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So what is the best time and where is the best place to catch
this spectacle?
Disregard any pretty map you may have been shown that
has a nice flow of animals going round in an annual circle.
The
Migration does not work like this. It is driven entirely by standing
water and grazing, and created by local weather conditions.
The
wildebeest want to be in the short grass plains of the southern
Serengeti [in Ndutu/Gol/Southern Loliondo] but the water and grazing
cannot support them all year round. This is where they choose to give
birth to their young (usually Feb – March), with the rich grass to
support them. Within a relatively short space of time, perhaps 4 to 6
weeks, several hundred thousand calves will be born and this is where we
see much of the dramatic predator action. The Migration will move off in
search of sustenance in response to periods of dry weather, but they
will leave this area as late as possible and come back as soon as they
can. This means that every year is different and, in fact, every week
can be different.
The Migration is also
not a continually forward
motion. They go forward, back and to the sides, they mill around, they
split up, they join forces, they walk in a line, they spread out, they
hang around. You can never predict with certainty where they will be;
the best you can do is to suggest likely timings, based on past
experience - but you can never guarantee the Migration a hundred
percent.
So, soon after the short rains start, we would expect them to
be in, or close to, the short grass plains area (centred around Naabi/Ndutu/Gol) from December through to April. Depending on local rainfall, they
might be anywhere from Moru Kopjes through to the slopes of Ngorongoro.
From May,
the rains stop and the herds gradually start moving:
generally, as the plains of the south and east dry out, there is a
movement to the north and west, where there is more grass and more
dependable water.
- Not all the wildebeest and zebra will follow the same
route: this means that, while part of the migration will head to the
western corridor and the Grumeti River before proceeding north,
significant numbers may also go up through Loliondo, or via Seronera and
Lobo.
- In a dry year, the first wildebeest could be near the Mara River
(the only decent permanent water in the ecosystem) in early July; in a
wet year - mid August. If conditions are very good, i.e. there is plenty
of grass and water; the herds will be spread out all the way from
Seronera to the Mara River.
- The Migration as a whole need not all pass
into Kenya and many stay behind or cross and re-cross the border areas.
This carries on through till October/November, when they will start
thinking of heading back. Again this will be dependent on the rains.
The
river crossings happen at any time during this time of year, but are
elusive, rapid and unforgettable experiences.
- The areas the wildebeest
cover are vast, even when crossed in a 4WD car.
- The groups may be spilt
over a wide area and finding one on the brink of crossing is not a
given.
- The wildebeest are also easily spooked by real or imagined
threats. They fear crossing the river, as they have an inkling that
something lurks there.
- Patient waiting near a herd by the river may only
produce a puff of dust as they turn on their heels and run away. Or
maybe the herd is just not ready to cross the river and they are milling
around contentedly.
But if everything is right then, there is utter and
extraordinary chaos as the herds struggle to get to the other side of a
major river filled with crocodiles.
...find out
how to plan your migration
safari wherever and whenever it's on the move or just milling about! |
