The Serengeti is famed for it is annual migration when more than 1,500,000 wildebeest and 500,000 Gazelle follow some 200,000 Zebra in 2000km round pilgrimage in search of fresh grazing and water. It is the greatest wildlife show on earth and once in a life time experience. Wildebeest feed only on new shoots and very short grass but do, of course eat the longer grass once it has been trimmed by Zebras or Buffalo. Predator versus prey dominates the migration. Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Hyena and ever present vultures, gorge on their annual feast while, in the rivers, giant crocodile wait their turn. The best time to see the migration is between June and August when the wildebeest congregate and prepare to cross the Grumeti River. However both the route and timing of the migration are un predictable so visitors must plan carefully to be assured of the spectacle. All routes eventually crossing the Mara River, where the animals face another life threatening experience into Kenya’s Masai Mara. Finally, in November, the herds start their trek back through the Serengeti arriving at the short grass plains ready to give birth again. And the cycle continues as it has for over a million years.
THE MIGRATION MAP
