The Wildebeest Migration of 2016

The massive movement of Serengeti’s wildebeest, together with a significant number of zebra, smaller numbers of Grant’s and Thompson’s gazelles, eland, and impala, is known as the big migration of the wildebeest. These follow a reasonably consistent annual trend. They migrate all year long in search of better water quality and, it is now believed, new pasture. The exact time of the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti depends only on the annual patterns of rainfall. In the coming months, a lot of travelers to Tanzania and Kenya will be searching for a chance to see the migration in action.

While it is difficult to predict the movements of the wildebeests, some cautious ones have been made. Therefore, if you are hoping to witness this incredible journey or thousands upon thousands of wild animals moving from one place to another, here is a quick overview so you can choose your time of travel. The ideal trip to take during this period would be a Serengeti safari in Tanzania.

From March till May

Migration: (1) As the rains come, the herds disperse and assemble with their young. They are gradually moving northward into the central Serengeti by April. They move into the Western Corridor in May, where the floodwaters of the Mbalageti and Grumeti Rivers preserve the grasslands.

From July until August, the arid, chilly months. On the forested grasslands in the west, the herds assemble. The renowned rut typically takes place in the Seronera region. After crossing the Grumeti, two flanks may emerge and go quickly westward, leaving the park. The other flank, however, travels northward into Lobo and typically reaches the Mara by August. In the Masai Mara, where crocodiles will feed on them, the migration must traverse the Mara River. One of the thrills is seeing the animals attempt to cross the Mara River alive, putting them in danger of flooding and crocodile bites.

October to september

Since these are often the driest months in the Serengeti, nomadic herds can be found in the well-watered expanse of open, bushy grasslands of the Mara. The brief showers won’t be far off.

October upto february

Sensing an impending downpour, the herds move southward and into the Serengeti’s eastern woods and the Ngorongoro Conservation area. They arrive in the southern Serengeti’s short grass plains by January, with the birth of zebra foals peaking in December and the birth of wildebeest calves in late January and early February. The raptors are not far away. Although calves are typically upright in three minutes, the young are extremely delicate.

One of the seven new wonders of the world, the wildebeest migration has been called “the greatest wildlife show on earth”!