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SD 04 SD 04 Make a Reservation

SD 04 – 11th Annual Wildebeest Migration

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Introduction

At the heart of the Serengeti ecosystem lies an ancient phenomenon that is the largest movement of wildlife on earth. In pursuit of food and water, over a million wildebeest and half a million zebra and antelope migrate north from the Serengeti to the adjoining Masai Mara reserve in Kenya every year.

The animal is superbly fit for its migratory lifestyle, even so the wildebeest looks a bit like a clown and, according to an African legend, has been put together by God using left over spare parts.

December – March

Vast herds of wildebeest spend the rainy season in the volcanic open plains below the Ngorongoro Crater and in the Southern Serengeti where the grass growth is most productive with high nutrient contents.

This area is the starting point for one of the great wonders of the world: the Serengeti annual migration.

As the sea of grass provides little cover and the young are easy pickings, wildebeest have evolved synchronized birthing: about 90% of calves are born within a three-week period. Predators cannot make a dent in the newborn population with such a sudden surge of food. Wildebeest young can run minutes after they are born. Within three days, calves are strong enough to keep up with the herd.

April – May

As the grass is depleted in the Southern Serengeti the herds move to the plains and woodland of the Serengeti's Western Corridor.

For the migrants there is a high mortality rate due to injury and perhaps fatigue, so large numbers of griffon vultures follow the herds on their journey. Northwest from the short grass plains is the Grumeti River. This watercourse is their first real obstacle and gigantic Nile crocodiles (growing up to 6 meters in length and with unusually thickset jaws) are waiting for the hesitant wildebeest to stumble at the crossing.

Their lives are inextricably linked with the great migration. Moving with surprising stealth and speed, they prey upon the thirsty herds as they drink from the river.

June

Following the rainfalls the migration moves north before crossing the Kenyan border into the Masai Mara, little stops the stampeding hundreds. Here again, they must cross a river, this time the Mara with its flotillas of hungry crocodiles.

All is far from peaceful, for it is the rutting season and each male tries to establish a stamping ground. After moving westwards, the migration divides by some uncanny instinct, one group turning northeast and the other due north.

July – August and September – October

The mass of grunting wildebeests (gnus) remain on the productive Mara grasslands until October or November at a time when the rest of the ecosystem is simply too dry to support them. And then, as the storm clouds gather in the south, the vast herds return to their breeding grounds, which, by the time they arrive, are once again green and lush.

November

In November, the army of animals returns southward to the replenished grasslands of the southern Serengeti, thereby completing the migratory cycle.

The migration is rarely ever the same in terms of precise timing and direction, as local conditions influence grass growth. So it is, that the wildebeest may move off the open plains earlier in some years, and remain in the northern woodlands for longer, in others.

All visitors need a valid passport to enter Tanzania. All visa requirements should be checked with your travel agent, or the Tanzanian representative in your country. If you are traveling with your own vehicle into Tanzania, you will require a carnet de passage, insurance cover and an international driver's license. It is also necessary to purchase a foreign vehicle road permit at the border and pay a road toll tax. It is advisable to check on all your documentary requirements well before the trip.

It is not necessary to make reservations in advance to enter the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and entry permits may be obtained at the Lodware Gate, the Naabi Hill Gate in the southern Serengeti, and the conservation area headquarters at Ngorongoro. Non-Tanzanian residents are required to pay any fees in US dollars. If you intend going into the Ngorongoro Crater, you are obliged to take an official guide with you at an additional fee. Guides are based at the conservation area headquarters. All entrance fees are valid for a period of 24 hours only. If you leave only an hour or two after the expiry of the 24-hour period, you will be charged the full amount once more. The gates into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m., but movement is allowed after dark between the campsites and the lodges. Take your rubbish away with you, or leave it at one of the lodges.

Remember that potentially dangerous animals roam throughout the area, so it is advisable to be cautious. If you photograph Masai people, you must first ask permission, and you will be expected to pay. Most visitors to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area include a visit to the adjacent Serengeti National Park in their itinerary.

This is a vast conserved area, covering almost 15,000 square kilometers (9,375 square miles), and together with Ngorongoro, Masai Mara and adjoining game reserves, forms a block of land that is critical to the well-being of the great herds of game and the ever-present predators. The western plains of Ngorongoro are a natural extension of the extensive Serengeti Plain, and it is within this system that the wildebeest, plains zebra, topi, hartebeest and gazelles undertake their seasonal movements.

There are two principal entry points into the Serengeti National Park, the most heavily used at Naabi Hill Gate between Ngorongoro and the park, and the other into the western corridor at Ndabaka Gate close to the eastern shore of Lake Victoria. On most maps the Bologonja Gate, at the border between Serengeti and Masai Mara, is marked but entry here is not recommended. People have been turned back at the border, as it is no longer an official crossing point. If you are driving yourself, follow the established roads and tracks. Only if you have secured permission and are well equipped (preferably with two vehicles) should you head for such locales as the Gol mountains, Nasera Rock and the western Salei Plains. Most excursions from the main roads should be restricted to the dry season. The main, all-weather roads are in reasonable condition, but corrugated in parts and flash floods can wash away the roads.

If you intend to explore, take sufficient fuel, water, food and spares, as a breakdown away from the principal routes could leave you stranded for several days.

Permission to camp away from the designated sites must be obtained from the conservation area headquarters.

Safari Venues

• Casa Lisa  (Mozambique)
• Vilanculos
• Casa Msika
• Cahorra Bassa
• Lilongwe (Malawi)
• Chitimba Beach at Mokondowe (Lake Malawi)
• Tanzania
• Dar-Es-Salaam (Zanzibar)
• Stonetown (Zanzibar)
• Nungwi Village Resort (Zanzibar)
• Arusha (Tanzania)
• Ngorongoro Crater
• Ndutu
• Serengeti
• Baobab Valley
• Utengule
• Shiwa Ngandu
• Kapisho Hot Springs
• Lusaka
• Livingstone (Zambia)
• Victoria Falls (Zambia)
• Chobe National Park (Botswana)

Time of Year

• 2 March - 6 April 2010

Itinerary

Costs

+/- R70 000  per vehicle with 2 Adults.

( All prices are subject to exchange rate fluctuations )

Deposit

A non-refundable deposit of R 10 000 per vehicle is required in order to confirm a booking. The balance is due a minimum of 14 days prior to departure.

Enquiries & Bookings