Facts about the Great Wildebeest Migration

Facts about the great wildebeest migration are some of the most amazing things about the great migration that you would ever get to know, even before you embark on one of the most amazing and memorable great wildebeest migration safaris. The great wildebeest migration is the movement of herds of wildebeests and other grazers like gazelles and zebras through the Serengeti National Park to the Maasai Mara National Reserve Kenya. The Great Wildebeest migration is the world’s largest mammal migration on land, and is indeed one of the most amazing Seven Natural wonders of the world that one could ever get to experience and witness.

The Great Wildebeest Migration takes place throughout the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem all throughout the year, moving in cycles in different parts of the park and reserve every other month. The Great Wildebeest Migration is an annual occurrence taking place in different parts of the Serengeti National Park and Maasai Mara National Reserve. The most iconic Great Wildebeest Migration experience is the river crossings of the Grumeti River and Mara River; these river crossings have the animals on a survival for the fittest mode as they have to evade the lingering crocodiles in the waters and other predators like lions and leopards at the shores of the rivers all ready to pounce on their fleeing prey.

It is the great wildebeest migration that most travellers do visit the Serengeti National Park for mazing great migration safaris, throughout the year. The great wildebeest migration gives travellers an opportunity to spectate on one of the most amazing and spectacular natural occurrences in the world. As you embark on a Tanzania safari tour to witness the great migration, below are some of the most fascinating facts about the Great Wildebeest Migration that you may find interesting and worth knowing;

Largest overland migration in the world. One of the true facts about the Great wildebeest Migration is that it is the largest overland migration in the world, not seen anywhere else in the world ever. The Great Wildebeest Migration has over 1.5 million wildebeests and hundreds of thousands of grazers moving in a frenzy of sorts to cross the mar River to Masai Mara National Reserve Kenya.
The great wildebeest migration is a natural phenomenon that only started in the 1960s. Before then the great wildebeest migration was not there and thus considered a natural spectacle as factors and reasons as to why the great migration started when it never did in the past and then making it an annual habit is still unknown.
During the calving season which is part of the great wildebeest migration, you can be sure to witness the fact that calves can walk as soon as they are born. Half a million wildebeest calves are born yearly during the calving season which usually is in the southern Serengeti National Park areas. The calves can walk at birth and therefore are able to keep up with the herds during the great migration.
During the calving season is one of the best times to watch the big cats preying on the weak and fragile calves of the wildebeests, making the calving season of the great migration one of the best times to witness the great wildebeest migration in Serengeti National Park and also watch big cats on a hunt and kill.
Though the great wildebeest migration animals may seem to move in a frenzy of sorts, they are quite very much awake and intelligent more than they do appear. They have a swarm intelligence seeing the herds systematically explore and overcome an obstacle together as a herd.
Wherever the Great Wildebeest migration goes so do the big cats, lions in particular. With over 3000 lions in Serengeti ecosystem spread all through and with the great wildebeest migration moving in a cycle through different parts of the Serengeti, lions are sure to be seen in sight not so far off from the migrating herds hunting them down for a meal.
Iconic river crossings. The iconic river crossings though one of the most spectacular sights can be quite dangerous to the herds of the great wildebeest migration. The Nile crocodiles waiting in the Mara river even after the herds surviving the Grumeti River crossing do drown their prey by clutching them with their strong jaws and pulling them towards and inside the waters, twisting and biting them as they devour their kill.
The great wildebeest migration has the herds moving and covering about 800kms, starting their journey from the plains of Serengeti National Park continuing till the open fields of Maasai Mara National Reserve Kenya, having crossed the Grumeti River and Mara River.

The above are some of the facts about the great wildebeest migration. Want to experience and witness one of the most spectacular wildlife spectacles in the world? Get in touch with a reputable tour operator to help you pitch together an amazing Serengeti National Park great migration safari and get to witness the sheer beauty and be fascinated at the large herds migrating. Beyond the great migration, there is so much more that you can do in Serengeti National Park, and anywhere else while on a Tanzania safari holiday including visiting the Gombe Streams National Park and Mahale National Park for chimpanzee tracking, and also the beautiful Zanzibar island for amazing Zanzibar beach holidays which most a times are the climax to Tanzania safari tours.