The Great Wildebeest Migration in the Serengeti is one of the most spectacular natural sights on the African continent!

A critical component of arranging a Serengeti migration safari is understanding the optimal location to be at any given point in time during your Serengeti safari. The Wildebeest and Zebra essentially move in a massive anti-clockwise circle around the herd. While June is a wonderful season to visit the area near the Grumeti River, the months of July, August, September, and occasionally even October are preferable for visiting the Masai Mara.

What is the Wildebeest Migration all about?

Annual wildebeest migration from the Ndutu region of the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara in southern Kenya is referred to as the Great Migration.

The recent rains have left a plenty of grass for zebra and wildebeest to feast on in the magnificent caldera reserve, and it is at this time of year that the wildebeest calving season begins (December-March) Additionally, it is a good time for predators such as lions, cheetahs, leopards, and even hyenas to prey on weak or disoriented calves.

When the rains end in April/May, the zebra begin the process of migrating northward towards the Maasai Mara, where they will eventually arrive. The wildebeest follow the zebra everywhere they go.

A large portion of the herd travels through the Grumeti River in June/July and across the Mara River between August and November, and it is during this period that some of the most beautiful images and video footage can be recorded. Animals are swept away by flood rivers, predators hunt for stray animals, and opportunistic Nile crocodiles feast on the carcasses of herd members as they attempt to cross the waterway. It is a bloodthirsty, spectacular demonstration of the food chain in action.

Once the crossings are completed, the herd moves to the Maasai Mara in southern Kenya, where it will remain for the foreseeable future. After spending the majority of the dry season in the more fertile Maasai Mara, the migration returns south in preparation for the calving season, which begins in the New Year.