Destinations 12 countries to choose from. Get to know us Why book with us? Who we are Traveller Reviews Prices Explained. What is the Great Migration? Five Facts about the Great Migration 1. Where the Great Wildebeest Migration occurs Many people think the Great Migration happens only once a year, however it happens all year, with each season offering a unique wildlife experience. What to expect and where to stay each month of the year Many people think that the great wildebeest migration only happens once a year, but the migration is in fact an all-year-round event -- with each time of year offering a unique widlife experience.
Spectacular July to September Wildebeest River Crossings 10 days Experience one of Africa's greatest spectacles — smell the dust and hear the noise of thousands of animals crossing the Mara River. Affordable Green Season Safari in Tanzania 8 days From Lake Manyara to the Ngorogoro Crater and the Serengeti, this Tanzania safari offers real value and shows off the burgeoning green world of Tanzania's rainy season migration. August Migration Safari with HerdTracker 10 days Experience the drama of the nature's greatest spectacle in the Tanzania.
Mara and Serengeti Combo Safari 7 days Combine two prime destinations in one week of wonder. World Cup of Wildlife Migration Safari with HerdTracker 9 days This is the stage on which the greatest wildlife show on earth and plays out, as it is by far the greatest mass movement of land mammals on the entire globe. However by then, the short grasses of the south cannot sustain the vast herds, and they begin to move northwards and westwards..
From April to June, the Serengeti is the theatre for one of the most impressive wildlife shows on earth. Hundreds of thousands of plains game begin moving towards the Seronera, then the Grumeti River. This spectacular moving feast is trailed by predators; lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena. And yes, safari vehicles…. The Seronera area of the Serengeti comprises open plains dotted with attractive kopjes.
However this advantage means that the Seronera remains busy throughout most of the migration. Not sure where to start? By June the best grazing lands of this Western Corridor have been exhausted and the herds move still further north into the Grumeti.
Camps in the Grumeti area are in the best location. This area also has plenty of permanent game including zebra wildebeest, the predators and forest species. By July, as the rains dwindle, huge columns of wildebeest and zebra start amassing along the swollen rivers of the crocodile-infested Grumeti and Mara rivers.
The Northern Serengeti lies between the Seronera and the Kenyan border. This gentle rolling game country includes the pretty Lobo kopje. Given its northern position, it is far less crowded than the southern grasslands and the Seronera. Many people want to see the dramatic river crossings when the columns of wildebeest and zebra scramble their way across the Grumeti and Mara rivers to reach the richer grazing lands of the Masai Mara in southern Kenya.
The animals mill around for a while on the southern banks before suddenly one brave wildebeest takes the plunge into the river current. Then thousands follow in a dramatic watery stampede. Some do not make it. However it is difficult to say this is the best time for the wildebeest migration. It is touch and go that you will be able to witness one of the crossings as their timings vary dramatically from year to year depending on the rains. In dry years, many of them do not even cross into Kenya.
Your best bet is to stay for nights to maximize your chances. The Maasai of East Africa are the descendants of Nilotic people. The Serengeti is a vast, undulating plain that stretches 30, square kilometers 11, square miles from Kenya's Maasai-Mara game reserve to Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. The Serengeti is home to one of the continent's highest concentrations of large mammal species, including lions, hyenas, zebras, giraffes, and elephants.
Each year, more than one million wildebeest travel in a circular migration, following seasonal rains, across the Serengeti Plains. Their grazing and trampling of grass allows new grasses to grow, while their waste helps fertilize the soil. Organisms can exhibit a wide range of behaviors; some of which can be quite unique, such as the elaborate courtship behaviors of the birds-of-paradise in Papua New Guinea or the peacock spider in Australia.
Although often overlooked, plants also have unique behaviors. Two examples of their behaviors include geotropism, the growth of plants against the force of gravity and phototropism, the growth of plants toward the light. Learn more about these fascinating behaviors with these resources. Students discuss types of migration and people who migrate.
Then they brainstorm reasons for migrating. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Background Info Questions Vocabulary.
What predators do wildebeest face in the Mara River? Wildebeest face hungry crocodiles in the Mara River. Where does this wildebeest migration take place? How many wildebeest complete the migration loop? Some experts believe that the wildebeest are triggered by distant lightning and thunderstorms, but there is no scientific proof of it.
With climate change, the long and short rainy seasons in Tanzania and Kenya are no longer as regular or predictable as they once were. The rains can be late or early, which will throw the whole wildebeest calendar out of synch.
This is a very general guideline for where the herds are during the year — bearing in mind that the entire Gnu Migration is triggered by rain, which can be early, late or on time:. The Serengeti is not fenced, so the herds are free to move where they can find grazing. Remember that although up to two million wildebeest, zebra and antelope form the Serengeti Migration, they are not all in a single herd. The animals break up into mega-herds of thousands or hundreds of individuals at time. It is calving season over 8 wildebeest babies are born each day!
If the short rainy season Nov—Dec produced good grazing, the herds feed frenziedly and remain in the Serengeti's southern plains until they slowly start moving west in March. The action-packed rutting breeding season is in full swing, featuring testosterone-fuelled jousts between males competing for the right to mate with receptive females. Wagons roll!
The massed herds are on the go, huge columns of up to 40 kilometres 25 miles in length can sometimes be seen as the wildebeest funnel up into the central Serengeti. The wildebeest are usually in the central Serengeti and getting ready for the toughest part of their odyssey. The herds may have split up, with some already crossing the Grumeti River. The Great Migration have reached the Grumeti region and northern parts of the Serengeti and are peering closely at the treacherous waters of the Mara River they have to cross into Kenya.
Huge Nile crocodiles, that's why! As mentioned, it is impossible to accurately predict river crossings — they depend entirely on the rains and the often unpredictable wildebeest themselves. The wildebeest do have historical crossing areas and you may spend days staked out in the hope of seeing the action.
August is generally considered the best time to witness the dramatic river crossings from the northern Serengeti into the Masai Mara.
You'll need a passport to cross into Kenya; the wildebeest are exempt.
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