The Great Wildebeest Migration
The Great Wildebeest Migration
Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park offers an extraordinary adventure through its Serengeti Migration Safari, a truly spectacular event that captivates travelers each year. This migration, one of the largest and most impressive on the planet, features millions of zebras, wildebeest, and other herbivores as they traverse the park’s vast landscapes in search of fertile pastures and reliable water sources. The sheer scale of their journey across sprawling plains and through challenging terrains is nothing short of breathtaking.
During this safari, visitors are treated to an awe-inspiring display of nature’s grandeur. Herds of wildebeest and zebras thunder across the open savannahs, navigating perilous river crossings and encountering formidable predators like lions and crocodiles. The Serengeti Migration Safari provides a rare and immersive opportunity to witness the dramatic circle of life in the wild, making it an essential experience for nature enthusiasts and wildlife aficionados alike.
For those fortunate enough to embark on this remarkable journey, the untouched beauty of the Serengeti, coupled with the exhilarating spectacle of the migration, ensures an unforgettable adventure that will be cherished for a lifetime.
Migration seasons
November – January
The migration cycle of Serengeti National Park begins in this period when animals move from Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve to the south-east part of the Serengeti. This is the dry season in Tanzania and approximately 1.7 million of antelopes, accompanied by 260,000 zebras and 470,000 gazelles move to the Serengeti’s alleys covered with short grass. This time is also mating season for zebras and therefore vital to the future of these species.
February – March
In February, the migration passes through the south part of Serengeti National Park and in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This period is the peak season for fertility for antelopes and important for the formation of the next generation. New antelopes are born during this season, and visitors may see the young walking with the herd, protected from predators and able to run at an incredible speed at only a few days old.
By early March the fodder near the Ngorongoro disappears and antelopes have to migrate to the western part of the Serengeti, to the region of the Grumeti River.
April
The big herds of animals move to the central part of the park named Seronera. This period is the rainy season in Tanzania. Heavy and prolonged rainfalls give animals tens of thousands of square kilometers of fresh grass for their nutrition.
May – June
This is the end of the rainy season. Herds of antelopes continue to move to the west, to the region named Western Corridor. On their way they must cross the Mbalageti and Grumeti rivers. National Geographic and Discovery Channel continue to organize expeditions and film the incredible Grumeti River crossing, capturing the danger of the herds charging through crocodile-infested waters. It is a truly exciting thing to watch, and seeing it all live, in-person can never be matched with a television episode.
July
July is the beginning of the dry season in Tanzania. There are no rains and animals continue to move to the north, towards the border with Kenya along the Grumeti region. At the end of August, this amazing cycling of animals reaches the borders of monitoring areas of Ikorongo (where there is the famous German Fort Ikoma, described in Bernard Grzimek’s book “Serengeti shall not die”).
August – October
At the end of September, the migration reaches the border with Kenya. In October, during the peak of the dry season, most of the animals have migrated to the Maasai Mara in Kenya where there is a lot of fresh water and plenty of grass.
Best time to Visit
It is a matter of choice whether you would like to plan your Serengeti safari around the Great Migration. We have mentioned earlier that the Serengeti is a year-round destination as it covers a vast area and offers unparalleled wildlife viewing. Chances that you will be at the exact spot of the Great Migration herd crossing a river (either at the Grumeti or Mara River) are very slim. Also, the timing of herd movements cannot be guaranteed. However, if you choose the right part of the Serengeti: the southeast and Ndutu from December through to May, the Western Corridor from May to July, the Serengeti Mara area from July trough to October, and the northern Serengeti and Lobo area in October and November, large herds of wildebeest and their entourage should be easily located.
How To Book The Tour
TANZANIA SAFARI HOLIDAY TOURS
