The great wildebeest migration is an African wildlife spectacle that happens every year in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve and Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. Travelling to witness the Great Wildebeest Migration in Kenya happens from July to October, a popular time when travelers from around the world make their way to Kenya to experience its unique wildlife, cultural diversity and beautiful weather.
Witnessing the vast herds of wildebeest and zebra following ancient migration routes in East Africa is a truly memorable experience. Predator-prey interaction during the wildebeest migration in Kenya creates a wild theatre, which you can experience from the safety of your 4×4 safari vehicle. The Mara River crossing is one of the highlights of the Kenya migration safari, which brings close the fight for survival in the wild as the Wildebeest crossover into the Masai Mara National Reserve.
Accommodation during your Kenya wildebeest migration safari in Masai Mara is comfortable and in a secure lodge/camp.
We offer multi-day Masai Mara safari packages for you to sample and choose from for your 2024 Wildebeest Migration safari. Each of the Masai Mara safari packages is customizable to ensure that every detail caters to your travel needs.
To tailor your Kenya migration safari to your preferences, we will customize all the details of your safari. Simply send us an inquiry with your special requirements, and we will provide you with a FREE quotation.
The following detailed guide aims to share valuable information about the Great Wildebeest Migration, helping you make an informed decision when booking your safari.
Travel during the Wildebeest Migration
The Great Wildebeest Migration involves the massive movement of wildebeests, zebras, and other herbivores within the Serengeti and Masai Mara ecosystems. While various herbivores participate in this annual event, the wildebeests have become the focal species of the migration, and witnessing their fight for survival is a truly memorable experience. It’s worth noting that the migration also attracts other herbivores, which follow the same migration routes in search of pasture.
Whether you’re planning a safari in Kenya or Tanzania, you stand a good chance of witnessing this unique wildlife event that unfolds on a predictable timeline each year. In 2024, the migration is scheduled to occur in Kenya between July and October. If you intend to be part of this rare spectacle, it’s advisable to make early arrangements for accommodation in the Masai Mara, as the migration draws tourists from around the world.
Planning and booking your Kenya 2024 Wildebeest Migration safari can be a seamless process with our assistance. As experienced professionals in the Kenya travel industry, we ensure your peace of mind by handling all aspects of your safari arrangements.
The Calving Season in Serengeti National Park
The calving season is a period when wildebeest calves are born on the Southern and Eastern sides of the Serengeti National Park. Available pasture in the Southern and Eastern regions of the Serengeti supports the herd’s need for nutrition and ensures the growing herds remain well-fed. For the baby wildebeests, it’s a fight for survival from the get-go. Hungry predators like cheetahs, hyenas, lions, and hunting dogs eye the newborns for a quick meal. The movement of the wildebeests in the calving period protects the young from predators.
As calves are born to herds, the fight for survival and lookout against predators is clear from the onset. The expectant cows give birth while standing and the calves are ready to walk a few minutes after birth. Wildebeests stimulate movement among the calves through constant movement, which allows the calves to follow in tow. The separation between mothers and their calves shortly after birth is a common occurrence, which puts the calves at risk of predators. Driven by instinct and the need to find new pastures, the wildebeest herds that have come from calving head over West of the Serengeti.
Migrating patterns lead the herds towards the Masai Mara in Kenya. And while being on the move, the migrating herds maintain complex systems of interaction. Males dominate the migrating herds and mark out territories though often temporarily. Mating also occurs as the herds find adequate pasture for the young ones that continue to grow. Conception, while the wildebeests are in the Serengeti, means they can transverse the Masai Mara and arrive in Serengeti in time for another calving season. Gestation lasts approximately 8 months, which is enough time to cross over into the Masai Mara and to the Serengeti.
Calves continue to follow their mothers as the herds gather on the banks of the Mara River. The lush green pasture in the Masai Mara side attracts the migrating herds, which cross the crocodile-infested Mara River. Separation between mothers and calves often happens at this stage, as the weaker animals jump into the raging waters of the Mara River or fight off the preying crocodiles. The calving period is critical as it helps raise the new generation of Wildebeests that keep the wildebeest migration routes alive.
River Crossing in the Masai Mara
The Masai Mara River takes the spotlight as wildebeests cross into Kenya’s Masai Mara. This crocodile-infested River adds a dose of drama to the wildebeest’s journey as it flows through Kenya and Tanzania and acts as a real-life obstacle course in the herd’s quest for sustenance. Crossing the Mara River is a matter of survival for the wildebeests and their young ones as they have no option but to plunge into the crocodile-infested waters. Strong currents of the Mara River threaten to sweep away the weak animals and those that survive the crocodile attacks.
Many wildebeests succumb to the raging waters and crocodile attacks during the Mara River crossing. Scavengers feed on the carcasses of wildebeests that are spread out on the Mara River. Marabou stocks, white-backed vultures and hooded vultures are some of the dominant scavengers found at the Mara River during the river crossing.
Wildebeests crossing the Mara River use multiple crossing points during the mass movement into the Masai Mara. The choice of specific spots to cross the river is either because other locations are too deep or infested with crocodiles.
Several safari lodges and camps in the Masai Mara are strategically located near and along the Mara River to enable visitors to witness the annual dramatic River crossing. You are assured of a comfortable stay in the Masai Mara as you prepare to witness the 2024 wildebeest migration.