The annual movement of wildebeest and other grazing herbivores – the Great Migration – is one of the ultimate spectacles in the natural world. It is an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The Great Migration is the largest herd movement of animals on the planet. In fact, with up to 1,000 animals per km², the great columns of wildebeest can be seen from space.
Between the months of July and October, one and a half million wildebeest accompanied by vast numbers of zebras and gazelles, make the long and dangerous trek from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, northwards towards this corner of Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve.
Lines of animals stretch as far as the eye can see across the open plains. They come to give birth to their young and the grasslands echo with the sounds of the new-born. It is a time of plenty. But it is a time too, when the predators are drawn from all around; high above on the hot winds, the carrion birds, vultures and eagles soar. In the long grasses lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena prowl.
Most dramatic of all is the moment when the migration arrives at the Mara River; they must cross it to reach the rich grazing areas on the other side. It takes the bravest to plunge first into the swirling currents and thousands follow. Meanwhile, keen crocodiles cruise the waters.
The numbers are astonishing: over 1.2 million wildebeest and 300,000 zebras along with topi and other gazelle move in a constant cycle through the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem in search of nutritious grass and water. Guided by survival instinct, each wildebeest will cover 800 to 1,000km on its individual journey along age-old migration routes. Hungry predators including lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, wild dog and crocs make sure only the strongest survive in this natural spectacle also known as ‘the greatest show on Earth.’
The circuit takes the animals from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (although not into the Crater itself) in the south of the Serengeti in Tanzania, up through the Serengeti and across into the Masai Mara in Kenya and back again. The journey is beset with danger: young calves are snatched by predators, the slow are brought down by prides of lion, brave beasts break legs on Steep River slopes, crocodiles take their share of the stragglers, and the weak and exhausted drown.
The three groups of migrant grazers have different grass-eating habits: as one group eats the top of the tallest grass, the next group will eat away some of the medium-height grass, until finally it is almost completely eaten, and the herds move on. This means each group sticks to their own kind with only a small overlap in their distributions. The grasses of the plains have the highest protein content in the whole of the Serengeti, as well as being high in calcium.
It is unclear how the wildebeest know which way to go, but it is generally believed that their journey is dictated primarily by their response to the weather; they follow the rains and the growth of new grass. While there is no scientific proof of it, some experts believe that the animals react to lightning and thunderstorms in the distance. It has even been suggested that wildebeest can locate rain more than 50km away.
The Wildebeest Migration is a breathtaking natural phenomenon and a must-see safari for adventurers, wildlife enthusiasts, and those seeking a little more from their African vacation.
Get in touch with One More Adventure Safaris, and plan your safari to Kenya or Tanzania, to watch this one of the Seven New Wonders of the World.
You can as well combine your wildebeest migration safari with Uganda safari or Rwanda safari for gorilla trekking adventure. This will be an incredible way to wrap up your East Africa lifetime safari.
Once you start a trip planned by One More Adventure Safaris, you fall into the One More Adventure rhythm. No request is too small, neither complicated, we curate the entire trip with you, from start until when you meet your interest and budget at hand. Our rapport with the local guides and continuous assessment of your interests and needs demonstrated the diamond standard of all safari specialists. We are also available outside working hours when a couple of things needs to get done.