Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park is one of the most famous wildlife areas in the world. The park's 5,700 square miles are part of the 9,600-square-mile Serengeti Eco-system, home to incredible herds of wildebeest and other grazing animals. It is the largest national park in Tanzania, with a staggering animal population of about 4 million. It is the largest wildlife sanctuary in the world and the site of one of the most breathtaking events in animal kingdom-the migration of more than a million wildebeest. The area consists of short-grass southern plains, savannah dotted with acacia and granite outcroppings called kopjes, and riverine bush and forest in the north.
The park's name is derived from the Maasai language "SIRINGET" which means endless plains. The famous "Migration" that people dream to experience, is actually a year long search for food by the wildebeest, zebra and gazelle populations. There are different 'events' that happen at different times of the year and in different locations in this park. The basic migration occurs primarily in a clock-wise direction, but it is guided by rain and the growth of grass, so at any time the animals can ignore "tradition" and just follow rain clouds in a more haphazard direction.
There are three "seasons" in the Serengeti. They are short rains, long rains and dry season. During the start of the "short rains" of November and December, the large wildebeest and zebra herds leave the northern part of the Serengeti Eco-system (the Mara in Kenya) and travel east and south around the Gol Mountains and into the short grass plain of the southern and eastern Serengeti. The short rains are just that; short bursts of rain and usually in the late afternoon and night. During this time, it is not uncommon for the pregnant females to migrate south through the central Serengeti and to the southern plains. The female wildebeest need to be in this area to begin the calving, as they rely on this particular kind of grass for calving and milk production, that is high in calcium and magnesium. Wildebeest calving can begin anytime between January-March. More than 750,000 females will drop their calves within a 3-week period of time, so predator/prey activity is at a peak. The short grass plains also offer some of the best protection against predators, as they are more visible to the herd animals. Herd animals will remain in this area as long as there is decent rain that continues in the following months, although they only need short bursts of rain to be happy.
April is usually the month of long rain, meaning heavier rain for longer periods of time. At this time, the herd usually begins to move to the central Serengeti and begins to prepare for the wildebeest rut of May and June. These are some of the most amazing herd sightings, as the male and females herd reunite for breeding. The herd movement continues both west and north between May usually to the end of July. At this point, the herd disperses a bit and males without females may migrate directly north to the Mara and some remain in the Western Corridor and are resident the rest of the year. If rains are normal, we can expect the majority of the herd to leave the Serengeti by the middle to the end of July.
The dry season of July-October still remains excellent for viewing cats of all kinds and the large herds are still able to be seen in northern Serengeti along the Mara River. Cat viewing is sometimes at its best during the dry season because they must remain more active during the daytime to search for dwindling food. During these months, clients usually stay in the central Serengeti, the Western Corridor and northern Serengeti or Loliondo area. The famous "river crossings", which everyone hopes to see, are hard to predict and can occur in a short number of days. But, there are herd that cross at a few different locations on the Grumeti River in Tanzania and the Mara River bordering Kenya and Tanzania. Crossings typically occur October-November on the Mara River and July on the Grumeti River in Tanzania
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