All you need to know about the Great Wildebeest Migration

 Undoubtedly, the Great Wildebeest Migration is one of the most incredible wildlife spectacles on the planet, each year about 1.8 million wildebeests and hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles migrate across the Mara – Serengeti Ecosystem in search for green pastures and water.  Their movement is triggered by rain which they follow, along the journey the herds must battle raging rivers and void lurking predators in order to complete this annual endless cycle that occurs in a fairly regular pattern each year. 

The migration is not just a one – time annual event but a year-round event, it can be seen at any time of the year and all you need to know is where to go.  NOTE: the best time to see the Great Migration in Tanzania is end – December to March which is the calving (birthing cycle) and July to October (the dry season). The wildebeest migration goes through stages are the main stages are

1. The Calving Season
2. The North Trek
3. River Crossings – Grumeti and Mara
4. The Arrival of the Herds in the Masai Mara
5. The Journey back South

THE GREAT MIGRATION CALENDAR- All you need to know about the Great Wildebeest Migration

 As the new year draws in, the majority of the wildebeests have started congregating in the Ndutu plains in the South of Serengeti national park in Tanzania with an overspill in to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This is the time when the herds are concentrated in their greatest numbers.  The calving (bathing season) starts with the start of February and in a period of about 3 weeks, over 8,000 wildebeest calves are born every day giving rise to even more black dots on the endless plains. The abundant of the ungulates attracts plenty of predators such as cheetahs, lions, leopards, hyenas and African wild dogs, this is a time prey and predator action.

JANUARY

The herds have reached the short grass plains of the Southern Serengeti around Lake Ndutu, usually the short rain that falls here in November and December attracts the herds in search of green pastures from Central Serengeti. The pastures in this area “Southern plains” are rich in phosphorus offering nutritious grazing. 

FEBRUARY

This marks the beginning of the calving season with up to 500,000 wildebeest being born within a period of 2-4 weeks, the presence of week newly born and still weak attracts a lot of predators that is why they are easy to see. This is the great time to visit if you want to hunting action as there is plenty of it. 

MARCH

The Southern Plains start to dry out from weeks of intensive grazing, the herds gets confused and start wandering as far west into the woodlands of Maswa Game Reserve.  After the births of the calves, the herds start to slowly split up, although the general direction is North, splinter herds form and the wildebeests are in limbo. Some of the herds head straight towards the Grumeti area in the west while many of the others travel in and around the Seronera (Central) region of Serengeti national park.  Even when they split up, the herds are still in thousands as they make their way through the center of Serengeti. 

APRIL 

The plains have no sufficient green pastures to sustain the herds, this triggers the herds to begin to trek north-west towards the Western Corridor of the Serengeti where they are heavy rains, it is a slow movement through scattered woodlands and long grass plains. 

May 

As the rains begin to dwindle, columns of wildebeests continue to enter the Western Corridor of the Serengeti. Others head north of the Seronera – Central region but the bulk of the migrating herds enters the Ndoha and Dutwa plains that flank the Mbalageti River. Towards the end of May, there is a sense of expectation as the herds piles up in the narrow wedge of the land between the forest lined river courses of the Mbalageti and Grumeti River.  In years when the rain persists through May, the wildebeests may scatter over a wide area of Central Serengeti. As May progresses into June, the herds are still in their splinter groups. While some will head directly North from Seronera towards the Mara River, others arrive in the Grumeti region of the park where the Grumeti River meanders through the riverine woodlands.  Although the Grumeti is certainly note same scale as the Mara River, there are some small river crossings that do occur and the Grumeti area is a beautiful to explore and see the migration.  

JUNE

The rains have stopped and the wildebeests are in rut stage, the grasslands reverberate to the bellows and the grunts of testosterone fueled males as they chase their rivals and around up females thus creating chaotic movement and noise as females try to maintain contact with their calves. Marching its way through the Western Corridor, the migration begins to congregate into a mega herd bunching up along the southern bank of the Grumeti River.  The main point of interest is the main group of the migration amassing for the Grumeti River Crossings, this can start early in the month. The herds are splashing through what is usually a series of pools and channels rather than a continuous flowing river.  As the frequency of crossing intensifies during June, the Grumeti’s large crocodiles feast on the wildebeest and zebras’ flesh. From July through to early November, the Mara River is the best place to see the wildebeest migration. Located in the Kogatende region in the North of the Serengeti, the herds starting arriving here from the end of June onwards and this where the second largest congregation occurs.  Note: Unlike the normal belief, the Mara River is not the border between Tanzania and Kenya and only a quarter of the wildebeest enter the Maasi Mara as most of the herds tend to stay in Serengeti National Park but cross over the river multiple times in search of the best grazing pastures.  The scenes that unfold at this site are worth of any wildlife documentary, with huge crocodiles lurking in the shallows as well as lions and leopards waiting to ambush the wildebeests on the banks of the river.  Thousands of the wildebeests fall victim to the predators as well as the current, however many make it through the hardship and in reward they get lush green grass on which they graze on after the crossing. 

JULY

In wake of the Grumeti River, the herds push to the Northern Serengeti. They spread out on a broad front extending from the Grumeti Game Reserve and Ikorongo Game Controlled Area to the Northern reaches of the Serengeti. Large herds can be found as far east as Lobo. When the migration actually crosses into Maasai Mara National Reserve of Kenya depends on the rainfall pattern and how long the northern Serengeti grasslands can sustain the herds. In some years it happens as early as mid – June. In other years it doesn’t happen until August or September.   It is commonly perceived that the Mara River crossing marks the transition of the migration from Tanzania to Kenya which is wrong, actually the river meanders through the north – west Serengeti before looping north into the western reaches of the Masai Mara repeatedly through water obstacles in the path of the herds, this makes it easier to stake out likely crossing points on either side through July and August. 

AUGUST

The climax of the crossing, in a typical year, you can expect the migration to have reached the Masai Mara by early August. River crossings often reach their frenzied by August as large herds take a leap of faith into the Mara River which is a much delight to the waiting crocodiles in the waters and lions and leopards along the borders of the river.  The riverbanks become crowded with vultures and marabou storks feeding on the corpses of droned wildebeests clogging up the river. You can also witness less macabre scenes of wildebeests and zebras filling through long, golden grasslands. 

SEPTEMBER

The herds may still be scattered across the Northern Serengeti, either about to cross into Masai Mara or content to remain in Serengeti national park – Tanzania grazing in the rolling plains. The focus of the migration however is firmly in Masai Mara – Kenya where the wildebeest edge slowly eastwards through the Masai Mara.

OCTOBER 

The rains may start falling on the short grass plains of the Southern Serengeti and wildebeests need to be there by the time the fresh green shoots have pushed to the surface, so they begin the trek south. The Migration gradually spill from the Masai Mara back into the north – east Serengeti and Loliondo Game Controlled Area.   After the river crossings, the wildebeests start their journey South again. From the start of November onward, the wildebeests head back towards the Ndutu Plains completing their annual cycle. Some of the herds splinter into the central regions again, some stray East and some head directly South.  Again, there are in Limbo but will all congregate on the Southern Plains by the end of the year.  

NOVEMBER

The start moving southwards following the rain, by now of the herds, if not all will have left Maasai Mara National Park. They form long column stretches from Lobo to the Central Seronera Area of the Serengeti. 

DECEMBER

The herds reach the Southern Serengeti where fresh grass covers the short plains and the migration begins its annual cycle all over again.