Migration 2014: Herds grazing in the Southern Serengeti

The herds are moving around the southern Serengeti, enjoying the excellent grazing in this region. There have been goods rains in 2014. There are thousands of calves building up their strength for the migration north that will commence in around May.

Thinking about going on safari during the main migration season (July- Oct)? Start planning now. Contact Sunsafaris for expert advice and booking you migration safari.

Migration update 2013: More rain and more foals

There has been a lot of rain in the southern Serengeti. A number of the road are impassable or extremely muddy. Game viewing has been good although challenging in the wet conditions. There are thousands of foals making hunting easy for the predators. The wildebeest are mostly around the outer Ngorongoro slopes and Ndutu. There is plenty of grazing in these conditions, but the herds are quite static.

The rich soil that makes the grasses so attractive also tends to hold water making dark thick mud. This makes it an adventure to move around at this time of year. Even the best Landrover with the most experienced driver can find the going tough! Safari visitors are rewarded with excellent game viewing across spectacular plains with very few other tourists around.

At the time of year we generally recommend the permanent structure camps like Ndutu Safari Lodge or one of the hotel-style lodges in the central Serengeti around Seronera.

Rains in the southern Serengeti

The wildebeest herds are packed on the Ndutu Plains in the southern Serengeti. The rains have attracted them back to this fertile area where the short grasses are rich in nutrients. Foals are growing stronger in preparation to their long migration to the northern Serengeti and Masai Mara in the next couple of months.

Predators are everywhere, picking off the weak, young, old or isolated. The safari camps in the region have reported good sightings of lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena. As the wildebeest are mostly stationary (not migrating) at this time, a typical hunt is a patient wait, swift feet, quick acceleration and speed to capture their prey. Lions prides are masters at this, working together to ambush isolated wildebeest.

The best safari camps to be located at at this time of year are:
Serengeti under canvas - A luxury mobile camp that follows the annual migration around the Serengeti. They are currently located close to Ndutu, in the midst of the main herds.
Ndutu Lodge - Ndutu is a mid-range permanent lodge located at Lake Ndutu. It is a good place to be based to avoid the worst of the daily rains.

Migration starting to move

The main migration herds are still around Ndutu, but a number of large pockets of wildebeest have started moving west and north west.

As the rains start to dissipate more of the herds will start leaving the southern Serengeti.

The best camps to be based at the moment are:
Premium camps -
Kusini tented camp
Tanzania under Canvas

Economy private tented camps -
Mobile private tented camp: A great choice for safari enthusiasts who want to see the migration without the need for all the superfluos luxuries.

Rain in Ndutu

There has been a lot of rain around Ndutu, Masek and the Ngorongoro slopes. This is keeping the main wildebeest herds in the southern Serengeti. There are lots of foals getting stronger for the journey north.

A safari at this time of year is always challenging as the roads are muddy and a number of them have been closed by the rangers. Game viewing is excellent with huge herds across the plains and plenty of predators tracking them.

The best place to be based is for a safari is around Ndutu, Kusini or Seronera.

Migration Update: Rains across the Serengeti

There has been a lot of rain over the last week. This has caused the Ndutu plains to spring to life with new freeze grass. The wildebeest have returned in thousands back to their favourite grazing in the Serengeti, the Ndutu Plains. The rains have been welcome as 2009 started relatively dry.

There are wildebeest (with their new foals) and zebra as far as the eye can see around Ndutu. It is a spectacular time to the in the Serengeti, but moving around is a challenge as a lot of the roads are muddy. The best place to be based over the next couple of months is the permanent lodges in the central and southern Serengeti. They have better access roads to their camps and are generally more prepared for the rain. The mobile tented camps can be an adventure!

Migration News: Herds spread across the south eastern Serengeti

The lack of substantial rain on the Ndutu plains has pushed the wildebeest and zebra out across a wide area in search of grazing. They are finding grass on the outer slopes of Ngorongoro Crater, Mawza Reserve, around Olduvia and also west of Ndutu. These areas have seen more rain than the Ndutu plains. Foaling continues. The herds are trying to build up their strength before they start their migratory trek west and north west when the rains finally stop completely in about a month. The 2009 season has been much drier than last year and it will be interesting to see how this affects the herds movements in the coming months.

The best safari camps for the migration, at the moment, are:
Klein's Camp
Mobile Tented Camps: Budget
Mobile Tented Camp: Luxury
Ndutu Safari Lodge

Migration Update: March rain in the Serengeti

March has seen plenty of rain in the Serengeti. February was dry so the late March rains were welcome. The herds are spread out all across the southern Serengeti from Ndutu Plains all the way to the Olduvai Plains. The abundance of grazing means the herds are moving slowly back-and-forth finding the best grass on the short grass plains, but concentrated around Ndutu.

Migration Update: Ndutu region

The first half of March was dry, so the herds and following predators began to move north towards the Kusini area. In the last week there has been good rainfall, which brought most of the animals back south again. The core herd is now grazing the Miti Mitatu plains, between Matiti and Kusini. Wildebeest and zebra still cover the southern region from Ngorongoro all the way west past Kusini. The long rains only really started towards the middle of March around Ndutu region, resulting in some confused movement among the herds.

The best place for the migration: The mobile camps based at Ndutu, Kusini Camp, or the Seronera Camps.

Calving season is almost over in Ndutu

The main herds are still around Ndutu, as far south as Maswa Game Reserve and have been seen west of Kusini Camp. The wildebeest foaling season is almost over with most of the foals already finding their feet and enjoying the abundance of rich grazing.

Migration moving through Loliondo and Ndutu

The rains have remained localised and sporadic. Heavy rains have been seen, but have not lasted. The migration has been moving down through Loliondo and into Ndutu in the Serengeti. Some herds have been left behind and can still be seen in the Masai Mara, including parts of the Loita herds.
Due to the lower rainfall, the main wildebeest and zebra populations have moved to better food and water areas. In the last three weeks, they have spent time in the Loliondo, Gol and Sanjan area but as soon as it started drying up, they moved south and west, passing through Ndutu onto the mid grass plains on the other side.
There are still herds of wildebeest to be found all over this area but the main concentrations are in the south and west. The calving season is also nearing an end with the majority of the babies already born. Despite this, the other game remains excellent throughout the whole south and eastern areas of the eco-system, with plenty of cheetah and lion sightings.
In the Masai Mara, the short rains across the Mara plains recently have left a carpet of lush green grass across the plains. At the onset of the rains, most of the remaining herds of wildebeest started migrating back to their usual calving grounds further south, leaving some of the Loita herds breeding in the Mara, which is quite unusual. The Mara predators have grabbed this opportunity to feed their young who would have otherwise been starving had all the migratory herds left as usual.

The best place to be based to see the migration is around Ndutu, Seronera or southern Loliondo.