vast wildebeest
herd give birth between January
and March on the short grass plains
of the southern Serengeti (in Ndutu/Gol/Southern
Loliondo). By occupying and birthing
on these open plains, the mass of herbivores
reduces their competitive pressure on other grazers
in the Serengeti ecosystem for upto half of the
year. The short grass plains are green only during
the rains and the mostly treeless landscape
provides optimum conditions for the females
to give birth as potential predators are more
easily detected here than in the woodlands.
In June, they then return to
the north-west towards Western Corridor
of the Serengeti and its Grumeti River,
significant numbers may also go up through Loliondo,
or via Seronera and Lobo. This
watercourse is their first real obstacle
and gigantic crocodiles are waiting for the hesitant
wildebeest to stumble at the crossing.
In early July- mid August, from Grumeti,
if conditions are very good, i.e. there is plenty of grass
and water; the herds will be spread out all the way from
Seronera to the Mara River.
Here again, they must cross another river, Mara
River. This phenomenon is sometimes
called the Circular Migration. Over 250,000 wildebeest
alone will die along the journey
from Tanzania to Masai Mara Reserve
in upper Kenya, a total of 500 miles. Death
is often caused by injury, exhaustion,
or predation.
The Migration as a whole need not
all pass into Kenya and many stay behind
or cross and re-cross the border
areas. This carries on through till October/November,
when they will start thinking of heading back. Again this will
be dependent on the rains.
The Migration is driven entirely
by standing water and grazing, and created
by local weather conditions. The Migration
is also not a continually forward
motion. You can never predict with certainty
where they will be; the best you can do is to suggest
likely timings, based on past experience
- but you can never guarantee the Migration a
hundred percent.
For safari packages,
please visit Northern
Circuit Safaris section on Packages page
BACK TO TOP
){kind=link}