Guide to Serengeti National Park

Guide to Serengeti National Park : Serengeti National Park is not only a world’s greatest wildlife safari destination but also the only place where you can witness millions of migrating wildebeests over the acacia plains. Serengeti national park and its ecosystem is the cradle of human life and probably the closest to an untouched African wilderness you will ever get in the world, where time seems to stop ticking and thousands of animals constantly on the move.

History of Serengeti national park

Explorers and missionaries described the Serengeti plains and the abundance of animals found there in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the only minor details are all that were reported before explorations in the late 1920s and early 1930s supply the first ever references to the Great Wildebeest Migrations and the first photographs of the region.

In 1930, an area of 2,286 square kilometers was established as a game reserve in what is known as Southern and Eastern Serengeti today. Sport hunting in the area was allowed until 1937, then all the hunting activities were stopped.

In 1940 the area gained a Protected Area Status and established as a national park in 1951, its boundaries were extended to cover southern Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Highlands with headquarters of the park were based on the rim of Ngorongoro crater.

The original Serengeti national park was gazette in 1951 and also included what is now known as the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, in 1959 Ngorongoro Conservation Area was split off from Serengeti national park and they extended the boundaries of the park to the Kenyan borders. The key reason to splitting off the Ngorongoro Area was that local Masai residents realized that they were threatened with eviction and consequently not allowed to graze their cattle within the protected area.

To make sure that the eviction does not happen, these staged protects resulting into a compromise reached wherein the Ngorongoro Crater Area was split off from Serengeti national park. The Masai may live and graze their cattle in the Ngorongoro Crater Area but not within Serengeti national park boundaries.

Following the establishment of Masai Mara national Reserve in 1961 and the 1965 the Lamai Wedge between the Mara River and Kenya border, it was added to Serengeti national park thus creating a permanent corridor allowing the wildebeests to migrate from the Serengeti plains in the south to the Loita Plains in the north.

The Maswa Game Reserve was established in 1962 and a small area north of The Grumeti River in the western corridor was added to Serengeti national par in 1967.

Why visit Serengeti national park

(The greatest wildlife destination on earth)

 

The Great Migration

The magic of Serengeti national park is hard to describe in words, seeing and hearing of the buzz of millions of wildebeests in the thick air vibrating through the entire body is something you can’t resist  to describe to a couple of friends and family.

Before realizing that it is impossible to describe Serengeti National Park in words, vistas of honey –lit plains at sunset is so beautiful and worth witnessing.  The spectacular scenery is coupled up with the genuine smiles of the local Masai People, their smiles will give you an immediate warming glow inside while constantly being amongst thousands of animals. Regardless of the season you visit the park, it is magical all year round.

The never ending circle of the Great migration is one of the major attraction and reason to visit Serengeti national park.

Serengeti national park was one of the first sites to be listed as a World Heritage Site and it was declared when United Nations delegates met in Stockholm in 1981, by late 1950s, the area had already been recognized as a unique ecosystem providing visitors with many insights into how the natural world functions and also shows how dynamic ecosystems really area.

Today, most visitors visit Serengeti national park with the aim of witnessing millions of wildebeests, zebras, gazelles and elands on a mass trek looking for fresh green pastures and water to quench their thirst.

Serengeti national park and Masai Mara national reserve which make up the Mara- Serengeti ecosystem are the only places in the world where the large herds of animals can be witnessed. Though Serengeti national park is a protected area, it is not closed as other protected areas in Tanzania. This gives animals enough space to make their return journey which they have been doing for millions of years.

Beyond The Great Migration

Though the Great Migration is main attraction and reason to visit Serengeti national park, it is worth to look beyond this immense spectacle.

Knowing that nature cannot be directed and having realistic expectations of your chances to witness the River Crossing or a large herd on the move is crucial.

 The River Crossing often lasts only for 30 minutes and can be missed in the blink of an eye, however this should not discourage you. There are other reasons to visit the Serengeti national park, if it is not for the vast stretch of land, then it might be for the incredible skies of dazzling colors or the primal feeling of excitement when a deep dark – grey thunderstorm appears on the broad horizon of the park.

Tribes In the Cradle of Human Life

Though the animals rule the vast plains of Serengeti national park, the area has an incredible long history of human occupation. Not only humans but also human ancestors (Australopithecus afarensi) who lived in the area for almost 4 million years. Today Serengeti National Park is still a home to several indigenous tribes and one of the most famous of all is the Maasai, this tribe is unique and popular for their long preserved culture.

Despite the influence of technology, education, modernity and western cultural influences, the Maasai people have clung to their traditional way of life which makes them a symbol of Tanzanian and Kenyan culture.

Vibrancy, variety and vastness

The amazement in Serengeti national park –a world renowned national park does not have boundaries, the park is a transition area with distinct changeovers going from rich flat soils to poor hilly soils in the north which attracts a wide variety of vegetation and animals.

Whether you are looking for big cats, birds or small creatures, Serengeti national park will make your wilderness dreams come true. Understanding and experiencing just a small part of the ecosystem of Serengeti national park will change your vision on our world and the environment. After experiencing and being overwhelmed by the vibrancy, variety and vastness of Serengeti national park, you will be a new changed person forever.