Wildebeest Migration Cycle In Serengeti National Park
Wildebeest Migration Cycle In Serengeti National Park
Every year, one of nature’s most awe-inspiring spectacles unfolds across the vast plains of East Africa: the Great Wildebeest Migration. This great migration occurs in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and extends into the Maasai Mara in Kenya, and encompasses more than 1.5 million wildebeest with hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles and other herbivores. It is an endless, round trip powered by the animal urge to survive food, water, and the urge to reproduce.
The Great Migration is not an event but a repetitive process, and it is carried by the rhythm of the season. We shall explore the entire yearly cycle of this migration, its struggles, the risks attendant on it and why it is one of the most spectacular natural phenomena on the Earth.
The Migration Cycle
January – March: Calving Season in the Southern Serengeti
This migration commences in the Ndutu area of the southern Serengeti, where the short grass plains have a lot of nutrients. This is a critical time for the wildebeest since it is the calving season, and the lush plains are the ideal places to raise the new ones.
In a few weeks in late January and February, more than half a million calves are produced.
This mass of youthful life is a target to predators such as lions, cheetahs, hyenas and leopards, and this is one of the busiest periods in Serengeti.
The flat terrain thus presents mothers with a close observation of their young ones, even when it is dangerous.
It is a stabilisation phase whereby the herds are still concentrated in the area and the calves are gaining strength.
April – May: The Long March North Begins
With the rains stopping and the grass drying up, the wildebeest start the migrations towards the northwest of the Central Serengeti. This stage is the beginning of their quest for new grazing fields.
The herds are made in long columns which extend for kilometres in length.
It is the beginning of the wet season exodus, and the animals cross rivers, escape predators, and travel long distances daily.
The movement is determined by the rainy condition that the wildebeest automatically pursues the rain in search of better grazing areas.
In the process, the terrain gets moist and more difficult to traverse. Interestingly, roads can be closed to the safari cars, yet to the wildebeest, it is a critical passage point.
June – July: Grumeti River Crossing
The herds arrive at the Western Corridor of the Serengeti in June and are confronted with one of their first major natural challenges, the Grumeti River.
The Grumeti is smaller compared to the more well-known Mara River, but it is also home to huge Nile crocodiles that wait until their prey approaches.
The crossings where the River Nile passes are dramatic and tense, with animals struggling in the strong currents and attacks of predators.
Not all of them pass on; this is a time of great loss.
Towards the end of July, the herds are driving northwards and are about to meet the deadliest part of the migration.
August – October: The Mara River Crossing
The best-known picture of the Great Migration is, perhaps, the crossing of the Mara River, which takes place in August-October. This part of the trip crosses the border of the Serengeti of Tanzania and the Maasai Mara of Kenya.
The Mara River is deep, wide and dangerous crocodiles, rocks and strong currents.
The river can have thousands of wildebeest crossing in one day to form enormous bottlenecks by the riverbanks.
Panic may lead to stampede and drowning, with most of the animals being trampled in the confusion.
Nevertheless, surviving the rich grasslands of the Maasai Mara is rewarding. The herds broke and grazed, regained their strength and got ready to go south again.
November – December: The Return South
When the short rains start to fall in November, the grass in the Mara also turns yellow, and the animals automatically start their southern migration.
The wildebeest again return via the eastern side of Serengeti, passing through the Lobo and Seronera fields.
This is a period of recuperation and re-organising as they drive to the plentiful southern plains in another calving season.
The rain once more makes the landscape alive and provides new grazing to sustain the huge herds.
Wildebeest come back to the Ndutu plains by December, and that is how the circle is completed and the cycle starts all over.
The Drivers of Migration
Although the migration can seem chaotic to an average viewer, it is controlled by a set of old instincts and environmental stimuli:
The patterns of rain are the main factor as the wildebeest follow the rain to locate fresh grass.
The supply of water is an issue too, particularly during the dry season when the herds have to go a long distance between water sources.
The grass nutritional value dictates the time of year at which the herds graze on the grass. The young calves require nutritious short grasses, whereas adults can feed on coarse vegetation.
The Importance of the Migration
Migration of wildebeest is not only a spectacular event, but it is essential to the ecological balance of the Serengeti:
The grazing of Wildebeest creates the landscape and enables it to stay open to support a wide range of species.
Their faeces enrich the soil, which supports the growth of plants.
The herds provide food to the predators, particularly at the time of calving and across rivers.
It is also of great economic importance to the migration as it attracts tourists all over the world and helps in conservation funds in both Tanzania and Kenya.
Challenges and Conservation
The migration has modern dangers despite its primitivism:
Climate change is changing the pattern of rainfall, which may interfere with the timing and pathway of the migration.
Traditional migration routes can be blocked by fencing and agricultural practices on the edges of the park.
Also at risk are poaching and human-wildlife conflict, particularly in those places that are not within the secured Serengeti ecosystem.
Luckily, governments and organisations are collaborating to conserve the migratory paths by establishing wildlife corridors, community-based conservation, and proper tourism.
Conclusion
The Great Wildebeest Migration is a masterpiece of nature regarding its strength, intuition and magnificence. The nearly one million wildebeest crossing hundreds of kilometres to survive gives us a peek preview of the uncivilised, wild nature of the processes that have been going on in the earth over thousands of years.
