Tanzania Wildebeest Migration
OVERVIEW
The Great Serengeti wildebeest Migration is the movement of vast numbers of the Serengeti wildebeest, accompanied by large numbers of zebra, gazelle, eland and impala. This is one of the most phenomenal wildlife events in the world. Millions of wildebeest and zebras migrate in a circular journey from the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania to the Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya in search fresh grassland and then back to the Serengeti every year. These move in an annual patterns it is fairly predictable.
Month by month wildebeest Migration is as follows,
Around early November short rains begins up to late December. The heard of the wildebeest migration arrive on the short grass plains of the Serengeti. These are south and east of the Seronera, around Ndutu and include the North of Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Dispersed across these plains, wildebeest and zebra are everywhere feeding on the fresh nutritious grasses. They stay here through January, February and March with most wildebeest calves born in a short window around February gradually they spread west across these plains then around April they migrate to the North.
By May the Serengeti wildebeest all seems to be moving north, migrating to seek fresh grazing and water. The area around Moru Kopjes and west of Seronera is then hectic with a series of moving columns, often containing hundreds of thousands of animals joined by many zebra and Grants gazelle.
Some of the migration then heard to north Seronera, but most are usually further west. Around June the Wildebeest migration often halted on the south side of the Grumeti River, which has some channels that blocks or slow their migration north. The wildebeest then congregate there in the western corridor often building up to high density before crossing the river.
The river here is normally a series of pools and channels, but it is not continuous and whilst they always represents an annual feast for the Grumeti river large crocodiles these are not usually quite as spectacular as the crossing of the Mara river further North.
The wildebeest migration continuous moving northwards during July and August, often spreading out across a broad front, some heading through Grumeti Reserve and Ikorongo, others north through the heart of the Serengeti National Park.
September seems the herds spread out across the northern Serengeti, where the Mara river provides the migration which it is most serious obstacle. This river gushes through northern Serengeti from Kenya adjacent Maasai Mara Game Reserve.
Then October they migrate again with more accord, all are heading south, through western loliondo and the Serengeti National Park lobo area, returning to the green shoots which follow the rains on the short grass plains of the Sourthern Serengeti in November. THEN MIGRATION STARTS AGAIN.