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The Serengeti National Park & Great Migration’s other animals

90% of the clients that stay at Great Migration Camps, come to the Serengeti “to see the great migration”. Besides the wildebeest, every client also wants to experience other animals encounters in the Serengeti.  You will, guaranteed. Serengeti National Park is home to over 300 animal species. And the populations of many are very healthy and strong.

The Serengeti National Park is a unique setting of ‘endless plains’ dotted with rocky outcrops (kopjes) interspersed with rivers and woodlands and a wide range of habitats.  Due to the topography, geology, soils, rainfall, and drainage systems, the Serengeti National Park sustains the largest number of ungulates and the highest concentration of large predators in the world.  Famous for the great wildebeest migration – their grazing and trampling of grass allows new grasses to grow, while their waste helps fertilize the soil, making it one of the most productive ecosystems on earth.

Migrating Animals in the Serengeti

At the heart of the Great Wildlife Migration is the wildebeest, or the blue wildebeest to be more precise

  • Wildebeest:  The wildebeest are so important that sometimes the migration is referred to as the Great Wildebeest Migration. Around 1.7 million wildebeests take part in the migration.   
  • Zebras:  Around 300,000 zebras travel alongside the wildebeest as part of the Great Migration.  Did you see our must watch video on the Serengeti Zebra Migration?   
  • Thomson’s gazelle:  Sometimes referred to as a “tommie”. Around 500,000 take part in the Great Wildlife Migration!  They’re fantastic runners, and can exceed 65 km per hour. 
  • Eland – Around 18,000 elands take part in the Great Migration. Eland are the largest antelope and they can be very shy.

Serengeti Animals create Outstanding Universal Value

UNESCO recognizes the Serengeti National Park for its outstanding universal value with a whole bunch of accolades – there is a whole lot of wild in this incredibly beautiful and abundant park.  Check it out.

  • The Serengeti National Park hosts one of the largest and most diverse large predator-prey interactions worldwide.
  • The ecosystem supports 2 million wildebeests, 900,000 Thomson’s gazelles and 300,000 zebras as the dominant herds.
  • Other herbivores include 7,000 elands, 27,000 topis, 18,000 hartebeests, 70,000 buffalos, 4,000 giraffes, 15,000 warthogs, 3,000 waterbucks, 2,700 elephants, 500 hippopotamuses, 200 black rhinoceroses, 10 species of antelope and 10 species of primate.
  • Major predators include 4,000 lions, 1000 leopards, 225 cheetahs, 3,500 spotted hyenas and 300 wild dogs.
  • Of these, the black rhino Diceros bicornis, leopard Panthera pardus, African elephant Loxodonta africanaand cheetah Acynonix jubatus are listed in the IUCN Red List.
  • There are over 500 species of birds that are perennially or seasonally present in the Park, of which five species are endemic to Tanzania. The Park has the highest ostrich population in Tanzania and probably Africa, making the population globally important.

Serengeti Species:  Other Animals of the Great Migration

In addition to the migrating wildebeest, zebra, eland and tommie’s, there are more than 35 species of plains animals. Add some 3,000 lions and great numbers of spotted hyenas, leopards, hippopotamuses, giraffes, cheetahs, and baboons.  Birds, Reptiles, Insects and fish are found in addition to the mammals. Rare and seldom sighted animals include Wild Dog, African Wild Cat, Rhino Bat Eared Foxes, Caracal, Serval, Pangolin, snakes.  More than 350 species of birds, including ostriches, vultures, and flamingos, have been recorded. Crocodiles inhabit marshes and water sources near the Mara River. 

Some of the exciting animals to look for on your great migration safari are: 

Aardvark | Aardwolf (civet hyena) | Baboon | Bat-eared fox | Cheetah | Crocodile | Eland | Elephant | Thomson’s Gazelle | Grant’s Gazelle | Giraffe | Hippo | Hyena | Impala | Jackal | Kongoni (hartebeest) | Leopard | Lion | Monkeys | Mongoose | Porcupine | Serval | Topi | Wild dog (painted dog) | Wildebeest (gnu)  | Zebra  (How many you can spot in the Serengeti Show Live, halfway highlights show? )  

Is it time to get your safari on and see some Serengeti for yourself? 

Chat to us about which aspect of the Great Migration you’d most like to see. We can advise you on your Tanzania Safari and help you to plan your great migration safari!  Contact us on sally@greatmigrationcamps.com. Let’s chat Great Migration! Come and see the Serengeti Animals for yourself.