Interesting Facts about Wildebeest Migration in Tanzania -The largest overland wildebeest Migration in Serengeti

The Great Migration is the largest herd movement of animals on the planet. In fact, with up to 1,000 animals per km, the great columns of wildebeest can be seen from space.

The numbers are astonishing: over 1.2 million wildebeest and 300,000 zebra along with topi and other gazelle move in a constant cycle through the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem in search of nutritious grass and water. Guided by survival instinct, each wildebeest will cover 800 to 1,000km on its individual journey along age-old migration routes. Hungry predators including lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, wild dog and crocs make sure only the strongest survive in this natural spectacle also known as the greatest show on Earth.

The circuit takes the animals from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (although not into the Crater itself) in the south of the Serengeti in Tanzania, up through the Serengeti and across into the Masai Mara in Kenya and back again. The journey is beset with danger: young calves are snatched by predators, the slow are brought down by prides of lion, brave beasts break legs on Steep River slopes, crocodiles take their share of the stragglers, and the weak and exhausted drown.

Migration in January and February

It is the first rains in the southern Serengeti plains that beckon the herds to the Ndutu area. If you want to find the wildebeest in January, Naabi Hill and Lobo are the places to look. Many females in the herd are heavily pregnant at this point and moving towards greener grasses is of top priority.
Every year half a million wildebeest are born on the Serengeti plains, and February is the month with the highest birthing rate, sometimes seeing as many as 8,000 born each day.

The abundant new grass makes the area around Lake Masek and Lake Ndutu the ideal place for the wildebeest to give birth. The herd will stay put for a while in the southeast Ndutu area after the calves are born, before heading up north in a clockwise direction.

Calving season means adorable wobbly babies finding their legs  a bonus for predators, who do not play nicely. If you want to see a wildebeest just hours old, your best chance is to go out at midday when they typically give birth, to allow the babies the time to gain strength before nightfall.

The Serengeti also boasts a particularly healthy lion population, with over 3,000 lions in the reserve. This is of considerable significance when you realize that these big cats face a bleak future across the African continent.

Migration in March and April

The mobile camps in the Serengeti provide an up-close and personal experience of the migration. You can find the herds in the Ndutu and Kusini Maswa region, in the southwest of the park. Having the babies in tow means they move a bit slower. And be prepared for some afternoon rainfall in March.
If you visit in April, you are going to need your rain jacket. The herds amble from the Ndutu region, past the Simba kopje, in the direction of Moru. The herds have now split into large groups, rather than the massive concentrations that stretch as far as the horizon.
Simba kopje is where the lions are at, and its worth spending some time searching for lions. The wettest part of the day is the evening. The rainfall makes the plains slippery, and vehicles without 4-4 mode will battle to go anywhere.

Migration in May and June

For those wildlife photographers looking for action shots, set your sights on May in the Serengeti. The long rains keep on going throughout the month. And as the calves get bigger and stronger, the distances the herd covers get longer. Youll most likely find them between Moru and Mokoma, moving towards Lake Magadi. By June the rains have abated somewhat, and the herds have spread out. The front-runners reach Mbalageti River around this time. While those bringing up the rear could still be as far back as Lake Magadi or in the southernmost corner of the Simiti and Nyamuma Hills. The herds are now often in long lines as they head north.

Migration in July and August

July is mating season in the Serengeti. You can find the herds in the Grumeti Reserve, in the west of the Serengeti, and moving past Fort Ikoma. Crossings of the Grumeti River are worth hanging around for, but the Serengeti is vast and relatively under-developed with lodges, so river crossings are harder to find.
Also, the Grumeti River does not have the volume of water that the Mara River has, and the crossings are not as spectacular. The herds graze their way northward, as they move toward the Maasai Mara in Kenya. This is a trans-border event.

Come August and the herds have made their way up to the northern Serengeti, and face their biggest challenge yet: the Mara River crossing. This fast-moving river flows through the Maasai Mara into the Serengeti. And while the gushing murky waters are captivating, they are also possibly responsible for the highest death toll en route, killing many thousands of wildebeest

Sometimes the herds plunge en masse off steep banks in their desperate attempts to get across the river, or after being spooked by lions, and the fall alone will kill many individuals. Others drown as they are crushed by the sheer volume of panicking wildebeest trying to scramble up the equally steep banks on the other side. Every death means dinner for crocodiles, birds and fish  such is natures bounty.

Migration in September and October

You can catch the tail end of the Mara River crossing or go see the herds out in the vast open plains of the Maasai Mara, where they are like flies in places. Pack your hat, because the weather will be hot and dry.
October offers a scene of casual grazing in the Maasai Mara. The push is over, and the fresh grass is the reward. For the survivors, that is.

Migration in November and December

What is known as  the short rains begin in November, triggering another move, as the herds leave Kenya and south to western Loliondo and the Lobo area in Serengeti National Park. Whether it rains in November or not, is natures call. But pack some extra jerseys for the cooler weather. At this point, the herds organize themselves into smaller family groups and get on with the serious business of grazing.

By December the herds are back in the south of Serengeti, and the first act begins all over again.