The Great Wildebeest Migration

Each year in June about 1.2 million wildebeest gather in the Serengeti to calve where they slowly form one large herd. When the dry season withers their supply of grass the scent of rain form the north starts to draw the herd from July onwards. This incredible wildlife phenomenon is what makes Kenya one of the world’s greatest wildlife destinations. The Mara is well known for its tremendous volume and diversity of game.

The Mara is a total sensory experience. You are constantly enveloped with the sights, sounds and smells of the Mara and the excitement of getting up at dawn to go on a game drive is hard to beat. The best time to visit Kenya is during the migration – the grunts and thundering hooves of the charging herd is a primal experience. The endless mass of grey bodies is mottled with the presence of zebra and of course one will also witness the largest concentration of Africa’s predators which are attracted to these plentiful hunting grounds. Lions are seen hunting at night and packs of hyena can be seen moving through the herds as they single out the young and the weak.

Another obstacle that the herds face is the raging torrents of the Mara River. The herds gather at the banks to prepare themselves for this treacherous event. The pressure builds until the herds are forced into the river crossing with many hurling themselves off high banks and drowning or being swept away in the current. The wildebeest are never without the threat of opportunistic predators and this time it is the turn hungry crocodiles.

By September the surviving wildebeest will have reached their destination – where they will graze on the plains of the Mara. The arrival of the Wildebeest brings a sense of renewal to the plains. The fresh dung from the herds fertilizes the plains. Towards October the herds will begin to move southwards for their journey back to the Serengeti.

There are a number of luxury safari camps in the Masai Mara and the migration is best experienced on early morning game drives, on a walking safari with a Masai Warrior guide, on a horseback safari or from a hot air balloon.