Masai Mara Wildebeest Migration

Wildebeest Migration - Kenya And Tanzania

The greatest wildlife spectacle is played out in the endless settings of the East African plains. Annual almost 2 million wildebeest migrate from to and from the plains of the Masai Mara national park in Kenya and the Serengeti national park in Tanzania. Tourists doing Masai Mara tour as well as many wildlife scientists have described this as one of the wonders of the World. Over 2 million animals consisting of wildebeest, Zebras (approximately 200,000) and gazelle make their way from the plains of the Masai Mara to the vast Serengeti plains in a clockwise fashion. These animals are run through a gauntlet of Africa’s greatest predators such as lions, cheetahs, leopards and crocodiles lurking in the murky waters of the Mara river and the different rivers that they have to cross as they search for fresh grasslands that have sprung up with the new rains. - Kenya safari

From the time a wildebeest is born, it is destined to make these endless journeys in search of water and food. The wildebeest have their young – approximately 400,000 in all, during a period of six weeks at the beginning of each year in from late January to the middle of March.

Below is a list of the months and places where you can expect to see these magnificent scenes.

Around September 1: Here the wildebeest are usually found in the Serengeti national park areas of northern Tanzania and partly in Kenya’s Masai Mara game reserve. It is during this time that they are found to be crossing the Mara River and the best location are the Migration Camps in the Serengeti and the Governor’s Camp in the Mara of Kenya.

Around November 1: During this time the wildebeest have grazed the Mara plains all through the month October which is usually characterized by cool mornings which get warmer during the day. With the Serengeti receiving abundant showers of rain at around this time, the wildebeest and Zebras have began their migration back to the Serengeti’s north and Central regions. It is not uncommon to see the herds stretching from the Lobo to the plains of the Tagora and Seronera. However, since the rains are unpredictable at this time, the wildebeest and Zebras which had crossed the Mara river in droves sometimes head back north till the proper rainy season starts in the Serengeti – Serengeti Safari

Around January 1: The wildebeest mega-herd that have spent most the time grazing in the plains of Ndutu travel through the plains of Kusini and Naabi hills found around the borders of the Ngorongoro crater Conservation Area and Serengeti national parks. They then migrate to the Ngorongoro crater area where the rains often begin to fall around this time of the year. Ngorongoro crater safari.

Around March 1: The lack of rains sometimes in the month of February force the mega-herd to migrate the game reserves of Maswa. However, when the rains begin they move back to the Ndutu areas where they begin to calf.

Around May 1: Around this time the heavy rains have started in the Serengeti national park and the Wildebeest herds have migrated to the Gol, Ndutu and southern Loliondo. However around this time the Masai worriors also water their cattle around here and with the return of the rains they move back to their homesteads allowing the zebras and wildebeests to graze more freely.

Around July 1: Here the wildebeest and Zebras are still found in the Serengeti national parks in Tanzania in the areas of the Musabi areas right upto Grumeti. They can also be found in the areas of Lobo. The grass is usually still relatively green and the herds of zebras and wildebeest spend time grazing here.

Around August 1: Here the mega-herd of wildebeest make their way back to the Masai Mara national park.

Around October 1: Here the wildebeest are usually scattered through Tanzania’s western corridor, Kenya’s Masai Mara and northern Serengeti. The tourists in the region experience the wildebeest crossing the Masai Mara again – Masai Mara Safari