The Great Migration

Most people have heard of The Great Migration and it is one of the main reasons that people are drawn to a Tanzania Safari Holiday..... We often get asked ‘when does the Migration take place?’ our answer - ‘it's a bit like predicting the British weather!’ What we ask our clients to keep in mind is that although the Wildebeest tend to follow the same route, they are wild animals and they do not work to a schedule, they allow nature to take its course. People very often say that they would like to see the herds crossing the plains and the rivers, when you see this incredible footage the camera persons have often been sat here for days, weeks and sometimes and even months.

The Wildebeest calving season takes place in the Northern Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater between January and March. When their young are strong enough and the rains arrive in Kenya they start their migration towards the vast Kenyan plains of the Masai Mara in search of a new food source, something that is plentiful when the rains arrive - this is when the Wildebeest start their annual great migration, clever beasts aren’t they?

Typically, the Wildebeest and few Zebra move north-west from the short grass plains of the Northern Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater to the Western Corridor of the Serengeti and its Grumeti River. This mighty river is their first real obstacle, where the crocodiles are sat waiting for the hesitant wildebeest to stumble at the crossing.

From Grumeti, they move north, before crossing the Kenyan border into the Masai Mara. Here the Wildebeest and some Zebra must try and avoid the hungry snapping of the crocodiles that are lying in wait for their next meal. The masses of Wildebeest remain on the grassy plains on the Masai Mara until October or November. Then, as the rains arrive in Tanzania they start their decent back to their breeding grounds, by the time they arrive, the plains of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro are lush and green and the cycle begins again.