Serengeti

Serengeti National Park is situated in north-central Tanzania, bordering Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve.

Beyond the well-known migratory animals, which include wildebeest, zebra, Thomson’s gazelle and eland, the Serengeti is home to large prides of lions, as well as leopard, cheetah, hyena, rhino, buffalo, elephant and giraffe.

The rivers in the Serengeti are known for their high concentrations of crocodiles, which prey on the migratory animals that are forced to cross. Hippos are also found in the rivers, and the park is also home to smaller predators like jackals. The Serengeti hosts an incredible diversity of birdlife.

The Serengeti is incredibly vast. The national park covers 15,000km² or 1,5 million hectares in size, but the Serengeti ecosystem spreads further, beyond the borders of the park.

The name Serengeti is said to be derived from the Maasai word ‘Siringit’, which means the ‘place where the land moves forever’ or ‘endless plain’. This accurately describes the seemingly endless swaths of undulating savannah and rolling hills.

Known as the Great Migration, it is the single largest movement of herd animals on the planet. Every year, more than 2 million animals (wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles) migrate in a clockwise direction across the ecosystems of the Serengeti (Tanzania) and the Masai Mara (Kenya,) following the rain in search of fertile grazing and breeding grounds.

The migration moves throughout the year, with each animal travelling between 800 and 1,000 kilometres on their journey along ancient migration routes.

The migration is a year-long clockwise journey starting on the short grass plains in the south of Serengeti National Park. Though herd movements are fairly predictable, the migration depends entirely on rain, available grazing and available water. In general, the herds move in a north-westerly direction, making their way up to the border with the Masai Mara around September before heading south again through the Serengeti.

The migration is constantly moving and seeing the highest possible concentration of animals means travelling to where the herds are at any given time. The numbers really boom in calving season, when the wildebeest give birth to their young, and this usually occurs between January and March. The best time to see dramatic river crossings is between July and October.