Story by: Josh Laskin, Travel & Leisure | Photography Courtesy of: Kenneth Canning, Getty Images
Often hailed as one of the wonders of the natural world, Africa’s great wildebeest migration is an incredible event to witness. Every year, more than 1.4 million wildebeest — along with gazelles and zebra — stampede Lion King-style across the veldt of southern Africa. When dry, cool August descends upon the Serengeti in Tanzania, the wildebeest begin their astounding journey north, following the rains to the Masai Mara in Kenya. In a single year, these massive herds can migrate nearly 1,000 miles during the largest mammal migration on Earth.
If witnessing this incredible journey is on your bucket list, here’s everything you need to know about seeing the Great Migration.
The big migration, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Photo courtesy of: Evenfh, Getty Images
Following the Migration Path
Rather than a singular occurrence, it helps to think of the Great Migration as an ongoing, circuitous event that is governed by the seasons and the availability of food. From December until May, the wildebeest are largely concentrated in the southern Serengeti. Here, they birth their young, before slowly working their way northwest across the grassy plains. In April and May, the herds will follow the Grumeti River that snakes its way across Serengeti National Park.
By June, when the rainy season starts to wind down and the prairie grasses are exhausted, the herds will continue their migration to Kenya’s Masai Mara. August and September are the best times to see the great migration — and your chances of witnessing a river crossing are generally much higher. Come early October, the rainy season in Tanzania will commence, and the herds will embark on their return journey back to the Serengeti.
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