The Wildebeest Migration, is one of the “Seven New Wonders of the World” and also known as The World Cup of Wildlife. If there is a safari you should go on, this has to be it. The Maasai Mara and Serengeti National Park together form what no other reserve in Africa can! It's incredible, it's magical, and it's indescribable!
No where in the world is there a movement of animals as immense as the wildebeest migration, with over a million animals migrating from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to get greener pastures in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya during July through to October.
The migration has to cross through Mara River in Maasai Mara where crocodiles will prey on them. This is one of the highlights as the animals try and cross the Mara River alive.
No where in the world is there a movement of animals as immense as the wildebeest migration, with over a million animals migrating from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to get greener pastures in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya during July through to October.
The migration has to cross through Mara River in Maasai Mara where crocodiles will prey on them. This is one of the highlights as the animals try and cross the Mara River alive.
About The Migration
The stage on which this show is set is at the Serengeti Ecosystem, about 40, 000 square kilometres pretty much defined by the dominant migration routes of the white bearded wildebeest. Serengeti National Park and the adjacent Maswa Game Reserve and other ‘controlled’ areas in the centre, east and west; the Maasai Mara National Reserve to the north, are key players to the wildebeest, whose numbers appear to have settled at just under 1.7 million, with supporting roles from some 400,000 Thomson’s gazelle, 300,000 zebra and 12,000 eland. These are the main migrators and they cross the ranges with other resident herbivores and, of course, carnivores. The lions, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs and lesser predators await the annual coming of the migration with eager anticipation.
However there is little predictability about the migration, and questions as to which is the best month to view it are likely to get different answers from different people. Because in reality there is no such single entity as ‘the migration’. The wildebeest are the migration – there is neither start nor finish to their endless search for food and water, as they circle the Serengeti- Mara ecosystem in a relentless sequence of life and death. And though the finer details of the herds’ movements are always different. It is a dynamic process which defies predictions: no two years are ever quite the same.’
The stage on which this show is set is at the Serengeti Ecosystem, about 40, 000 square kilometres pretty much defined by the dominant migration routes of the white bearded wildebeest. Serengeti National Park and the adjacent Maswa Game Reserve and other ‘controlled’ areas in the centre, east and west; the Maasai Mara National Reserve to the north, are key players to the wildebeest, whose numbers appear to have settled at just under 1.7 million, with supporting roles from some 400,000 Thomson’s gazelle, 300,000 zebra and 12,000 eland. These are the main migrators and they cross the ranges with other resident herbivores and, of course, carnivores. The lions, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs and lesser predators await the annual coming of the migration with eager anticipation.
However there is little predictability about the migration, and questions as to which is the best month to view it are likely to get different answers from different people. Because in reality there is no such single entity as ‘the migration’. The wildebeest are the migration – there is neither start nor finish to their endless search for food and water, as they circle the Serengeti- Mara ecosystem in a relentless sequence of life and death. And though the finer details of the herds’ movements are always different. It is a dynamic process which defies predictions: no two years are ever quite the same.’
The Birthing
The birthing occurs in January and February, when the wildebeest birth their young in a synchronized birthing that sees some 300,000 to 400,000 calves born within two to three weeks, eight and a half months after the rut. This occurs on the short-grass plains that, spread over the lower northern slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater highlands and are scattered around Olduvai Gorge.
It may seem that the wildebeest are doing the predators a favour by birthing their young all at the same time, but in fact a surfeit of wildebeest veal in a very short period results in the predators’ becoming satiated and unable to consume as much as they would if the calving happened over a longer time span. Therefore the predators have only a limited impact on the population of newborn calves; any calves born outside the peak are far more likely to perish.
A newborn wildebeest gains co-ordination faster, it's usually on its feet two to three minutes after birth. It can run with the herd at the age of five minutes and is able to outrun a lioness soon thereafter.
The birthing occurs in January and February, when the wildebeest birth their young in a synchronized birthing that sees some 300,000 to 400,000 calves born within two to three weeks, eight and a half months after the rut. This occurs on the short-grass plains that, spread over the lower northern slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater highlands and are scattered around Olduvai Gorge.
It may seem that the wildebeest are doing the predators a favour by birthing their young all at the same time, but in fact a surfeit of wildebeest veal in a very short period results in the predators’ becoming satiated and unable to consume as much as they would if the calving happened over a longer time span. Therefore the predators have only a limited impact on the population of newborn calves; any calves born outside the peak are far more likely to perish.
A newborn wildebeest gains co-ordination faster, it's usually on its feet two to three minutes after birth. It can run with the herd at the age of five minutes and is able to outrun a lioness soon thereafter.
The Start Of The Circle
Towards the end of the short dry season, around March, the short-grass plains of the southernmost Serengeti begin to dry out and the wildebeest begin their journey, heading towards the western woodlands. Their journey is dictated primarily by their response to weather; they follow the rains and the growth of new grass.
From the plains around Olduvai the herds head west towards the trio of small lakes, Ndutu, Masek and Lagarja. At this time their biggest need is usually to find water. Still feeding and fattening on the nutritious short grass the herds scatter widely across the plains, spreading out in their tens and hundreds of thousands across the expansive plains west of Ndutu, and by now the first downpours of the long rains will be falling, and the wildebeest will canter across the plains towards the distant thunderstorms, frequently returning a day or two later if the promise did not match the reality.
The Rut
As the rains set in, the herds head north-west past the granite outcrops of the Simba and Moru koppies and into the woodlands of the hilly country west of Seronera towards Lake Victoria. This is the time of the annual rut, with half a million cows mated in less than a month as the herds consolidate in the woodlands and on the plains of the Serengeti’s Western Corridor. The peak of the rut seems heavily influences by the state of the moon, with the full moon in May/June being a good bet for anyone seeking the most action.
Seemingly vicious fighting between dominant or territorial males takes place during the rut, though there is generally little actual violence or serious injury. And in spite of these energetic duels, the males have little say over their choice of mates, for it is the females who does the actual choosing.
Towards the end of the short dry season, around March, the short-grass plains of the southernmost Serengeti begin to dry out and the wildebeest begin their journey, heading towards the western woodlands. Their journey is dictated primarily by their response to weather; they follow the rains and the growth of new grass.
From the plains around Olduvai the herds head west towards the trio of small lakes, Ndutu, Masek and Lagarja. At this time their biggest need is usually to find water. Still feeding and fattening on the nutritious short grass the herds scatter widely across the plains, spreading out in their tens and hundreds of thousands across the expansive plains west of Ndutu, and by now the first downpours of the long rains will be falling, and the wildebeest will canter across the plains towards the distant thunderstorms, frequently returning a day or two later if the promise did not match the reality.
The Rut
As the rains set in, the herds head north-west past the granite outcrops of the Simba and Moru koppies and into the woodlands of the hilly country west of Seronera towards Lake Victoria. This is the time of the annual rut, with half a million cows mated in less than a month as the herds consolidate in the woodlands and on the plains of the Serengeti’s Western Corridor. The peak of the rut seems heavily influences by the state of the moon, with the full moon in May/June being a good bet for anyone seeking the most action.
Seemingly vicious fighting between dominant or territorial males takes place during the rut, though there is generally little actual violence or serious injury. And in spite of these energetic duels, the males have little say over their choice of mates, for it is the females who does the actual choosing.
The Crossing
From the western Serengeti the herds head north, following the rains into Kenya's Maasai Mara Game Reserve. On their trek the wildebeests’ path is cut several times by rivers: in the Serengeti by the Mbalangeti and the Grumeti, and in Kenya by the Mara.
For most of the year these rivers have been relatively placid, but they can become violent torrents in response to rainfall in their catchments areas. Providing vegetation, and thickets that may conceal predators, and despite the terror, the wildebeest have an inherent instinct to trek in a certain direction at any cost for example, the lakes in the south – Ndutu, Masek and Lagarja are little more than a few kilometres long, and could easily be walked around. But natural selection steps in once more: the wildebeest that crossed the lakes in previous generations survived to breed, so the waters pose no fear to their progeny; those that did not make it gave no further input to the gene pool.
Wildebeest arrive at the Mara River in their tens of thousands, and gather waiting to cross. For days their numbers can be building up and anticipation grows but many times, for no apparent reason, they turn and wander away from the water’s edge. Eventually the wildebeest will choose a crossing point, something that can vary from year to year and cannot be predicted with any accuracy. Usually the chosen point will be a fairly placid stretch of water without too much predator-concealing vegetation in the far side, although occasionally they will choose seemingly suicidal places and drown in their hundreds.
While crossing, thousands of wildebeest died and such tragedies may appear to be a disaster for the wildebeest, but the deaths only represent a mere handful of the hundreds of thousands of calves born each year and without a degree of natural mortality, the wildebeest population could spin out of control.
From the western Serengeti the herds head north, following the rains into Kenya's Maasai Mara Game Reserve. On their trek the wildebeests’ path is cut several times by rivers: in the Serengeti by the Mbalangeti and the Grumeti, and in Kenya by the Mara.
For most of the year these rivers have been relatively placid, but they can become violent torrents in response to rainfall in their catchments areas. Providing vegetation, and thickets that may conceal predators, and despite the terror, the wildebeest have an inherent instinct to trek in a certain direction at any cost for example, the lakes in the south – Ndutu, Masek and Lagarja are little more than a few kilometres long, and could easily be walked around. But natural selection steps in once more: the wildebeest that crossed the lakes in previous generations survived to breed, so the waters pose no fear to their progeny; those that did not make it gave no further input to the gene pool.
Wildebeest arrive at the Mara River in their tens of thousands, and gather waiting to cross. For days their numbers can be building up and anticipation grows but many times, for no apparent reason, they turn and wander away from the water’s edge. Eventually the wildebeest will choose a crossing point, something that can vary from year to year and cannot be predicted with any accuracy. Usually the chosen point will be a fairly placid stretch of water without too much predator-concealing vegetation in the far side, although occasionally they will choose seemingly suicidal places and drown in their hundreds.
While crossing, thousands of wildebeest died and such tragedies may appear to be a disaster for the wildebeest, but the deaths only represent a mere handful of the hundreds of thousands of calves born each year and without a degree of natural mortality, the wildebeest population could spin out of control.
The Predators
Once on the grasslands of the Maasai Mara, the wildebeest spend several months feeding and fattening once more, taking advantage of the scattered distribution of green pastures and isolated rainstorms. A remarkable feature of their wanderings is their ability to repeatedly find areas of good grazing, no matter how far apart.
While the wildebeest are drawn into migrating by the needs of their stomachs, in the Maasai Mara they are hunted, stalked, and run down by the larger carnivores. But the fact that they are constantly on the move is an added benefit that they out-march large numbers of predators. The predators are unable to follow the moving herds very far, for many are territorial and can neither abandon their territories nor invade those of others.
Once on the grasslands of the Maasai Mara, the wildebeest spend several months feeding and fattening once more, taking advantage of the scattered distribution of green pastures and isolated rainstorms. A remarkable feature of their wanderings is their ability to repeatedly find areas of good grazing, no matter how far apart.
While the wildebeest are drawn into migrating by the needs of their stomachs, in the Maasai Mara they are hunted, stalked, and run down by the larger carnivores. But the fact that they are constantly on the move is an added benefit that they out-march large numbers of predators. The predators are unable to follow the moving herds very far, for many are territorial and can neither abandon their territories nor invade those of others.
Closing The Circle
By late October, when the first of the short rains are falling on the Serengeti’s short-grass plains, filling seasonal waterholes and bringing new flushes of growth, the wildebeest start heading south again. The herds trek down through the eastern woodlands of the Serengeti, some 90 per cent heavy with the new season’s young. Tightly grouped as they pass through the wooded country and spread out again as they reach the open plains.
By late October, when the first of the short rains are falling on the Serengeti’s short-grass plains, filling seasonal waterholes and bringing new flushes of growth, the wildebeest start heading south again. The herds trek down through the eastern woodlands of the Serengeti, some 90 per cent heavy with the new season’s young. Tightly grouped as they pass through the wooded country and spread out again as they reach the open plains.