Safari Migration Facts You Should Know

When you’re planning to go on an African safari, there are several events that you should put on your itinerary. However, if you want to enjoy one of the most fascinating spectacles in the word, you should make sure that your safari will take you past The Great Mammal Migration.

This spectacular annual event includes some of the most noteworthy animals in Africa such as zebras and gazelles. However, this migration is also a dangerous affair, making it a good idea to learn a little more about this occurrence. Here are safari migration facts that you need to know if you’re thinking about going on an African safari during The Great Mamma Migration.

Basic Migration Facts

When you’re learning about The Great Mamma Migration, there are a few basics facts that are a good starting place, including how many animals are involved and the distance that the migration travels.

During the migration, as many as two million animals will travel 500 miles. The purpose of the migration is for the animals to locate a safe place to birth their offspring that also provides a dependable food supply. Because the animals travel in such large numbers, they are better able to defend themselves against predators. This is important because there are several places on the migration path where predators such as the Nile crocodile await.

If you want to avoid The Great Mamma Migration in full swing, you should try to plan your safari for the summer months of June and July.

Wildebeest Facts

Although there are a variety of animals you can see during the migration, the most interesting by far is the wildebeest, mostly due to the way that these mammals give birth.

As mentioned in the previous section, one of the main purposes of the Great Mamma Migration is finding a suitable birth location. When wildebeests find this location, they will all give birth at once. By giving birth at one time, the wildebeest parents are able to surround their young so that they will be shielded from predators.

Speaking of the wildebeest young, some fascinating safari migration facts are related to how quickly the age. After a wildebeest is born, they will be able to run alongside the adults within minutes, meaning the herd will be able to quickly move on from the birth spot and away from the predators that gather during this time of year.

Migration is Dangerous

Although migration is an important event for almost every mammal in Africa, it’s not without its risks. In fact, many of the mammals that set out on the Great Migration will not see it through to the end.

No overland migration in the world is as large as The Great Mammal Migration, and none is as deadly. It’s estimated that as many as 250,000 mammals will be killed during the migration. There can be several causes of death during the migration, including damage, heat exhaustion, and predators.

If these safari migration facts have you interested in experiencing the Great Mammal Migration for yourself, you should book your trip today so that you can experience this memorable event.

Peter’s African Safari Travel Diary

Waking up this morning in this wonderful place (The Manor) was like a dream. When walking out for breakfast everything had completely changed compared to last evening, it was now a bit cooler and foggy what resulted in nice colours of all the flowers and bushes around.

We had a delicious breakfast in the main building and it was actually very hard for me to leave with so much hospitality offered and while residing in all these beautiful rooms, reminding us of great but long gone times of the last century.

We finally said good bye to the nice people of The Manor and jumped back into our car in order to drive up to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area – the Ngorongoro Crater.

While driving, Ute had the idea to try to visit the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, that is normally closed for day visitors but we wanted to give it a try, because from this lodge one has quite the best view over the crater. While driving towards the lodge we passed by at the memorial place for Michael Grzimek who died here in 1957 while his plane crashed against the crater walls in fog. Michael and his father Bernhard Grzimek had spent their lives working for conservation of the Ngorongoro area.

After a short drive we arrived a the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge and were lucky, as they would let us in for sight inspection.

The crater has an approximate diameter of 30 miles and is the caldera left from an ancient big volcano that is estimated to had a height of around 6000m. Today approximately 25000 large animals live in the crater including the black rhino, buffalos, hippopotamus, zebras, gazelles, impalas waterbucks, impalas, lions, leopards and Tanzanian cheetahs. The large lake in the southwest of the crater is Lake Magadi and gives home to flamingos.

It is absolutely true, the lodge provides a magnificent view over the crater. But also the lodge itself is one of the most beautiful and comfortable places in whole Africa.

We were enjoying the hospitality of Nafue, who showed us happily around and was also not shy to pose for some photos, what beautiful people the locals really are!

Fast forward from this stunning place we visited a Masai camp outside of the crater on our way to the Serengeti National Park. We were not only seeing some original dances but were also shown the interior of one of the huts, a really interesting experience.

Once in the Serengeti National Park we had lunch at the Serengeti Pioneer Camp where we could see the spectacle of a tropical thunderstorm accompanied by heavy rain. The storm lasted for maybe one hour and drained the whole Serengeti in some very welcome water.

Before we reached Serengeti Migration Camp, our final destination of this exhausting but also exciting day, we were lucky to find a group of lions eating their kill – a zebra. This was so special as we could see the cubs play and eat more or less at the same time.

If you would like more information on planning your African safari vacation, visit the safari tours page or contact a representative with Roho Ya Chui today.

Peter Tomsu for Roho Ya Chui, Travel Africa

Seven Natural Wonders of Africa: Serengeti Migration

Each year, the eyes of the world turn to Africa to witness an incredible occurrence take place. Over one million native wildebeest, antelope and zebras begin a long, clockwise trek across multiple countries. They face grave dangers, harsh conditions and hunters─both animal and human─yet still find the time to give birth to the next generation, find a new mate and conceive again along the route. This amazing journey is known as the Serengeti Migration. Many people travel from all over the world to take on an African safari vacation and witness this migration. If you are a traveler that would like to see these animals along their route, keep in mind, timing is everything. Here is an overview of the great Serengeti Migration.

January

The year begins with the birth of many new youngsters. These calves are born ready to make the migration, though many will die along the way. The herd begins in Tanzania and start their journey south, traveling to the lower Serengeti.

March

By the spring, all of the good grasslands of the lower Serengeti have been devoured, and the last new calves have been dropped. The herd prepares to continue their journey.

April

The massive wildebeest herd has now left the lower Serengeti and is making their presence known in the central and western regions of the land. They will continue north from here.

May

The herd is officially in motion, and huge groups stretch up to 40km as they continue to travel north. If you are planning to visit the wildebeest during their journey, it is important to remember that their natural predators also have an important role in play. These wildebeest provide a vital source of food for many of the other iconic animals of Africa. By June, the herd is visibly agitated as trouble becomes more and more apparent.

July

As summer arrives, the wildebeest reach one of their greatest obstacles. The far western Serengeti and the popular Grumeti reserve are marked by teeming brown waters of rushing rivers. It is not just the water that makes the wildebeest anxious, but the giant crocodiles that call them home.

August

Those who survive the rivers make their way to the northern Serengeti and yet another reserve, the Masai Mara. They begin to split into smaller herds as fall approaches. This is a great area and time to come see the migration.

November

As winter approaches, the grasses of the Northernmost parts of the Serengeti have been completely depleted by what remains of the massive wildebeest herd. As the winter rains begin to arrive, the herd starts its way back south. By this time, their original spots on the Serengeti have been replenished.

December

Back at square one, the wildebeest begin the cycle of calving, moving and surviving yet again. This is a true representation of “the circle of life.” These animals have traveled across the plains for hundreds of generations, and will hopefully continue to do so well into the future.

If you would like to book your African safari vacation, visit our safari page or contact a representative with Rohoyachui today.

Jill Liphart for Roho Ya Chui, Travel Africa