Migration update: Starting to head west

The herds have slowly started heading west towards Kusini. Is this the start of the migration from the southern Serengeti towards Grumeti?

Migration news: Wildebeest moving from Ndutu

Finally, and later than "normal", the migration has started to leave Ndutu heading west and north west. The herds are stretched from Ndutu in the east, across the southern Serengeti to Grumeti in the west. Some herds have started crossing the Grumeti River. From here they will move into the Grumeti Reserve before making their way north.

Large herds are also moving north west from Ndutu and will move through Seronera towards the Masai Mara.

Rains keep the migration around Ndutu

The decent rains over the past month has meant that the short grass plains around the southern Serengeti are still able to feed the herds. They will stay here until they are forced to move due to the lack of grazing. The "norm" is that the wildebeest would already have started moving in large numbers, but in the past few years this has been happening later than normal. We are still waiting for the main migration to start moving west and north west, but for the moment they remain around Ndutu.
Safari guests have been enjoying superb gameviewing with predators enjoying the abundance of wildebeest and their vulnerable foals.

Migration Update: Wildebeest around Ndutu and Gol

The Serengeti has seen quite a bit of rain throughout April. The short grass plains around Ndutu and Gol Kopje are green and providing necessary grazing to the wildebeest and their new foal. The foal are building strength for the migration north and west once the rains stop in the next few weeks.

Migration News: Migration remains around Ndutu

The migration remains in the south eastern Serengeti eco-system. The rains have been sporadic and unreliable so far in 2009. The wildebeest and zebra move within the south eastern Serengeti depending on the rains and grass. Immediately after a downpour they will return to the short grass plains of Ndutu, where the grazing is the best in the entire Serengeti and Masai Mara. At other times, they will be spread around this region (on the slopes of Ngorongoro Crater, or around Olduvia, Maswa Game Reserve, Moru, Nasera, Naabi and Gol). But, the remain in the general area until the rains abate, which should happen in the next few weeks. At this point, the migration will head west and north west toways the western corridor or the Serengeti and into the Grumeti Reserve.

Migration update: Wildebeest moving towards Seronera

The main herds of wildebeest and zebra have started moving northwest away from Ndutu plains to Naabi Hill gate on their way to Seronera.

The best camps to be based at are the private mobile camps around Seronera, Kusini Camp or Serengeti Serena Lodge.

Ndutu is muddy with lots of game

A number of the auxillary tracks in the south Serengeti are closed as they are impassable due to the extended periods of rain.

For those safari enthusiasts who do make it to Ndutu, they are rewarded with herds spread across the short grass plains and good sightings of predators. Cheetah cubs have been seen.

Migration Update: Muddy game drives

The rains continue to fall on the Serengeti plains. There have been good downpours since the middle of March. Road conditions are poor with loads of mud on most of the safari routes. Despite this, game viewing is good in the open short grass plains of Ndutu. Be prepared to get wet.

Wildebeest and zebra have been seen crossing the Olduvai River.

The below photo shows Nazli, Sunsafaris' East Africa Travel Specialist, in Ndutu in March 2008. Wildebeest can be seen grazing in the background. There is no major movement of the herds as they are grazing on the Ndutu plains.