Whales, Wildlife & Wilderness                                                                                                                                                 Pam & Wayne Osborn

Tanzania Serengeti

 

The Serengeti

 

The Serengeti is the start of the circular great wildebeest migration from north Tanzania to Kenya's Masai Mara. We visited in February as the massed herds of wildebeest had started to drop their calves.

 

Estimates are that 1.7 million wildebeest participate in the 800 kilometre round trip and that 500,000 calves are born each season, mainly within a two week window. It's the largest terrestrial mammal migration in the world.

 

The volcanic soil of the Serengeti is richly endowed with minerals, a key component of the wildebeests' diet.

 

It's a time of great bounty for the predators as the new born calves are easily separated from the herd. We spent our four days watching cheetahs and lions and their prey.

 

For the other end of the migration, see the Masai Mara and the crossing pages under the Kenya tab.

 

Warning: Serengeti Predators has some graphic animal violence images