The Great Wildlife Migration
The Great Wildebeest Migration on East Africa’s plains is one of the most exciting, fascinating, and stunning animals shows on the planet. As a result, our visitors place a premium on getting the best front-row tickets for the event. Vibrant Holiday Safaris assists you in having a fantastic safari journey in Kenya’s pure, untamed outback by sharing our personal knowledge, local experience, and expertise of the Great Migration in Masai Mara National Reserve. Because of the famous Mara River crossings, the Masai Mara is the most well-known destination for wildebeest migration, which has led to several misconceptions regarding the migration itself. Animal migration is a year-round process in which animals move from one location to another.
The Great Wildlife Migration
The Great Migration is the ever-moving circular migration of over a million animals through the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, and it is one of the most sought-after experiences for wildlife and environmental aficionados. In quest of grass and water, a steady movement of columns of wildebeest, joined by a slew of friends, follows an age-old track.
The migration takes place in the “Serengeti environment,” which is a large region. Masai Mara National Reserve in the north, Ndutu, Ngorongoro Conservation Region, Maswa Game Reserve in Tanzania, and Masai Mara National Reserve in the south, constitute the 40,000-square-mile area. Grumeti Reserve, Loliondo, the official Serengeti National Park, which includes a portion of the southern stretch of Kusini, and other protected areas are located in the central, eastern, and western portions, respectively.
Let’s define the Great Wildebeest Migration.
The Great Migration This is the world’s greatest migratory herd migration. The vast columns of wildebeest can really be seen from orbit, with up to 1,000 animals per km2. Over 1.2 million wildebeest and 300,000 zebra, as well as topi and other gazelle, migrate across the Serengeti-Mara environment in search of nourishing grass and water on a daily basis. Each wildebeest will travel between 800 and 1,000 kilometers over age-old migration pathways, guided by survival instinct. Only the strongest survive in this natural display regarded as “the greatest show on Earth.” Hungry predators such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs, and crocs ensure that only the fittest survive.
The animals go from Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area (but not into the crater itself) to Kenya’s Masai Mara and back. The trek is fraught with peril: predators snare young calves, lion pride brings down the sluggish, bold creatures break legs on steep river slopes, crocodiles eat the stragglers, and the weak and tired drown.
The wildebeest migration isn’t a one-off occurrence. Instead, the expression refers to the continual migration of nearly 1.5 million wildebeests, hundreds of thousands of zebras, elands, and gazelles. The objective of the migration, like that of other species, is to find pasture and water. When water, grass, and other food sources become scarce in one region, the animals migrate to another where water, grass, and other food sources are plentiful.
The grass-eating behaviors of the three groups of migratory grazers differ; while one group consumes the tops of the tallest grass, the next group consumes some of the medium-height grass, until the medium-height grass is nearly totally consumed, and the herds move on. This means that each group only interacts with people of their own species, with a relatively minor overlap in their ranges. The plains grasses contain the highest protein level in the Serengeti, as well as the highest calcium concentration.
The Great Wildebeest Migration, which arrives from the Serengeti, distinguishes itself from previous migratory movements due to the vast size of the herds. Researchers have generated some suggestions about how the creatures know where to obtain food and water, but the behavior remains mostly a mystery. Weather patterns and the cycle of the wet and dry seasons, according to most research, have the biggest impact on animal movement.
It’s unknown how the wildebeest figure out which way to travel, but it’s widely assumed that they follow the rain and the growth of fresh grass. Despite the lack of scientific evidence, some experts think that animals react to distant lightning and thunderstorms. It’s even been said that wildebeest can detect rain from 50 kilometers away.
Because rainfall and weather are unpredictable, it’s impossible to forecast where the animals will be at any given time of year or how long they’ll stay in one place. Only by reviewing historical data from prior migration years can a meaningful assessment of their movement be made. Our safari company collaborates with important camps and lodges in the Masai Mara and Serengeti to provide guests with a high-quality African plains tour experience, particularly for those who want a close look at the migration’s many features.
How does wildlife even happen in a year?
The great wildebeest migration is continually on the move throughout the year, whether the wildebeest are delivering calves or attempting to traverse rivers while evading predators. Read on to find out where the Great Migration is most likely to occur at different times of the year or click on a month below to move to that migration season:
The great wildebeest migration in January, February, and March
The migration will end with a southerly walk around January each year, going along the eastern fringe of the Serengeti and into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The plains are abundant in nutritious grass, which provides the best conditions for the herds to raise their newborn calves.
Despite the fact that there is no actual beginning or finish to this migratory circuit—other than birth and death—it seems appropriate to designate the wildebeests’ birthing season as the migration’s beginning. The herds arrive in the short-grass plains that stretch over the lower northern slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater highlands and near Olduvai Gorge in late January or early February. Within two to three weeks, almost 400,000 calves are born, averaging nearly 8,000 new calves every day.
The arrival crossing of the Mara River, which takes place around late July to early August with portions of September, and again around the final two weeks of October to early November, is one of the most popular events in the migration. The annual wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara is best seen and tracked during these months. While the sight of thousands of animals racing through the wide plains is breathtaking, the Mara River crossing will send you through a rollercoaster of emotions, including amazement, anticipation, heartbreak, inspiration, and enthusiasm.
The crossing has been the focus of countless documentaries, from the BBC to National Geographic, but even the best filming can’t replace being there. Hundreds of wildebeests congregate on ledges above the river, their eagerness and reluctance palpable. It’s easy to feel the enthusiasm in the room. On certain days, the wildebeests appear to be gathering their bravery while you watch in silence, and on certain days, they leave the river’s bank and scatter over the savannah to feed.
Because there are so many vulnerable newborn calves, predators in the area jump into action, hunting with ease due to the large quantity of wildebeest. Those eager to see calving and the drama of big cats on the hunt can visit Asilia’s migratory camps in the southern Serengeti: Olakira, Kimondo, and Ubuntu, which allow direct access.
What happens in April and May?
After giving birth in February and March, wildebeest herds begin to migrate northwest, bringing with them hundreds of zebra and smaller groups of antelope to the greener grass of the middle Serengeti. By May, kilometer-long columns of wildebeest have formed at the Moru Kopjes, close to Dunia Camp, one of the few sites in the Serengeti that allow migration viewing at this time of year. Male wildebeest compete for females during the mating season, which begins in late May. During “the rut,” the wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle graze along the way.
The migration gains traction over time, and the wildebeest begin to congregate in the Serengeti’s Western Corridor. The Ubuntu Migration Camp will have shifted by this time of year to accompany the migration and enable access to see the wildebeest cross the Grumeti River. The herds congregate in large numbers near the river’s pools and channels, which they must pass through to continue on their trek. Although not as dramatic as the legendary Mara crossings, there are still enough wildebeest to offer a feast for the Grumeti crocs. It’s worth mentioning that May is Ubuntu’s down season. Therefore, many of the visitors believe that the Great Migration occurs only once a year, but it occurs throughout the year, with each season providing a distinct wildlife experience. The Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Loliondo Game Managed Area, and Grumeti Reserve are the principal destinations for the wildebeest migration in Africa, which occurs in a clockwise loop between Tanzania and Kenya. The Kenyan movement includes the Masai Mara Game Reserve, which is bordered to the north by the Serengeti National Park. Each month offers its own set of benefits in terms of weather, wildlife, migratory patterns, predator encounters, river crossings, and where to stay to get the most out of your tour to see the aforementioned. For all these safaris, Vibrant Holiday Safaris makes sure you enjoy every bit of your experience.