The Great Migration of Wildebeests.

With over 2 million migratory animals moving clockwise through the Serengeti, Masai Mara, northern Ngorongoro, Maswa game reserve, and Loliondo controlled area, the great wildebeest migration is a wildlife spectacle. These animals are on a survival mission and thus move towards a favorable ecosystem at a given time/season. There is no exact count of migratory animals, although it is estimated that there are about 1.4 million wildebeest, 350000 Zebra, 300000 gazelles (Thomson and Grant gazelles), and over 6000 elands. 

How the migration works!

The theory is straightforward. The “clockwise” movement of the migration is determined by seasonal rainfall and the availability of grazing. Tanzania’s Serengeti and Kenya’s Masai Mara are part of the wider ecosystem. A few physical obstacles, such as the Simiti and Lobo hills, as well as the Grumeti and Mara rivers, impede and change this “circular” course. It’s not quite that straightforward!

 Great wildebeest migration animals, such as wildebeest’s zebra, gazelles, and elands, travel together because they have a shared aim.

Facts about the Great Wildebeest Migration:

 With over 2 million animals, 

• it is the largest animal migration on the planet. 

• it consumes over 4000 tons of food daily.

•  there is no leader; newborns walk and run minutes after birth. 

• it travels over 1000 kilometers in a migration circle.

Why does the great wildebeest migration happen, and why do wildebeest migrate?

 The migration of wildebeests around the Serengeti, Masai Mara, Ngorongoro, Maswa, and Loliondo areas is essential to their survival, consuming approximately 4000 tons every day.

1. Green pastures & water, these animals move to allocate green pastures & water that they like to feed on. 

2. Mineral-enriched plains & short grass, during calving season, these animals move to the mineral-enriched plains in south Serengeti & northern Ngorongoro, in these plains they get minerals essential for their bones & bodies while giving birth & nurturing their newborns.

The Great Wildebeest Migration’s High Points.

1. calving season (December to March); when migrating animals such as wildebeest and zebras give birth and care for their offspring. This occurs in the southern Serengeti and northern Ngorongoro Crater in a location known as “Ndutu.” This area is mineral-rich, plain, and has short grass, making it ideal for migratory animals to calve. With thousands of infants being born every day and predators hunting nearby, now is an excellent moment to observe a live hunt. It should be noted that calving is more precise in February.

 2. Mara River crossing (July – October); this is the time when the great wildebeest migration is expected to cross the Mara River if you’ve ever watched National Geographic and seen thousands of wildebeest crossing a river and crocodiles feasting on them.

Why is the Mara River crossing preferable and superior to the Grumeti River crossing?

 During the Great Wildebeest Migration Cycle, these creatures cross the Grumeti and Mara rivers, where they fight crocodiles. The Mara River Crossing is claimed to have a superior perspective than the Grumeti River Crossing for the following reasons.

• Unlike the Grumeti River, the Mara River is not surrounded by trees, giving you a better view of the crossing and action. The Mara River has more crocodiles and hippos than the Grumeti River. – The Mara River has small descends and ascends into and out of the river, providing a better view and more action.

Crossing of the Grumeti River (June-July); during this time, it is believed that the Great Wildebeest Migration would cross the Grumeti River, which is located in western Serengeti where vegetation transitions from plains to small forests and bushes and through which the migration goes when it becomes dry.

Why choose a migration tour package?

 Predators do not migrate however, when migration paths cross their territory, predators will be on alert and hunt on these animals – high animal density. 

• If you want to see many animals in a small area, you should go on a migration tour. The Serengeti is very large, so if you choose a tour focused on the central Serengeti and the migration is on the north Serengeti, those who go on a migration tour will see more animals and have a better understanding of the migration.

• If you want to learn more about migration, you should book a migration tour. Other excursions may occasionally cross paths with the migration, but they will not.

• If you want to do a photographic tour, choose one that includes the migration; you will undoubtedly have better and more strange photographs and movies.