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Serengeti
National Park - Tanzania
The
Serengeti is Tanzania's largest and best-known National
Park, with a massive concentration of migratory animals
who move around the park according to the availability
of food. The Serengeti ecosystem extends beyond the
National Park to include several other conservation
areas and reserves, including the Masai Mara in Kenya.
It is through these extensive protected areas that
a million or more wildebeest and hundreds of thousands
of zebra and impala, complete their great circulatory
migration. Serengeti means "endless plain"
in the Maasai language and much of the landscape epitomizes
what we have come to expect from an East African safari
- vast open savannahs dotted with acacia trees and
a few rocky hillocks.
Serengeti
National Park Animals & Birds - The Migration
It
is hard to predict exactly where the migration will
be at a certain time, because the animals are driven
purely by the search for food, and if the rains come
when they are supposed to, the herds follow a predictable
pattern. In May the herds graze along the western
corridor between the Grumeti and Mbalageti Rivers,
and commence their mating season.
Then
in June or July they split up and some continue west,
while others head due north and hundreds of thousands
move steadily north-west towards the long golden grass
of the Masai Mara. They graze on both sides of the
Mara River for several months and then head south
again in about October. They return to the short grass
plains of the southern Serengeti, where during December
to April they give birth. Then the endless cycle of
life begins again. The numbers of animals that complete
this migration is incredible - 1.5 million wildebeest,
300,000 Thomson's gazelle and 250,000 zebras chomp
and grunt their way through the plains. Where there
is such a large mobile meat supply there are predators
and the Serengeti is renowned for its impressive lion
sightings. Silver-backed jackals, spotted hyenas,
cheetah, eagles and vultures are also avid consumers
of this endless source of meat and little goes to
waste.
Some
of the Serengeti's largest buffalo herds are to be
found in the pristine woodlands to the north and elephants
abound in this area too. For excellent year round
game viewing the Seronera valley in the centre of
the park has abundant grazing and considerable numbers
of animals including giraffes, warthogs, reedbucks
and many other species that sustain resident leopards
and large prides of lions. In
the south is the saline Lake Ndutu which attracts
throngs of flamingoes and in the west the Grumeti
River contains some of the largest Nile crocodiles
you will ever see.
A
pride of Lions in the Serengeti National
Park
|
Hot Air Ballooning
in the Serengeti National Park
|
River
Seronera in The Serengeti National Park
|
Serengeti
National Park Seasons
For
much of the year temperatures remains between 70-80°F
(21-27°C) but nights and early mornings get colder
in the months of June, July and August.
Rainy
Season: The short rains are in November and
December and the long rains fall from March to May,
with April and May being the height of the rainy season.
Dry
Season: June to October is usually dry, as
is January and February.
Serengeti
National Park Highlights
•
The great migration
• Prides of lions
• Hot air ballooning
• Vast open spaces and big sky
• Excellent choice of safari lodges
Serengeti
National Park - Tanzania,
Agama Lizard
