When do animals migrate in tanzania

One of the most sought-after experiences for wildlife and nature enthusiasts, the Great Migration is the ever-moving circular migration of over a million animals across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. The constant movement of columns of wildebeest, joined by a host of companions, follow an age-old route in search of grazing and water.

After calving in the southern part of Tanzania's Serengeti near the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the animals journey through the Serengeti up and around in a clockwise direction towards the Masai Mara in Kenya, before returning once again near the end of the year. Along the way, high drama is always present, as thousands of animals are taken by predators and thousands more are born, replenishing the numbers and sustaining the circle of life.

Below, learn more about what is the Great Migration ; find a broad overview of how the migration moves at different times throughout the year ; or read some frequently asked questions about the Great Migration.

Alternatively, use the menu tabs below for detailed information on when to travel including a map of the annual migration , which areas and camps to stay at when on a Great Migration safari , or to view a photo and video gallery of the Great Migration. The Great Migration is the largest herd movement of animals on the planet.

The numbers are astonishing: over 1. Guided by survival instinct, each wildebeest will cover to 1,km on its individual journey along age-old migration routes. 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.

The three groups of migrant grazers have different grass-eating habits: as one group eats the top of the tallest grass, the next group will eat away some of the medium-height grass, until finally it is almost completely eaten, and the herds move on.

This means each group sticks to their own kind with only a small overlap in their distributions. The grasses of the plains have the highest protein content in the whole of the Serengeti, as well as being high in calcium. It is unclear how the wildebeest know which way to go, but it is generally believed that their journey is dictated primarily by their response to the weather; they follow the rains and the growth of new grass.

While there is no scientific proof of it, some experts believe that the animals react to lightning and thunderstorms in the distance. It has even been suggested that wildebeest can locate rain more than 50km away. Whether the wildebeest are dropping calves or attempting to cross rivers while avoiding predators, the migration is constantly on the move throughout the year. Read on to learn where the Great Migration tends to be during different times of year, or click on a month below to jump that season of the migration: January, February and March April and May June and July August, September and October November and December.

Around January each year, the migration will be finishing a southward trek, moving along the eastern edge of the Serengeti and into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Here the plains are rich in nutritious grass, providing the herds with the best conditions for raising their newborn calves. Around late January or February , the herds occupy the short-grass plains that spread over the lower northern slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater highlands and around Olduvai Gorge. Some , calves are born here within a period of two to three weeks, or nearly 8, new calves every day. The abundance of vulnerable young calves means the surrounding predators also spring into action, hunting with ease due to the sheer numbers of wildebeest.

Those interested in witnessing calving and the drama of big cats on the hunt should look to Asilia's migration camps in the southern Serengeti which provide direct access: Olakira , Kimondo and Ubuntu. After bearing their young in February and March, around April the wildebeest herds begin to drift northwest toward the fresher grass of the central Serengeti, drawing with them thousands of zebra and smaller groups of antelope.

By May, columns of wildebeest stretch for several kilometres as the animals start to congregate by the Moru Kopjes, close to Dunia Camp , one of the few camps in the Serengeti that offers migration viewing at this time of year.

Mating season begins toward the end of May and male wildebeest battle head-to-head. Throughout 'the rut,' the journey continues at leisure with the wildebeest, zebra and gazelle grazing as they go along.

At this time of year , Ubuntu Migration Camp will have relocated to follow the migration and provide access to watch the wildebeest cross the Grumeti River. The herds form in huge numbers along the pools and channels of the river, which they have to cross in order to continue on their journey. This may not be as spectacular as the famous Mara crossings, but there are still enough wildebeest to provide the Grumeti crocs with a veritable feast. It is worth noting that May is low season at Ubuntu.

Safaris at this time offer great value since there are relatively low numbers of tourists in the Serengeti, yet the wildlife viewings remain excellent. Some arrive at the water and swim over immediately; some arrive and spend days hanging around grazing; some arrive and turn back to where they came from. We wish we could predict the crossings, but no-one can. This is why it is best to have as much time on safari as possible if you hope to see a river crossing.

The popular river crossings usually coincide with safari's high season June to October , hence the perception that this is the only time of the year that the wildebeest are on the move or can be seen. Because the Great Migration is a fluid, year-round movement of about two million animals across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, there are no defined start or end points.

They move after the rains and the growth of new grass, essentially following a natural instinct to find food to stay alive. Some experts believe that the wildebeest are triggered by distant lightning and thunderstorms, but there is no scientific proof of it.

With climate change, the long and short rainy seasons in Tanzania and Kenya are no longer as regular or predictable as they once were. The rains can be late or early, which will throw the whole wildebeest calendar out of synch. This is a very general guideline for where the herds are during the year — bearing in mind that the entire Gnu Migration is triggered by rain, which can be early, late or on time:.

The Serengeti is not fenced, so the herds are free to move where they can find grazing. Remember that although up to two million wildebeest, zebra and antelope form the Serengeti Migration, they are not all in a single herd. The animals break up into mega-herds of thousands or hundreds of individuals at time. It is calving season over 8 wildebeest babies are born each day! If the short rainy season Nov—Dec produced good grazing, the herds feed frenziedly and remain in the Serengeti's southern plains until they slowly start moving west in March.

The action-packed rutting breeding season is in full swing, featuring testosterone-fuelled jousts between males competing for the right to mate with receptive females. Wagons roll! The massed herds are on the go, huge columns of up to 40 kilometres 25 miles in length can sometimes be seen as the wildebeest funnel up into the central Serengeti.

The wildebeest are usually in the central Serengeti and getting ready for the toughest part of their odyssey. The herds may have split up, with some already crossing the Grumeti River. The Great Migration have reached the Grumeti region and northern parts of the Serengeti and are peering closely at the treacherous waters of the Mara River they have to cross into Kenya. Huge Nile crocodiles, that's why! As mentioned, it is impossible to accurately predict river crossings — they depend entirely on the rains and the often unpredictable wildebeest themselves.

The wildebeest do have historical crossing areas and you may spend days staked out in the hope of seeing the action. August is generally considered the best time to witness the dramatic river crossings from the northern Serengeti into the Masai Mara. You'll need a passport to cross into Kenya; the wildebeest are exempt. The Masai Mara National Reserve is open to members of the public so for a more exclusive safari experience, head for the private conservancies that are contiguous with the reserve.

They migrate throughout the year, constantly seeking fresh grazing and, it's now thought, better quality water. The precise timing of the Serengeti wildebeest migration is entirely dependent upon the rainfall patterns each year — here we explain how the broad pattern works. This migration, month by month, is shown on the map below — the moving red represents the main herds. For more information on the Serengeti migration area and the wildebeest migration, read on - see the month-by-month descriptions below, and the video below that.

This migration always varies from year to year, in response mainly to variations in the weather, the available grazing and available water. But these are the best general guide that we have to its location. May: the migration heads north through Seronera towards the Western Corridor. October: grazing in the far north of the Serengeti - and across in the Mara. Month by month: the Serengeti wildebeest migration The short rains begin around early November. A little after this, in late November and December , the herds of the wildebeest migration arrive on the short-grass plains of the Serengeti.

These are south and east of Seronera, around Ndutu and include the north of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Dispersed across these plains, wildebeest and zebra are everywhere — feeding on the fresh, nutritious grasses.

They stay here through January, February and March , with most wildebeest calves born in a short window around February. Gradually they spread west across these plains, then around April they start their great migration north. By May the Serengeti's wildebeest all seem to be moving north, migrating to seek fresh grazing and water. The area around Moru Kopjes and west of Seronera is then hectic with a series of moving columns, often containing hundreds of thousands of animals — joined by many zebra, and a scattering of Thomson's and Grant's gazelles.

Some of the migration then head due north of Seronera, but most are usually further west. Around June the wildebeest migration is often halted on the south side of the Grumeti River, which has some channels which block or slow their migration north. The wildebeest then congregate there, in the Western Corridor, often building up to a high density before crossing the river.

The river here is normally a series of pools and channels, but it's not continuous — and so whilst they always represent an annual feast for the Grumeti River's large crocodiles, these aren't usually quite as spectacular as the crossings of the Mara River, further north. The wildebeest migration continues moving northwards during July and August , often spreading out across a broad front: some heading through Grumeti Reserve and Ikorongo, others north through the heart of the Serengeti National Park.

September sees the herds spread out across the northern Serengeti, where the Mara River provides the migration with its most serious obstacle. Watching the frantic herds of the wildebeest migration crossing the Mara River can be very spectacular; there are often scenes of great panic and confusion.

It's common to see herds cross the Mara River north on one day, and then back south a few days later. By October the wildebeest herds are migrating again with more accord: all are heading south, through western Loliondo and the Serengeti National Park's Lobo area, returning to the green shoots which follow the rains on the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti in November.