Kenya is a Mecca for every wildlife enthusiast, and a photographer’s paradise as well.
The Great Wildebeest Migration from the Serengeti in Tanzania, to the Masai Mara in Kenya, is considered one of the most spectacular natural events ever. This occurrence begins in July and continues till October and involves over two million of these beasts of the antelope family. Our trip was timed to witness this breathtaking spectacle.
This annual Wildebeest ritual is a relentless sequence of life and death. The old and the infirm perish, while the strong survive and move on to the greener fields of the Masai Mara. Here they give birth and raise their young, only to return to their home ground in February the following year.
The park and its surroundings yielded a sighting of more than 250 birds, 50 mammals, including Africa’s Big Five — the lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and the cape buffalo.
On the run
But the highlight was the great migration for which we devoted an entire afternoon. The day was hot, and our excellent driver-cum-guide had information that there may be activity along the banks of the Mara River.
At the river we were greeted by a mother hippopotamus enjoying her swim with her calves. The only evidence that the migration had taken place, were the carcasses of a couple of wildebeest floating in the waters, and a pair of smug crocodiles sunning themselves in the far bank. The unlucky pair were perhaps too weak to swim and had drowned; the crocs content and sated, had undoubtedly feasted on other such unfortunate animals. Disappointment sank in.
Then, all of a sudden, there appeared on the horizon a couple of wildebeest, the sight of which sent a thrill of excitement through us. They were the scouts, for on their heels and at a safe distance, followed a number of other individuals — first in loose groups, and later in tight herds.
A few soon collected along the bank in an extended flank. They moved back and forth, and hither and thither, in an effort to find a safe and easy place to cross. After much deliberation a signal appeared to have been given that a safe ford had been found. The herd gathered, and after much milling around and a little prodding from the rear, the lead animals took the plunge. This action triggered a chain reaction, and wildebeest after wildebeest followed suit, hurling themselves into the water and swimming frantically to the safety of the further bank.
This mad rush was worth the long wait, and it was soon over as the entire group churning the waters crossed over unharmed, and clambered over to the opposite side. We were a tad disappointed that the crocs hadn’t taken this opportunity to launch an attack, but, perhaps they had already had a bellyful.
To see animals in their natural habitat is rewarding, for it helps individuals develop a broader outlook and realise that humans are but a small cog in a vast machinery, that is the universe. National parks serve this purpose, and as well act as enclaves that to protect wildlife from the harm caused by human activities.
The pattern 
The migration happens in the Serengeti Ecosystem — about 40,000 sq km, defined by the white bearded wildebeest. The four seasons of the year have a defining influence on the migration. The seasons can be defined as the ‘short dry season’ — December to February/March; the ‘long rains’ fall over a six week period — March to May; the ‘long dry season’— June to September, and ‘short rains’ — falling any time from October into November. There are however, no guarantees about these dates.
Once on the grasslands of the Maasai Mara, the wildebeest spend several months feeding and fattening.
In January and February, the wildebeest cows drop their young and some 300,000 to 400,000 calves are born within two to three weeks of one another. The birthing occurs on the short-grass plains that, spread over the lower northern slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater highlands and are scattered around Olduvai Gorge.
Around March, the short-grass plains of the southernmost Serengeti begin to dry out and the wildebeest begin their journey, heading towards the western woodlands. They follow the rains and the growth of new grass.
From the plains around Olduvai the herds head west towards the trio of small lakes, Ndutu, Masek and Lagarja. At this time their biggest need is usually to find water.
As the rains set in, the herds head north-west past the granite outcrops of the Simba and Moru koppies and into the woodlands of the hilly country west of Seronera towards Lake Victoria.
From the western Serengeti the herds head north, following the rains (or their effects) into Kenya and the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. On their trek the wildebeests’ path is cut several times by rivers: in the Serengeti by the Mbalangeti and the Grumeti, and in Kenya by the Mara.
Wildebeest arrive at the Mara River in their tens of thousands, and gather waiting to cross. Eventually the wildebeest will choose a crossing point, something that can vary from year to year and cannot be predicted with any accuracy.
By late October, when the first of the short rains are falling on the Serengeti’s short-grass plains, filling seasonal waterholes and bringing new flushes of growth, the wildebeest start heading south again. Tightly grouped as they pass through the wooded country the wildebeest scatter and spread out again once they reach the open plains.
