Everything You Need To Know About Great Migration
The Great Wildebeest Migration
The Great Migration is like a big adventure for animals in Africa. It's when over a million animals, like wildebeests, travel together in a loop across the Serengeti-Mara area. They move around looking for food and water, starting from the south of Tanzania and going up to Kenya's Masai Mara, then back again. Along the way, there's lots of action with animals being born and others getting caught by predators. It's like a big cycle of life happening every year.
If you want to know more about the Great Migration, you can learn about what is the great migration, how the animals move throughout the year, or find answers to common questions. You can also find details on when to travel.
The migrant grazers, like wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles, have different ways of eating grass. They sort of take turns munching on the grass. One group starts by eating the tall grass, then the next group comes along and eats the medium-height grass, and so on, until there's not much grass left, and then they move on. Each group mostly stays with their own kind of grass, but there's a bit of overlap.
The grass on the plains where they graze has really good stuff in it for them, like lots of protein and calcium.
As for how they know where to go, scientists aren't totally sure. But it seems like they mostly follow the weather. When it rains and new grass starts growing, they head that way. Some people think they might also react to faraway lightning and thunderstorms. There's even a theory that wildebeest can somehow sense rain that's more than 50 kilometers away, but that's still up for debate.
What is the Great Migration
The Great Migration is an incredible sight to behold, as it involves the largest movement of animals anywhere on Earth. Imagine huge herds of wildebeest stretching as far as the eye can see, so massive that they can even be spotted from space.
Picture this: over 1.2 million wildebeest and 300,000 zebra, plus other animals like topi and gazelle, journey together in search of food and water across the Serengeti-Mara area. Each wildebeest travels about 800 to 1,000 kilometers along ancient paths, guided by their instincts for survival.
But it's not just a peaceful stroll. Hungry predators like lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs, and crocodiles lurk nearby, ensuring that only the fittest make it through. This natural spectacle is often called 'the greatest show on Earth.'
The journey takes the animals from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, through the Serengeti, into Kenya's Masai Mara, and then back again. Along the way, there are countless dangers: young calves are at risk of being snatched by predators, slower animals can fall victim to lion prides, steep river crossings can cause broken legs, crocodiles wait to ambush stragglers, and the weak and tired sometimes drown.
How the Great Migration Moves Throughout the year
The Great Migration is always on the move, whether it's wildebeest giving birth or trying to cross rivers without getting caught by predators. Here's a general idea of where the migration tends to be during different times or click on the month below to jump that season of the migration.
January, February, and March | April and May | June and July | August, September and October | November and December
The Great Migration in January, February and March
Every year in January, a large group of animals finishes traveling south, going from the eastern part of Serengeti to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This area has plenty of good grass for them to eat, especially for their babies.
The migration doesn't really have a clear start or end, except when animals are born or die. But it's fair to say that when the wildebeests start having babies, that's when the migration begins. Around late January or February, the herds gather on the plains with short grass near the northern slopes of Ngorongoro Crater and around Olduvai Gorge. In just two to three weeks, about 400,000 new baby animals are born — that's almost 8,000 every day!
Because there are so many young calves around, predators in the area become more active. They find it easier to hunt because there are lots of wildebeests around. If you want to see this exciting time of calving and watch big cats hunting, you should visit the southern part of Serengeti.
The Great Migration in April and May
After giving birth to their babies in February and March, around April, the wildebeest groups start moving northwest. They're looking for fresher grass in the central part of Serengeti. Along with them, thousands of zebras and smaller groups of antelope also move.
By May, you'll see long lines of wildebeests stretching for kilometers. They gather near Moru Kopjes, close to Dunia Camp. This camp is one of the few places in Serengeti where you can see the migration during this time.
In May, the mating season begins, and male wildebeests start fighting each other. This continues until the end of May. During this time, the animals take their journey slowly, grazing along the way.
The Great Migration in June and July
In June, the dry season begins, and you'll find lots of wildebeests gathered in the Western Serengeti and along the southern banks of the Grumeti River. Crossing this river is tough because of the crocodiles, and it's just the start of many such challenges the animals will face.
As June turns into July, hundreds of thousands of wildebeests and zebras keep moving north along the western part of the park. They're heading towards an even riskier obstacle: the Mara River in the north of Serengeti. These river crossings are considered one of the most thrilling wildlife events in the world. They usually start in July, but it all depends on nature's timing.
In July, you can usually find the herds in the Northern Serengeti. Later in July, if the animals successfully cross the Mara River, they'll be in the Masai Mara. It's quite a sight to see daily river crossings at the Mara and Talek rivers, both offering incredible scenes.
The Great Migration in August, September and October
By August, the herds have crossed the Mara River and are now scattered across the northern region of the Masai Mara and the northern Serengeti. Crossing the Mara River can be really tough. In some years, when the river is flowing strongly, it can cause panic and confusion among the animals, leading to a lot of deaths. Even in years with gentler water flow, crocodiles and other predators like lions wait to catch the wildebeests as they try to cross.
There isn't just one crossing point. Some spots might have only a few animals crossing at a time, while in others, there's a continuous stream of animals for hours.
By September and October, the chaos of the crossings has calmed down, and the migrating herds have started moving eastward. But their journey isn't over yet. They'll have to face the Mara River once again as they prepare to head back southward.
The Great Migration in November and December
After the East African short rains in late October and early November, the wildebeests start moving from Kenya and into the eastern part of the Serengeti, passing Namiri Plains. This area is famous for great cheetah sightings. By December, they've spread out across the eastern and southern areas of the park.
In the early months of the new year, the grass in the deep south of the Serengeti is lush from the rain. This attracts the wildebeests, along with hundreds of thousands of zebras and other plains animals. And so, the cycle begins again, with the calving season starting once more.
Ready to plan a Great Migration safari?
Featured Great Migration Itineraries
River Crossing Experience
9 Days 8 Nights
Drive in Drive Out
Wildebeest Migration (Mara river crossing)
Wildlife Safari and Cultural Visit
Travel Months: July- October
Places to Visit: Arusha City, Serengeti National Park, Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater,
The Calving Season
8 Days 7 Nights
Drive in Drive Out
Wildebeest Migration (Calving Season)
Wildlife Safari and Cultural
Travel Months : December - End of March
Places to Visit: Arusha City, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Ndutu Area, Ngorongoro Crater, Maasai Boma, Oldvai Gorge & Shifting Sand
Frequently asked questions about the Great Migration
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The Great Wildebeest Migration is the biggest animal migration on Earth. Over 2 million animals, including wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles, travel in a circular path across the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Masai Mara in Kenya every year.
Along the way, they have to deal with dangerous challenges like crossing rivers full of crocodiles, being hunted by predators, and facing tough natural events like droughts and floods. It's a constant battle for survival for these animals.
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The Great Migration offers exciting experiences throughout the year. In the early months, you can witness incredible predator encounters in Tanzania's Serengeti because it's calving season for the wildebeest, making them easier targets.
By July, the herds start moving north into the central Serengeti. This is when you'll see the wildebeests crossing rivers for the first time, facing the danger of crocodiles.
In August, they cross over into Kenya's Masai Mara. Towards the end of the year, they move southward back into the Serengeti, preparing for the next calving season and more predator attacks.
You can learn more about what to expect each month during the migration and which camps are best positioned to enjoy this spectacle at those times of year by visiting the provided link.
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Every year in East Africa, millions of wildebeests, along with zebras, gazelles, and other animals, migrate together in spectacular herds across Kenya and Tanzania. This incredible journey is known as the Great Migration.