| All the twists, tragedies and drama of the Great | | | | The routes taken by the herds vary from year |
| Wildebeest, Zebra and Gazelle migration take | | | | to year but the general pattern of the migration |
| place in the pristine 1510 sq km expanse that is | | | | remains the same. On reaching the woodlands, |
| the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Tragedy because some | | | | the herds spread out but continue moving in |
| of the hundreds of thousands of herbivores | | | | response to rainfall and the availability of foliage. |
| migrating inevitably fall prey to a number of | | | | The first of the wildebeest usually turn up in the |
| predators that ambush and track them as they | | | | Mara in June or July and most stay therein until |
| trek and gallop on the scenic landscape of the | | | | late October or early November. The herds |
| Mara. The Maasai Mara and adjacent Loita Plains | | | | attract ravenous pack of predators, particularly |
| make up the northern most portion of the | | | | hyenas and lions, and thousands of the lame, slack |
| extensive 25,000km Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. | | | | and sick never finish the pilgrimage. Some breathe |
| Rainfall in the Maasai Mara falls almost all year | | | | their last by drowning or by the powerful jaws of |
| round and consequently the Mara receives the | | | | the crocodiles that lay about calmly but burst into |
| highest rainfall in the entire Serengeti-Mara | | | | action once the animals plunge into the chocolate |
| ecosystem. Rainfall peaks usually in December, | | | | Mara and Talek Rivers, a barrier that they must |
| January and April and so lush grasses remain after | | | | cross to get to the pasture. |
| the Serengeti plains down South have dried up. | | | | Once the Mara's grass has been devoured and |
| The Masai Mara is located about 270 km from | | | | rains in Tanzania's Serengeti have brought forth |
| Nairobi and takes about 5 hours to reach by road. | | | | juicy tufts of grass, the wildebeest leave the |
| For a 45 minute foray to the Mara, flights can be | | | | Mara following various routes, slowly at first then |
| taken twice daily from Wilson Airport Nairobi. | | | | with increased momentum. The cycle repeats |
| The large eco-system sustains, among other | | | | itself from start every other year. |
| animals, a wildebeest population of at least | | | | The 'resident' Wildebeest found in the Loita plains |
| 600,000, more than 200,000 zebra and at least | | | | adjoining the Mara, make seasonal movements |
| 350,000 Thomson gazelle. These three species of | | | | between the Loita plains in the wet season and |
| herbivores form the large grouping that makes | | | | the Mara in the dry months. |
| annual movements through the ecosystem from | | | | The Maasai Mara is the dry season refuge for |
| the Serengeti plains in Tanzania to the Maasai | | | | close to 1,000,000 animals. |
| Mara in Kenya in search of fresh grass. This | | | | Being on safari and driving in the wilderness in the |
| spectacular movement is what is referred to as | | | | midst of these great herds is an unimaginable |
| "The Migration." The spectacle of hundreds of | | | | experience. A once in a lifetime experience. |
| thousands of these animals moving together | | | | In July, August and September, the Mara |
| through the sea of grass must rank as the | | | | grasslands are teeming with migrating Wildebeest |
| greatest wildlife display on earth. | | | | and Zebra but there is much resident wildlife in |
| Wildebeest herds usually assemble in the grass | | | | the Maasai Mara all year round. Elephants, |
| plains of Serengeti during the wettest season of | | | | Cheetahs, Impala, the nocturnal Bat-Eared Fox, |
| the year when there is sweet new grass and | | | | the Roan Antelope, Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, |
| small pools of water formed by the rain. There | | | | Topi, Zebra, Giraffes, Coke's Hartebeest, Hyena, |
| most of the females give birth and calve , all | | | | Cheetah, Lions, Leopards, Rhino, Buffalo, Wild dog, |
| within a few weeks, in what has come to be | | | | Jackal, Hippo, Kongoni, Eland, Monkeys and Ostrich |
| known world over as "The Rut". As nature would | | | | can be viewed all year round in the Mara. Over |
| have it, the grass and rainwater pools dry up | | | | 450 species of birds including 50 species of birds |
| early in the dry season and the wildebeest move | | | | of prey have been recorded in the Mara. They |
| en bloc through the savannah and towards the | | | | include Vulture, Widow bird, Secretary bird, |
| Western frontier. Within the enormity of the | | | | Crowned Crane, Red-billed Ox Pecker, Ostrich, |
| Serengeti, the wildebeest lift their goateed heads, | | | | long-crested Eagle, Pygmy falcon, Scale francolin, |
| sniff the air around and, as if by one accord, begin | | | | hornbill, African goshawk, Fiscal hike, |
| the long but rewarding trek towards the Kenyan | | | | Yellow-throated long claw, Marabou, White-backed |
| border. As the pastures diminish, the herds shift | | | | vulture, and Prowl plovers. |
| into the northern Serengeti woodlands and then | | | | This combination of a mild climate, picturesque |
| pour into the Maasai Mara. | | | | magnificence and untold numbers of wildlife makes |
| Zebras follow a slightly related, but not quite | | | | the Masai Mara in Kenya's a most popular inland |
| similar movement. Thomson's gazelle also migrate, | | | | destination. |
| but only as far as the edge of the woodlands. | | | | |