The Great Migration in Tanzania

There is something truly spectacular about nature—its balance and the way it works: everything happens for a reason, and everything serves a specific purpose.
On the African continent, between Kenya and Tanzania, there is a real example of this perfect mechanism, visible every year.

We are talking about the spectacular Great Migration, an enormous migratory phenomenon also known as the “Wildebeest Migration,” since wildebeest are the animals most involved. If you are planning a safari in Tanzania, or wondering about the best time to visit this beautiful land, you should understand this phenomenon well so you can choose the best time to travel.
 

What is the Great Migration?

This term refers to one of the world’s largest annual migratory events: the movement of entire herds of African herbivores searching for lush grazing lands along a route that begins in Serengeti National Park, crosses many other protected areas and reserves, and eventually returns to the Serengeti.

After the months of October and December, a period known as the short rainy season, wildebeest are ready to begin their long journey, even though hungry crocodiles and lions are always lurking in the rivers, hunting for new prey.
During this vast migration, wildebeest travel as much as 800 km each year, sometimes covering up to 80 km in a single day. They migrate to cope with the dry season, moving from north to south between October and November, then westward and back north from April through June.
 

Why does the Great Migration happen?

The animals involved migrate in search of new grazing lands. It is a spectacular migration in which millions of animals move north each year during the dry season because of declining water availability. These species move in search of water sources, then return south during the rainy season, which replenishes Africa’s water basins.
The reasons behind the Great Migration, as with many migratory cycles, are linked to reproduction, but above all to the need for water and food in order to survive.
We explore this in greater depth in this article, where we explain why animals migrate.

During the migration, females move in order to give birth to their young, taking advantage of the growth of fresh, nutrient-rich grass typical of these low plains: every year, around half a million births are recorded. Especially in the south, between the Ngorongoro Plains and the southern Serengeti, the volcanic tuff soil and subsoil create very fertile, soft ground for wildebeest because it is rich in minerals such as granite, calcium, potassium, and sodium carbonate, all of which pregnant females need for nourishment during the nursing period.
 

Which areas are affected by the Great Migration?

In Tanzania, the Great Wildebeest Migration takes place between the Masai Mara on the Kenyan border, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Serengeti National Park, which is both the starting point and the final destination of the journey. It can be witnessed both in summer (from July to September) and in winter (from December to March).
 

Which animals take part in the Great Migration?

The main animals involved in the greatest overland migration on Earth are 2 million wildebeest, 300,000 zebras, followed by 400,000 Thomson’s gazelles. Wildebeest and zebras dominate the scene in the largest numbers between June and October, but there are also gazelles, which in April migrate from the southern Serengeti to drink along the rivers of the Seronera Valley in the central Serengeti, where you can also encounter many lions, cheetahs, and hyenas.
 

When can you see the Great Migration?

Now let’s come to the most interesting point: when you can actually see the Great Migration. To witness the Great Migration in Tanzania, I would personally recommend going during these times of the year:

• Between June and September: during this period you can see thousands of wildebeest migrating westward (Grumeti) and then northward (Bologonja), passing by the Mara River on the border with Kenya. Once back in the north, they face the most difficult challenge of the migration: crossing the Mara River, where enormous Nile crocodiles lie camouflaged.
   
• From late December to March: near Lakes Ndutu and Masek in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, in February—known as calving season—you can see numerous animal colonies preparing for reproduction and giving birth (although the long rainy season begins in March).
   
• From April to May: after weaning, which is completed by the end of April, even the newborn calves take part in the migration.
   
• From May to June: it is possible to witness river crossings, when predators remain hidden in the water waiting to capture their next prey. During this period, wildebeest move south and cross the Grumeti River in the area known as the Western Corridor (western Serengeti), about 40 km long and flowing into Lake Victoria.
   
• From October to November: with the beginning of the short rains, they return to the northern Mara Triangle region heading toward the Lobo/Klein’s Valley area (northeastern Serengeti), passing through the Maasai Mara Game Reserve and the Mara River, where they stop to graze.

Would you like to go on safari in Tanzania and see the Great Migration? You are in the right place, because with Sto Gran Tour we follow the migration during different times of the year, covering the entire migratory cycle and allowing you to witness something truly unique. Take a look at our trip to Tanzania!