Africa is enchanting! The very name calls to the mind images of large expansive savannahs, breathtaking landscapes, magnificent wildlife, proud ancestral tribes and above all SAFARIS!! Amidst all this you have one of the most spectacular phenomenons – ‘The Great Annual Migration’ - across the open plains of the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Masai Mara in Kenya is perhaps the most breathtaking wildlife spectacle on earth! It is a yearly movement of millions of hoofed animals in search for greener pastures as seasons change. It is estimated that over one million of wildebeest are on the move during the annual migration between June and October. The numbers are so high that miles upon miles of grassland is blanketed by a mass of moving wildebeest followed closely by zebras and gazelle. Predators like lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas constantly shadow the herds waiting for an opportunity to strike weak, injured and young prey as they make their way into different territories. |
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| Serengeti National Park in Tanzania |
Declared by UNESCO as one of the World Heritage Sites, the Serengeti at 14,500 sq km is the largest National Park in Tanzania, and is arguably the most impressive wildlife sanctuary in the world, unequalled for its natural beauty and the greatest concentration of plains game anywhere. Its ecosystem comprises of Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Grumeti controlled Area, Ikorongo controlled Area and Masai Mara Game reserve in Kenya.
Serengeti’s impressive animal life, native peoples, vast area and varied topography create a variety that’s unmatched by any park on earth. Hills rising out of the seemingly endless plains, rivers and small lakes, magnificent rocky outcrops and the occasional swamp all add to the park's fascination. The Park is given life by the different rivers crossing it. The Grumeti and Simiyu Rivers are home to giant Nile crocodiles that feast upon the wildebeest that cross the river during the annual migration.
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What makes the Park even more unique is the annual migration where vast herds of animals are seen moving across the central plains westward and northward in search of greener pastures. The exact timing of the Wildebeest Migration changes annually and it is a very unpredictable and spontaneous natural event. The calving season takes place in the Serengeti between the months of January and mid-March before the Wildebeest Migration begins heading towards the western Serengeti in June. In June and August the wildebeest congregate and prepare to cross the famous Grumeti River. If you are in the Masai Mara you can expect the wildebeest to make their arrival as early as July, but they generally arrive between August and September and remain in the Mara between October and November. Between December and January the wildebeest gradually begin their migration back towards the Serengeti. |
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The Masai Mara is Kenya’s most popular and greatest wildlife reserve. Occupying an area of 320 sq kms, in south-western Kenya, within the Serengeti ecosystem, it’s the northern continuation of the Serengeti National Park and game reserve in Tanzania cushioned by the Loita Hills in the east and Itong Hills to the north and Siria escarpment in the west.
Masai Mara’s quantity and variety of wildlife is breathtaking! There are prides of lions scattered all over the Park, making it easy to spot one of the greatest members of the "Big 5". The park is also home to giraffe, hippo, elephant, eland, zebra, jackal and wildebeest which make for great game viewing.
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Mara River, the reserve’s backbone stretches from north to south until Lake Victoria. Its banks are bordered by dense riverine forests where most of the reserve’s bird life can be found. And it is here – on the banks of River Mara that herds of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle make their crossings during the annual migration - here life meets death as the herds are terrified by the crocodile infested waters and churning currents yet attempt to cross the river into the rich grasslands of the northern Masai Mara. |
At the start of October, when the Masai Mara National Reserve experiences short rains, the wildebeest return south to the Serengeti. On the return trip the numbers are significantly less but the birth of new calves during February of the following year make up the numbers, and prepare for another migration and thus the cycle continues.
The annual migration is one of the most fascinating event in this park is during July and August. Together with this, Masai Mara offers unsurpassed beauty and game spotting opportunities! A visit here is a must! |
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