• info@greatmigrationcamps.com

The Great Migration: July 2022 Update

Great Migration Update from Tanzania 19 July 2022

As per our great migration predications last month, the river crossings started in the Northern Serengeti in early July. It’s been a cracking start to the great migration crossing season, with the majority of the herds arriving near Makutano.  The early river crossings were at Crossing Points 7 & 7B. As more great migration herds arrived in the second week of July,  the Mara River crossing point shifted west to coincide with the arrivals of the Western Herds.  There were some spectacular great migration river crossings at Numbers 4 and 5. The steep banks and intensive herds, created billowing dust for some impressive crossings. Superb sightings for happy guests who were up early to enjoy Nature’s greatest show. Large herds are now grazing leisurely in Lamai Wedge.

Mara River crossing at No 4 from south to north MIGRATION UPDATE: 16 July 2022

Great Migration Update from Kenya: July 2022

Last week there were some huge crossings of the Sand River into Kenya. The herds that crossed the Mara River are moving slowly and should reach the Mara Triangle soon, they seem to be hanging around Miles Turner Hill and taking a leisurely break.

MIGRATION UPDATE JULY 2022: Huge herds of the Great Migration cross the Sand River into Kenya

Let’s hope it’s a great year for the Maasai Mara and Mara Triangle, where we are monitoring how long they spend in the Maasai Mara and Mara Triangle and how far north they go into the Mara Conservancies this year of 2022 (if at all). Results will be good indicators if the Kenyan conservancy model (where cattle also graze the land), will allow enough grazing for the wildebeest of the great migration, who seem to be competing for the same resources as cattle. Holding thumbs for the great migration to have a longer stay in the Maasai Mara this year.

MIGRATION UPDATE JULY 2022: Serengeti Great migration, Mara River crocodile kill 2022

Great Migration predictions for July and early August 2022.

It is fairly dry up in the Northern Serengeti, with no real rain forecast in the next two weeks. Despite a build up of some moisture from Lake Victoria creating some amazing clouds, there has been no rainfall and very little is predicted. We are hoping for some light showers here and there, to provide short green grass for the wildebeest to eat, otherwise it becomes tough going for the great migration herds. The drier spells accentuate the pressure on the eco-system and limited food becomes obvious when there is no rainfall. We are even noticing that the low water levels of the Mara River this 2022 are making it hard for the crocodiles to feed. 

Until there is big rain in the north to pull them further, we predict smaller crossings back and forth across the Mara River in the next few weeks. There are still some herds arriving from the south, so it’s likely there will be lots of to-and-fro with wildebeest herds on both sides of the Mara River.

Great Migration: News update July 2022

More good news from Kogatende is that the bridge to the Lamai Wedge is now open. Thanks to TANAPA for coordinating the repairs to the bridge across the Mara River for the great migration crossing season. It is wonderful to have road access on both sides of the river, when staying at Great Migration Camps for the great migration river crossing season 2022. 

Visit the Great Migration in 2022

Join us for the world’s largest overland mammal migration as 1.5 million wildebeest, 400,000 zebra, 18,000 eland and 200,000 Thompson’s gazelle move through the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. We don’t wait for the herds to come to us, we take you to them – leaving no trace.

Email info@greatmigrationcamps.com to book your seat to the great migration. We still have some availability first week of August & the last two weeks of August, into September. Book soon to avoid disappointment. The show must go on.

wildebeest

Wildebeest

noun [ C ]
UK /ˈwɪl.də.biːst/ US /ˈwɪl.də.biːst/

​a large antelope with curved horns
a herd of wildebeest
plural wildebeest or wildebeests

a large African animal with a long tail and horns that curve to the sides that lives in areas covered in grass

Wildebeest are large African antelopes and belong to the Bovidae family. The word wildebeest comes from the Afrikaans language and translates to wild beast. Another name for the wildebeest is gnu (pronounced “new”).

Wildebeest Synonym

gnu (/njuː/ NEW or /nuː/ NOO)

‘Gnu’ is from a Khoikhoi language (which pronounced the [g]), which likely imitated it from the grunt-type noise that a wildebeest makes.

Wildebeest Word Origin

early 19th cent.: from Afrikaans, literally ‘wild beast’.

Dutch settlers first “discovered” wildebeest in about 1700, on their way to the interior of South Africa. Due to their resemblance to wild cattle, the Afrikaans people called them “wild ox/cattle” or “wildebeest” due to its untamed appearance and vigorous nature.

Wildebeest Size and Appearance

The blue wildebeest is a member of the antelope family, although its heavy build and disproportionately large forequarters make it look more bovine. They have large heads, shaggy manes, pointed beards, and sharp, curved horns.  Blue wildebeests can reach 8 feet in length, stand 4.5 feet tall at the shoulders and weigh up to 600 pounds. Both males and females grow horns.

Wildebeest collective noun

confusion of wildebeests or an implausibility of wildebeests

The noun for a group of wildebeest is taken from the loud noise and confusion that erupt during migration season – caught up in the middle of the movement, your head is bound to spin.

Wildebeest species

There are two species of wildebeest: the black wildebeest or white-tailed gnu (Connochaetes gnou), and the blue wildebeest or brindled gnu (Connochaetes taurinus). In East Africa, the blue wildebeest perform the annual great migration and are the Serengeti species.

COMMON NAME: Blue Wildebeest
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Connochaetes taurinus
TYPE: Mammals
DIET: Herbivore
GROUP NAME: Herd
AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD: 20 years
SIZE: 125 cm (48 inches)
WEIGHT: 118 – 270 kilograms  (260 – 595 pounds)
HABITAT:  Open woodlands, open grassy plains.
DIET: Herbivorous
GESTATION:  8.5 months
PREDATORS:  Lions, cheetahs, hyena

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

Chat to us about which aspect of the Great Migration you’d most like to see. Read our explainer here. We can advise you on your Tanzania Safari and help you to plan your great migration safari to see the wildebeest herds!  Contact us on sally@greatmigrationcamps.com. Let’s chat Great Migration! Let’s chat Conservation through Tourism. Come and see the wildebeest for yourself.

Great Migration Update: Where are the wildebeest? May ’22

Great Migration Update 27 May 2022

Where are the Wildebeest of the Great Migration?

The annual migration cycle is one of movement in May and June, making these tough months for accurate location predictions of the wildebeest herds.  The migration is on the move due to some contributing factors.  So far this May 2022,  most of the migration updates have been coming from Seronera as wildebeest herds move through the central Serengeti.

The back-end of the migratory herds are still in the southern and western sectors of the Serengeti National Park.  These pockets of wildebeest are moving slowly.

The Eastern herds, were moving northwards fairly quickly, and there are still some migratory herds on the Eastern Plains.  There are some scattered herds around Mbuzi Mawe, Banagi Hill and Togoro Plains.  Many of the wildebeest that were heading north on the eastern border, crossed through Seronera to the west.

The eastern herds that crossed over to the western Serengeti have become the leaders of the great migration.  They can easily travel 10km per day, often in long lines as they head north.  A few large herds were crossing the Orangi River near Hembe and heading North-West.

Why is the wildebeest whereabouts significant to the great migration?

It is far easier for the wildebeest herds to cross the Upper Grumeti river which has fewer obstructions and geographical barriers than the lower stretches of the river. The lower Grumeti River can be treacherous as it is far larger in size with more water which is dangerous & can slow the wildebeest down.

The impact of the Grumeti River on the great migration

The Grumeti River is a lifeline that cuts through the incredible Serengeti scenery from the north east of the national park and west to Lake Victoria. In river terms, the Grumeti River is short at only 180km, with the upper catchment area near Klein’s Gate.  Water from the Lobo Hills and Bologonja areas, feed into the Upper Grumeti River.

The real water comes from the Upper Orangi River whose catchment area is a vast area in the Serengeti (from Central Banangi Hill, Ngare Nanyuki, Seronera Valley and Makoma).  All the water from the central Serengeti flows into the Oranji River, which feeds the lower Grumeti River, providing a huge catchment area with the Upper stretches of river.   The confluence of the Orangi and Grumeti Rivers is just west of Hembe.

The Grumeti River flows for 3-4 months a year during the wet season, and yearly flooding can occur, as the River is on a broad floodplain, with typical sandy soils and riparian forests.

The impact of the change in vegetation on the great migration

In the south-eastern plains of the Serengeti, there is shallow volcanic ash soil, ideal for the wildebeest during calving season as the grass is short, nutritious and abundant – enough to sustain 1.5 million wildebeest for a few months.  As the plains dry out, the wildebeest are forced to move north, where the changing landscape and soil types alter the vegetation.

It’s wetter in the west – there is more water and more rain as you closer you get to Lake Victoria.  There is lots of water at all the springs and granite zones all the way north from Seronera to the Masai Mara.  Navigating through the wet takes longer and slows the wildebeest herds down.

In addition to the water, there is a lot of grass. The deep sandy soils of the North-western Serengeti have rich, nutritional red oat grass – in abundance right now. One can hardly blame the wildebeest for taking their time, through 80km of delicious red oat grass to graze.

Flashback to this video taken in 2017 where we stopped to look at the red oat grass – beautiful grass that the wildebeest love, and had a lovely interaction with this young bull elephant on the plains of the Lamai Wedge, Northern Serengeti,

To date, we are not aware of any fires, which are commonly lit at the beginning of the dry season by park rangers, to prevent larger-scale fires later in the season, that can reduce woodland cover.

Great Migration Updates:  movement of the wildebeest herds

These migration updates are gathered from a network of guiding professionals and safari experts in the field. Reports are shared directly from the Serengeti itself.  We share these updates for those planning a safari, as well as those who guiding safaris or supplying supplementary services to the industry.

In the south, the Serengeti borders the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. In the north, the Serengeti borders Kenya’s Masai Mara.   Surrounding the Serengeti National Park are buffer zones:  Maswa, Loliondo, Grumeti and Ikorongo.  The entire eco-system is open and unfenced, which in itself allows the great migration to take place.

Wildebeest being out of the park boundaries, partially explains why they can be hard to find.   It may seem strange that nearly 2 million creatures can’t be found, as if the great Houdini had performed a vanishing act in the Serengeti.  Remember, the Serengeti is huge- it’s the size of a small country – about 30,000 square kilometers (12,000 square miles), and 160km (100 miles) of bush from north to south.  (Manhattan Island in New York which is 21.6 km (13.4 miles) long and how hard it is to find someone in that city.

We love maps, especially when they include Tanzania, the Great Migration or the Serengeti National Park.  Check out MapFight – it’s a really cool map comparison tool –  you can compare the sizes of any areas or country. Let us know how your country or state compares in size to the Serengeti and you will have a better idea of the vast scale, and why we are constantly looking for wildebeest.

Join Great Migration Camps or follow us, as we follow the Great Wildebeest Migration .  A journey through the Serengeti from the southern plains to the Mara River and back.  We follow the wildebeest, zebra , eland and Thomson’s gazelle as they migrate through the Mara-Serengeti Eco-system.

We have mixed availability in Kogatende area for the River Crossing Season 2022.  Book early  for the great migration river crossing season.  Email: sally@greatmigrationcamps.com #Conservationthroughtourism

 

 

August 2018 – Migration Updates

Great Migration Camps checked in with Wildebeest Whisperer, Carel Verhoef, about an action packed month following the wildebeest in their cyclical quest for food and water.  Here are the latest updates and predictions for the Great Wildebeest Migration.  Great Migration Camps has also had Migration Updates from guides, camps and lodges out in the field.

Take a look at the incredible journey of survival as the great wildebeest migration meets the Mara River in 2018. Footage from this season – the build-up, the action, the crossings, the successes and the fatalities.

The Wildebeest Migration in August 2018

The first little crossings happened in early July but as we predicted August has again been the best month for river crossings on the Serengeti side. Big herds of wildebeest crossed the Western Corridor in late July and they congregated in large numbers near Makutano and Nyamalumbwa  Hills, as there was lots and lots of grazing.  Initially these herds started moving north – predominantly through the Eastern sector of the Serengeti, with numerous crossings at the Sand River.  There were also some good crossings between Makutano and Crossing Point No 7 at the end of July and early August.

However Nature, being what it is, decided to throw some good widespread rains (40-50mm) over the Central and Northern Serengeti in early August.  Within a week, short new grass was sprouting on the plains, rejuvenating huge areas that had been burnt by TANAPA authorities south of the Mara River, all along the Kichwa Tembo road and Ndasiato. These juicy grasses, lured the wildebeest southwards and the big herds moved onto the Lamai Wedge and then south to the plains beyond Kuria Hills.  Some fabulous south-bound crossings between Crossing Point No 4 and No 7.

Finally, in the past few days, there has been a bigger push north by the herds, to the Mara Reserve and Mara Triangle in Kenya.  At last there have been some sizeable crossings on the Kenyan side.

Must Watch Video! Crocodile takes wildebeest during 2018 Migration Crossing Season.

Migration Update: 3 August 2018

Huge rain on the Serengeti side and a shift of movement back to the south, will this drive the herds back to the Serengeti? Watch the video of the herds on the plains sent by Carel here 

Migration Update: 30 July 2018.

Crossings continue from south to north towards the Lamai Wedge and the Masai Mara. Yesssss! See the video from guide, Hamza Nyelo here

Migration Update: 7 August 2018

Huge crossing of 2 hours from north to south at Number 1 on the Serengeti Side. Wonderful day on the Mara River.  See the river crossing video from Carel here

Migration Update: 12 August 2018

Two hour crossing from north to south, new grass on the plains after extensive burning and recent rain driving the herds back south between the Kitchwa Tembo road and the Sand River, daily crossings.

Migration Update: 13 August 2018

Huge crossing at No 3 in front of Lemala Mara.  Video capture by Frank Gabriel here

Migration Update: 16 August 2018

This update from guide Onesmus Ole Irungu as huge herds arrive on the Masai Mara side – nice month ahead on the Mara triangle or reserve sides. See the pictures here

Migration Update: 18 August 2018

Baraka Willium from Lemala reports daily crossings and the herds on the move again back to the north. Watch the video here

Migration Update: 18 August 2018

The wildebeest keep coming on the Serengeti side. Update from Alex Walker Serian’s Serengeti North camp. See rivercrossing video here

Migration Update: 19 August 2018

Big crossings video on the Kenyan side, from guide Sammy Kaleku as the wildebeest move from East to West across the Mara River in Kenya. See video here

Migration Predictions

Good crossings are expected on the Kenyan side of the eco-system throughout September. It will be interesting to see how far north the herds venture this year, with a year of unpredictable weather and patterns.  The Serengeti side should continue with some river crossings as the wildebeest continue to move northwards.

Great Migration Camps Availability

Great Migrations Camps will be moving to Kenya – on the Mara Triangle side of the Masai Mara Reserve.
Limited spaces still available at special campsite Kiboko in the southern Mara Triangle until 20th Sept. Or join us when we move just south of Little Governors camps from 20th to the end of September.

Game Package Rates $330 and Full board Rates $230 (excludes Park Fees and getting there).
Contact us for last minute specials or resident rates.

Contact: +255 686 493 065 |  Email: info@greatmigrationcamps.com

Send us your #migrationupdates via Social Media