Wildbeest Migration explained

What is Wildbeest Migration?

The wildebeest migration is a circular journey

The wildebeest migration is a circular journey which happens through the whole year. The wildebeest migration begins at the moment of birth which happens usually between late January and mid-March in the southeast of Serengeti in Ndutu area near Naaabi Hill Gate. This spectacular migration is older than one million years.

The wildebeests migrate from the Serengeti plains towards Kenya's Masai Mara and back to the Serengeti, because they are constantly searching for new food and water. Basically the wildebeest are alternating between the short grass plains in summer and the woodland areas in winter.

Which animals migrate?

Large numbers of the Serengeti's wildebeest, which prefer short grasses usually newly grown grass. They also like tall grasses, especially freshly trimmed grasses by buffaloes and zebras. The second largest migratory group are the zebras which migrate in family units. During rainy seasons they usually gather on the plains where there's enough of new grass. Their migration path is usually the same as that of the wildebeests.

Elands don't follow the same migratory path as the wildebeests. They usually move between the lowland plains and the mountain areas.

The migration of the Thompson's gazelle is the shortest one in time. They are the last animals to leave the plains and the first to arrive. They are also the last animals to enter the tall grass area, because they can only eat short grasses, forbs and herbs. The rout of the Thompson's gazelle is much shorter than that of the wildebeests.The Grant's gazelles migrate only locally and to a limited extent, because they are water-independent.

Successional feeding or facilitation

Smaller animals benefit from the larger ones such as buffaloes. Buffaloes do not migrate but the migratory path often passes through their home ranges. The smaller animals benefit from their presence, because the buffaloes eat tall grasses which stimulates them to develop new smaller shoots.

The zebras are the first animals to enter the buffalo home range. The zebras chip off tough grass stems which further reduces them and develops fresh growth. This freshly grown grass is very much favored by the wildebeests, so they enter this area after the zebras. The Thompson's gazelle is the last animal to move to the tall grasslands area, since they can only eat the short grasses.

Annual migration in the Serengeti plains

The migratory animals are already awaited by other animals, mostly predator animals such as lions, cheetahs and crocodiles. The lions are Africa's largest predator animals. They lurk for wound adult and young wildebeest once they migrate through their corridor. But once the migration passes through their area they have to rely on non-migratory animals. Cheetahs, who themselves are prey for lions and hyenas, are hunting young wildebeests and smaller animals. The crocodiles are lurking in the Grumeti river area for thirsty wildebeests. Storks and pelicans are also waiting for the migration, since the shallow pools are now full with fish.

The migratory animals are already awaited by other animals

The most vulnerable moment of the wildebeest migration is the birth, since the predators are lurking nearby and the calf has only fifteen minutes to learn how to run. The wildebeests are continually searching for food and water and sometimes they can go for days without water. Many young animals die from exhaustion and many survive, just to find one last huge obstacle on their path, the Mara River.


The difficulty passing the Mara river depends on the recent rainfall. If the chosen crossing place is shallow, the herds majority will survive. But the river is often deep with a fast flow. The crossing can be deadly for many hundreds of animals. During the crossing the calves can be separated from their mothers, which makes them so frantic that they can re-cross the river as many as three times.

The difficulty passing the Mara river

This deadly crossing and the dead bodies have a purpose in the complex circle of life. Their bones provide a nesting material for various birds. But most importantly it separates the weak from the strong, since as many as 250,000 calves are born each year and without this deadly crossing and the predator animals the Serengeti plains would be overcrowded.

The migration follows a certain pattern which changes annually, because it is strongly influenced by rainy seasons and local rainstorms. Rain patterns change every year, there are years with almost no water or with plentiful water supply. This rain patterns predict the wildebeest life.

The annual migration pattern

 

Early dry season (July to October)

July to October is a dry season with June and July being a transitional period between the rainy and dry season. At this transitional period few animals are still remaining on the green savannah patches but they mostly push towards the Maasai Mara.

At this period most of the migratory animals are in the Western Corridor, where they cross the Grumeti River in the period between June and August. They are heading northwards towards Maasai Mara Game Reserve and the Mara River. During the migration towards the Maasai Mara, the animals are vastly spread through the area, some in the Grumeti Reserve and Ikorongo, the others in the northern part of the Serengeti National Park.

Some animals reach the Mara River, the migration's most serious obstacle, already in early August and some split up to go to the Maasai Mara Game Reserve in about September and October. In September the wildebeests are wildly spread across the northern part of the Serengeti near the Mara River. The place and duration of the Mara River crossing varies from year to year. If the year is dry, very few animals will cross the river into Kenya.

The period between June and August is the best time to see the migration. At this time you will have the opportunity to see the wildebeest gathering and crossing the Grumeti River.

Late dry season to early wet season (October to December)

In October the migration begins again with more pace. The period between October and November is the short rainy season in the south and east Serengeti.

So the animals are now heading south and back to the grassy plains of the eastern Serengeti. They will have to cross the Mara River once again.

They are passing through western Loliondo, Serengeti's Lobo area, along the eastern boundary or some even make it as far south as Seronera. They will make it to the southern Serengeti in November for the newly grown grass around south and east Seronera, around Ndutu and the north of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. During this time the campsites in the Lobo area and the Klein's Camp offer the best view of the wildebeest migration.

 

 

 

Early wet season (December to April)

Most of the wildebeest will reach the short grass plains in the middle of January. This is also the period when the circle of life begins once again. In January, February the animals will have calves, approximately 500,000 new calves will be born. 

During this seasons the herds are mostly concentrated in the Ndutu and Salei plains in the southern Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area. But they will also move around on the plains depending on local rainstorms. The calving grounds are outside of the predators hunting territories. During breeding the migratory wildebeests will calve in groups of hundreds in a short period of time. Labor usually lasts about 30 minutes to one hour. The new-born calf will usually stand on his own feet in about 10 minutes after birth. They are mainly grazing on the short grass plains west of the Gol Mountains in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Barafu Kopjes, Gol Kopjes, Lake Ndutu and Naabi Gate. If this season has dry periods they move westwards towards Maswa Game Reserve and to Mbalgeti Valley. The best camps for this period are the Ndutu Safari Lodge or a luxury mobile camp in the Ndutu, Naabi area.

Late wet season (April to June)

The period between April and June is called the long rainy season. In April the short grass plains of the southern Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area don't offer enough food for the wildebeests so they migrate towards the tall grass plains and woodland area of the Serengeti's western corridor, almost close to Lake Victoria. On this journey they will pass the Simiyu, Seronera, Mbalageti and Nyabogati Rivers.

In May the animals will be around Moru Kopjes and the western part of the Seronera. The period between May and June is a breeding period. Female wildebeest will have their first calf when they are about 2 to 3 years old and the gestation usually takes about 8 to 8,5 months. In June they will reach Serengeti's western corridor where they will cross the Grumeti River. The best camps and lodges in April and May are the Ndutu Safari Lodge, Serengeti Serena Lodge, Kusini Camp, camps in the Ndutu and Naabi area. In June the best camps are the Sasakwa Hill Lodge, Faru Faru River Lodge, Sabora Plains Tented Camp, Grumeti River Camp, Kirawira Camp, Migration Camp and the camps in the Seronera and Moru area.

Why does the migration favor short grass plains during the rains?

In the short grass plains the wildebeest are save from predators because it offers clear overview of the area. The short grass plains are ideal breeding grounds because they contain high phosphate levels which are very important for the wildebeest's growth. Furthermore the soil in the short grass plains responds quickly to rains and offers immediate grazing opportunity for the animals.

Why the migration move in to the woody areas?

There are numerous reasons for the wildebeests to move out of the woodland areas. The biggest one is that the wildebeest can develop a foot disease at soggy areas. During the rainy season the woodland areas are full with tsetse flies. The wildebeest have to move out of this area before the rainy season begins to avoid the tsetse flies and the foot disease. One other reason is also the high predator density in the woodland area.

Why the migration move out of the woody areas?

The main reason for the wildebeest migration is the search for food and water. During this journey many animals will drown crossing rivers or fall into the hands of the lurking predators. So this journey could be also see as the survival of the fittest, since as many as 250,000 new calves are born each year in the Serengeti.

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