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Animal Migration |
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Serengeti Wildebeest
Migration
The Serengeti wildebeest migration is one of the wildlife
wonders of the world and one of the principle aims of most
visits to the Serengeti. It involves not only something in the
region of 1.5 million wildebeest, but also an estimated 200,000
zebra and 400,000 gazelles.
When is the wildebeest migration - The migration is on-going
with the animals moving seasonally from their wet season range
on the southern and eastern plains to the dry season habitat in
the north and back again. They don't move in straight lines, but
meander in a vaguely clockwise direction moving between the
patches of fresh green grass. It's difficult to predict exactly
where the migration will be in a given month because movements
depend so much on weather patterns and these can vary by as much
as 3 months, which is why we think mobile camps are such a great
idea. Very roughly this is how the migration moves:
December - March: Southern and eastern Serengeti, Southern
Loliondo.
April - May: Southern Plains to Moru Kopjes
June - July: Central Serengeti to Western corridor
August to October: Western corridor to Northern Serengeti
Best Places to Stay to See the Migration
December - March. Ndutu Seasonal Camp in the southern Serengeti
April - May. Moru Seasonal Camp in the southwestern Serengeti.
June - July. Western Corridor Seasonal Camp
August - November Northern Serengeti Seasonal Camp
The calves are born in February or March amid a birthing frenzy
when virtually all the wildebeest cows give birth within the
space of a month. This happens on the short grass plains of the
eastern and southern Serengeti. Calves are able to run within a
matter of minutes of being born and in a very short space of
time are beyond the reach of most lions. As you'd expect this
period is a particularly harsh one as any calves who are slow to
run become someone's breakfast in short order.
The short grass plains are where the most nutritious grasses are
to be found and where the animals are probably least at risk
from predators because there's little cover for ambush. In an
ideal world the wildebeest would stay on the plains full time as
the process of migrating has a heavy toll on them, with
something like a 3 % increase in calf mortality as a direct
result. Unfortunately, the plains have few if any permanent
water sources and it doesn't take long before things begin to
dry out. The water in this part of the Serengeti has a high salt
content, so as waterholes dry from evaporation, so the remaining
water becomes saltier. Before long the herds have no option but
to move on. It's been suggested recently that the actual trigger
for the migration to begin is these salt levels reaching a
critical point.
By May or June the migration has begun to move off the southern
plains through Moru Kopjes, on the way to the central Serengeti
and Western Corridor. At this time of year, the bulls become
increasingly aggressive as the rut gets underway. They spend
most of their time running around in circles defending their
females from any passing bulls. At this time of year you can
find vast herds of wildebeest and from a great distance make out
the rocking shape of the cavorting males. There's plenty of
fighting and plenty of noise, with the distant herds sounding
like a group of enormous bull frogs.
From Moru the animals move through the central Serengeti and out
to the western corridor by July / August. Here they cross the
Grumeti River encountering some very large crocodiles on their
way. Between August and October the herds reach the Mara River
with it's abundance of monster crocodiles and begun crossing.
Over the next month or so they cross backwards and forwards in
and out of Mara / Serengeti, drawn by localized rain showers.
In November with the arrival of the short rains when things
start to green up again, the herds begin their movement south
again in earnest. Initially they move through the eastern
Serengeti and at this time of year large numbers are found
around Lobo and Loliondo. Within a month or two they are once
again back on the eastern and southern plains where they began
life the year before.
Serengeti Wildebeest
Migration or Serengeti Migration, is a spectacular and unique
event that happens each year Serengeti wildlife Migration
Tanzania Serengeti animal Migration |
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