Interesting Facts About The Great Wildebeest Migration In Tanzania

Interesting Facts About The Great Wildebeest Migration In Tanzania : The Great Migration, an annual movement of millions of wildebeest, zebras, and other herbivores moving clockwise through the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and Kenya’s Masai Mara in search of good water and green pastures, stands out as one of the most breathtaking natural wonders. Photographers and wildlife enthusiasts regard this occasion as one of the most renowned and sought-after spectacles in the entire world.

One of the most breathtaking and visually stunning journeys in the world is the great wildebeest migration. The best course of action is to seek advice from a reputable operator and experienced tour guide, as they will know when and where you should be. However, deciding when to travel to witness this amazing spectacle depends on a number of factors, as different times of the year are marked by variations in scenery.

Here’s an overview of the trail of this event (Great Migration):

Between January and February, wildebeests congregate in large numbers in the southern Serengeti, where they give birth to tens of thousands of newborn calves. The Serengeti calving season is another name for this period. This region’s soil is abundant in calcium, phosphorus, and potassium, which causes the grass to typically be lush.

 March: There are high levels of predatory activity during this time because of the large concentration of prey and newborn calves, which makes lions, cheetahs, and other carnivorous animals easy prey. The wildebeests quickly change their environment as a result of this action.

 The Serengeti begins to dry up in April and May, and as a result, the grass disappears, causing the herds to migrate westward toward the Grumeti River.

Between June and July, the herds start moving in the direction of the Masai Mara, but first they must negotiate the treacherous Grumeti River. Travelers will be able to see all the excitement unfolding around the Grumeti River and beyond, making this arguably the best time of the year.

 Between August and September, the herds are on their way to the Mara River after having crossed the Grumeti River. This dramatic crossing also depicts nature in its most unadulterated state.

October: During this month, the herds cross the Mara River into the flat, pool-table-sized Masai Mara grasslands, where they typically graze until the end of the month before continuing their journey back to the northern Serengeti, where short grass will have gotten a lot more plentiful. The wildlife arrives in the Seronera region in November and stays there through December before returning to the southern Serengeti during calving season.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE ANNUAL GREAT WILDEBEEST MIGRATION

• The largest concentrated migration of wildlife in the world travels over 800 kilometers annually.
• Along with the 1.5 million wildebeests, the great migration also includes hundreds of thousands of zebras, Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles, eland, impalas, and antelopes.
• The zebra and the wildebeest are inherently friendly animals that help each other out throughout the year, especially during the great migration. They consume the same plant but different parts of it, which allows them to coexist peacefully while grazing.
• The zebra and the wildebeest are inseparable friends because, while the wildebeests are exceptionally good at sniffing out water from the ground, the zebras assist in protecting and navigating the wildebeests, keeping them on course throughout the year-long journey driven primarily by their search for water and food.
• The Serengeti ecosystem is among the oldest in the world; its flora, fauna, and climate have not changed significantly over thousands of years.
• Wildebeests are known to function using what scientists refer to as “swarm intelligence,” which means they respond to problems and find solutions as a group.
• Normally, in mid-February, about 8,000 wildebeest give birth every day for about 3 weeks. The calves could already walk when they were born.
• Other life-threatening predators, besides the lions that hunt the wildebeests, include leopards, hyenas, cheetahs, and crocodiles.
• The Serengeti National Park, Loliondo Game Controlled Area, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Grumeti Reserve are all traversed by the majority of the migration, which also extends to Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve, which borders the Serengeti National Park.

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK

Tanzania’s crown jewel, the Serengeti National Park, is renowned for its profusion of wildlife, extensive stretches of undulating grasslands, breathtaking rivers, and developing ecosystem.

It shares borders with the larger Serengeti ecosystem, which is made up of five main regions and is bordered by Kenya to the north, where it enters the Maasai Mara National Reserve; the Ikorongo and Grumeti game reserves to the west; the Ngorongoro conservation area to the southeast; and the Loliondo Game Controlled Area to the northeast.

As a naturally occurring habitat for wildebeest and other hoofed animals like gazelles, impalas, zebras, topis, hartebeests, buffalos, and waterbucks, the Serengeti plains are known for their treeless grassland.

THE SOUTHERN SERENGETI

Due to its nutrient-rich plains and short grasses rich in phosphorus, the Southern Serengeti plains are home to numerous migratory herds, especially during the green season. This makes it an ideal location for the Great Wildebeest Migration calving season, with spectacular wildlife viewing of over two million animals dispersed across the open plains.

Off-road driving and walking safaris are permitted in the Southern Serengeti, which is different from other Serengeti regions because a large portion of it is located outside the Serengeti National Park. Due to the Southern Serengeti plains’ extreme seasonality, they become a semi-desert during the dry season, and herds typically leave these plains as the area dries out.

THE CENTRAL SERENGETI (SERONERA)

The Central Serengeti, a vibrant and active wildlife area, is renowned for having the best resident game when compared to other Serengeti National Park regions because of its prime central location. As game viewing in the Central Serengeti is excellent throughout the year, it is the ideal setting for a comprehensive safari adventure.

 The Central Serengeti is where the northbound wildebeest migrate through in May and early June. They also migrate through this area in November and early December, when they are returning south to the shortgrass plains.

THE NORTHERN SERENGETI

Large herds that are on their way north pass through this area from July to November. It is a wilderness area that is largely uncharted, home to a variety of magnificent wildlife, and boasts some incredible landscapes.

As they bravely cross the Mara River into the Masai Mara region, visitors are treated to exceptional and dramatic sightings of wildebeest and zebras. These animals are cautious not only of the large crocodiles lurking in the shadows but also of the river’s raging waters.

Some visitors experience anxiety as they watch the wildebeests and zebras struggle to cross the torrential flow, exhausted and terrified. With deliberate effort, some are able to cross the river, but others are less fortunate because the strong water currents either drown them or bring them back to the same side of the river, where the ordeal can start over again.

THE GRUMETI RESERVE

The Grumeti game reserve, which was founded in 1994 and has an area of 2000 square kilometers, is a part of the Serengeti Masai Mara ecosystem, which is home to the annual great wildebeest migration. It is situated along the Serengeti National Park’s northern border, making it easy to observe the movements of enormous herds of zebra and wildebeest.

 The months of June through October and January through February are the best for visiting this reserve. The Grumeti game reserve, a remote, lush location that offers a much greener safari experience with rolling hills, rivers, and woodland patches integrated into the extended terrain as far as the eye can see, serves as a migratory corridor for herds of animals passing through the area naturally.

MASAI MARA

Here, the herds must contend with the Mara River’s choppy waters and hungry crocodiles. Those who succeed in crossing are rewarded with the lush grazing grass that stretches across the Masai Mara’s undulating plains.

 The rains will have completely stopped by the end of May, which will cause the herd to move north. However, the dry months of July through October continue to be the best time to see wildlife because the vegetation is receding and it is much simpler to see the animals as they make their way back to the Serengeti.

The Masai Mara, a sizable game reserve in Kenya’s Narok County that borders Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, is only a portion of the larger Mara ecosystem. It is renowned for having a particularly high concentration of both predators and prey, including cheetahs, leopards, and lions, as well as for the annual migration of zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, topi, and wildebeests to and from the Serengeti from July to October.

 The wildebeests, topis, zebra, and Grant’s gazelles move into and live in the Mara reserve from the Loita plains in the pastoral ranches to the northeast and the Serengeti plains to the south. 

BOOK WITH A RELIABLE TOUR OPERATOR.

Despite the fact that the great wildebeest migration occurs every year, there is still no guarantee that you will see it if you decide to travel alone because you may end up being lost and not knowing where to go or when. Booking with a reputable and knowledgeable tour operator such as Focus East Africa Tours is crucial for this reason. For instance, the crossing of the Mara River during the peak of the safari season overlaps the migration and is visible from both countries, each of which offers a thrilling but distinct view of the great wildebeest migration.

For independent travelers, it is very challenging to be present at the appropriate times and locations to see it. Every year, tour guides use well-known sightings like the Paradise Crossing to help them determine where to park their vehicles while they wait for the first wildebeest to cross.

 The wildebeests would leave if you were on the Tanzanian side, and they would arrive if you were on the Kenyan side.

 In order to ensure you have your preferred location and lodging during this busy time and to avoid paying higher rates, it is best to make reservations well in advance of your intended visit, ideally several months in advance.

Focus East Africa Tours welcomes visitors from all over the world and specializes in tours of the great wildebeest migration. We have earned a reputation over the years for creating thoughtful, individualized itineraries for people who want to see the renowned Great Migration in both Kenya and Tanzania.

 To ensure that they live up to your expectations, whether they are modest or extravagant, our staff receives regular and formal training. To discuss your upcoming great migration safari adventure plans, contact us right away!