Migration news: Wildebeest foaling

The herds are spread from the western Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the south eastern Serengeti, around the short grass plains of Ndutu. There has been sufficient rain and heat to keep the plains green, but 2009 has started out drier than normal. There are a lot of wildebeest foal in the area with more to come. This is supplying the predators with abundant easy prey. Game viewing has been good, Ther are huge herds of wildebeest and zebra congregated on the plains and predators picking off the weak and vulnerable.

Migration news: Wildebeest start foaling

The first foals of the 2009 migration are being born on the Ndutu plains of the southern Serengeti. This is where the wildebeest always foal during the annual migration. It is here that the grass is the most nutritious throughout the entire Serengeti eco-system and where the young foals have the most chance of surviving. The wildebeest and zebra will remain in this area for another couple of months, giving the foals sufficient time to gain some strength before the long trek north to the Masai Mara. The predators are having a easy time picking off the young wildebeest from the herds.

There have been heavy rains and the area is muddy and wet. A number of roads have been closed. A safari at this time is rewarding, but challenging.

Migration on the short grass plains of Ndutu

This video show the migration in the south eastern Serengeti. The video shows the wildebeest scattered over the short grass plains around Ndutu. The video was filmed in January.

It also shows some of the big cats that track the migration. Watch out for the vehicles in the background at about 2 minutes into the video. These are the typical stretch 4x4's that most tour operators use. The vehicles have closed sides, but large windows, allowing everyone a good view. The roof normally pops up. Only a few of the camps use open-sided vehicles (e.g. Kusini, Klein's Camp, The camps in the Grumeti).

Migration Update

The rains have been intermittent throughout January, with some heavy downpours. A number of tracks are so muddy they are impassable and have been closed to vehicles. During January and throughout the rainy season, the wildebeest tend to leave the woodlands and long grass plains during the rains and move to the short grass plains between Naabi, Ndutu and Sanjan. During drier spells over this period, the migration tends to spread out over a wider area, moving back to the woodland and longer grass plains.
Game viewing is good, with large herds and good predator sightings. The advantage of this time of year is that the Serengeti is quiet, but expect rain and be prepared for rugged conditions as the roads can be an adventure. The central Serengeti (around Seronera) or southern Serengeti are the best locations to be based to see the migration at the moment.

Migration News: 2009 has started off dry

The migration remains in the south eastern Serengeti. The wildebeest and zebra are moving between the short grass plains of Ndutu and the surrounding areas. At the moment, the main herds favour the area around Naabi Hill and east towards the outer slopes of Ngorongoro Crater. The grasses are green and nutritious. This is mostly from December rains. January has been relatively dry so far.