The Great Wildebeest Migration through the Serengeti
The Great Wildebeest Migration over the Serengeti: The yearly migration of enormous herds of grazers known as the Great Wildebeest Migration through Northern Tanzania and Kenya is a really breathtaking sight. The migration takes place every year. Over one and a half million wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles travel across the Serengeti and Maasai Mara habitats in Kenya each year in search of greener vegetation. The migration follows a fairly regular yearly pattern, and throughout the course of the year, the animals wander about in search of new pastures and water of a higher quality. The distribution of rain throughout the year plays a significant role in determining the time of the yearly migration of wildebeest in the Serengeti.
The birth of half a million wildebeest calves kicks off the annual migration of these enormous herds of wildebeest in the Serengeti region of Ndutu, which is located close to the Ngorongoro conservation area, during the months of January and March. In this region, dangerous animals like lions and hyenas are always on the lookout for young animals to eat. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of newborn calves are born within a few weeks of one another, offering an incredible sight for anyone who are passionate about nature. During the migration, predators including as lions, cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, hyenas, and crocodiles hunt and kill the elderly and weak animals. This helps keep populations healthy and stable.
THE GREAT MIGRATION IN DETAILED MONTH-BY-MONTH EXPLANATIONS
During your safari across the Serengeti, you will almost likely not want to miss the opportunity to see the Great Migration. The question now is, what are your plans to ensure that you are present when it takes place? The Great Migration will be discussed in further depth below, and in most cases, the following will take place:
The months of December and January
The grasslands in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area that surround Lake Ndutu become populated with animals during the months of December and January as a result of animal migration from the northeastern part of Serengeti National Park. During this time, a significant number of female wildebeest are well along in their pregnancies. During this time of year, it is hard to foresee the motions of animals migrating since the animals are spread out across a great number of huge herds and travel very swiftly into the plains in the south. The vast bulk of the herds would have made their way to the Ndutu plains somewhere in January, which is when the calving season officially begins.
The Great Wildebeest Migration through the Serengeti
Serengeti wildebeest migration
February marks the beginning of the Calving Season.
The animals have made their way to the plains in the southern part of the Serengeti in February in order to feed. During the month of February, which is the height of the Calving Season, the animals move very little so that they may ensure that their young have the time to mature and become strong before they start moving again. They will not be seen until you take advantage of this wonderful chance. With 8,000 calves being born every day, it is nearly assured that hundreds of young animals will be spotted prancing around on their unsteady legs (or 400,000 in a 2-3 week span). Because it will be simpler for predators to target these juveniles, you should be on the lookout for a lot of activity from lions, leopards, cheetahs, and hyenas in this region.
During the month of March until April
The month of March marks the end of the calving season. Although there are still some female animals who are giving birth, the majority of the calves are around a month old and have legs that are more sturdy. It is still an excellent opportunity to see or capture predators in the act. It is possible that the herd may start moving once more at the beginning of April in search of greener pastures. Although it will be more challenging to witness the actual migration itself around this time, there is still a strong chance that you may come across large herds in motion.
Those who are interested in viewing the wildebeest migration but wish to avoid traveling during the “hot season” have a terrific option available to them at the beginning of March in the Ndutu region. You won’t have to deal with the swarms of tourists or the sky-high prices that February brings, but you may still take in the incredible views of enormous herds of animals and predators.
Throughout the months of May through July
Around this season, the wildebeest begin making preparations for their migration that will take them 800 kilometers once they have finished savoring the short green grasses of the southeasterly Serengeti and giving birth to their young. The launch date might take place anywhere between the end of April and the beginning of June. Now is the chance to experience one of the most beautiful natural occurrences in the world: over a million animals walking in a column that is around 40 kilometers long.
The herd moves in the direction of the Western Corridor, which is where they will face their first significant obstacle, which is the passage of the Grumeti River. Because the location is home to a population of enormous crocodiles that are ready to feast, a great number of animals do not make it through the crossing alive. The herd could congregate on the southern side of the river right before attempting to cross it, and they might wait there for as long as two weeks.
The Great Wildebeest Migration through the Serengeti
Wildebeest Migration
August-September
The herd continues northward over the Grumeti River, and in the months of July or August, they start making their way across the Mara River, which is the subsequent big challenge on their route. At the Mara River bridge, so many incredible images of the Great Migration were captured throughout the years. After completing this passage, the herd moves on to the plains in the northwest of Kenya, where they eventually reach the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
It is commonly considered that the months of August and September are the least favorable times to come to Serengeti National Park in order to view the Great Migration as the herd makes its way toward the Masai Mara in Kenya. The movement patterns of the herd, on the other hand, suggest that around half of it is still in Tanzania, specifically in the Mara Serengeti region. Around this period, smaller herds of wildebeest are known to often and without apparent cause cross the Mara River.
October-November
It is necessary for the herd to make a second crossing of the Mara River at some point before commencing the journey back in the other direction, which is southerly. This is because the first crossing was made in a northerly direction. The month of October is when this generally takes place, however it might take place sooner. The herd is going to go via the northern plains and the Lobo area during this time period. This section of the Serengeti National Park sees less visitors than other parts of the park, so if you want to see the migration without disturbance, you should come here.
Late in the month of November, a series of brief rainstorms starts, causing the grasslands of the southern Serengeti to become inundated and driving the herds away towards the more northern regions, where food is in short supply. Wildebeest begin their journey north again after giving birth to their young in order to continue the cycle.
IN SUMMARY,
In a nutshell, the Great Migration occurred between about The herd moves north to the Maasai Mara in Kenya when the drought begins in May. There, they graze on the lush green grass, followed by gazelles and zebras. The trek is not without risk: crossing rivers means coming face to face with more than 3,000 crocodiles that are calmly waiting for a meal. Crocodiles are known to attack humans when they feel threatened. Not to mention the world-famous lion population of the Serengeti, which is unquestionably the biggest in all of Africa. Wildebeest only stay in the Kenyan Maasai Mara game reserve for a short period of time after getting there. Following that, they head back to the Ndutu region of the Serengeti to calve and then continue their journey.
Some Fascinating Information About the Great Wildebeest Migration That Takes Place in the Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti national park is home to more than 3,000 lions, in addition to other predators including as cheetahs, hyenas, and leopards. These animals, along with others, travel across the reserve in pursuit of the migratory herds.
The Great Migration is the longest and most extensive land movement in the history of the planet. Throughout the course of each cycle, the animals will travel a combined distance of at least 800 kilometers.
Since they consume various kinds of grass, zebra, and wildebeest are able to coexist peacefully when grazing. This allows them to depend on one another even while they are migrating over the plains.
Millions of wildebeest travel 800 kilometers from the Serengeti’s Deep South to the plains of Kenya in order to feed on around 5,000 tons of rain-plumped grass during this portion of their trek.
Since wildebeest do not have a natural leader, the migratory herd usually splits off into smaller herds that go in separate directions after circling the larger mega-herd. When the movement of these smaller, more dispersed herds is taken into consideration, it is possible that it will span more than half of the Serengeti.
The Great Wildebeest Migration through the Serengeti
The Great Wildebeest Migration through the Serengeti
During the months of January and March, the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is home to the birth of 500,000 baby wildebeests each and every year. In February, the month with the highest calving rate, there are over 8,000 wildebeest calves born every single day.
During the migration, around 250,000 wildebeest and 30,000 zebra are killed each year as a result of being eaten by carnivores, as well as becoming dehydrated, hungry, and exhausted from the long journey.
