The main herds are now in the northern Serengeti moving south. The rear of the migration is still in the Mara, but in fewer numbers than a week ago. The Mara is grazed out, but the moderate rains will quickly restore the savannah plains.
This movement south is earlier than usual. The last migrating herds normally depart from the Masai Mara in November, but it looks like it could happen within the next week or two.
Game viewing is still excellent in the Masai Mara, with good wildebeest and zebra populations as well as all the resident game (that do not migrate) and predators. The BBC Big Cat Diaries is currently based at Governor’s Camp on the Mara River. They are following prides of lions and cheetah and have seen some dramatic predatory scenes. This is also an excellent time for birders as the migratory birds are arriving from the northern hemisphere. Some will remain in the Masai Mara and the Serengeti, while most will continue further south towards the end of November.
The best place to see the migration at the moment is the northern Serengeti or the Masai Mara. Alternatively, visitors should base themselves at Seronera, in the Serengeti, as the advanced herds are just north of this area.
The vegetation in the north eastern part of the Serengeti is a lot thicker than the grass plains of Ndutu or the Masai Mara so safari guest will not necessarily see the full extent of the migration. The herds are also spread across a wide area from the Masai Mara in the north, Loliondo Game Controlled Area in the east and Seronera in the south.
The Great Wildebeest Migration moves through the Serengeti and Masai Mara National Parks. We track their progress. The migration path varies from year to year depending on weather and other environmental factors. The blog is the simpliest way to get an understanding of the movements based on recent past movement patterns.
1 comment:
Hi, thanks for mentioning Big Cat Live.
I just wanted to add a bit more information about the series.
After 12 years of broadcast, Big Cat is going live! An unprecedented three weeks of live webcasting leads the way so you can follow the fortunes of Africa's biggest predators and their prey 24-hours a day. With live webcams, daily videos and field reports and a week of live television beamed directly from the heart of Kenya's Masai Mara game reserve, the big cats are coming closer to you than ever before.
Join us now at www.bbc.co.uk/bigcat
We also have a Twitter live from the field or you can also join us on Facebook for a sneak preview and some exclusive behind the scenes videos.
For those who cannot see the webcams we will be posting highlights to www.bbc.co.uk/bigcatlive. You can also see screenshots in the 'webcam shots' folder on the Big Cat Facebook page.
Elsewhere...
New videos are live including an interview with Simon King and Chris Howard's latest Camp Reports, with a look through the lens of a the thermal cameras.
www.bbc.co.uk/bigcat/video
The crews have been tracking lions and buffalo with their mobile phones.
www.bbc.co.uk/bigcat/fieldreports/
Best wishes,
Paul
Big Cat Live
Post a Comment