Migration Timetable

December

The migration increases its pace as it heads towards Serengeti's southern plains where the short rains are generating the grass and the grass is rich in nutrients. It follows the Loliondo boundary of the park and the zebras begin to give birth.

January

The migration is in the south-eastern Serengeti on the short-grass of Ang’ata Kiti & Ang’ata Sale plains, after the short rains which have nurtured the fresh grass. This month and December are the peak months for zebra birth.

February

The short-grass plains are the main feeding ground for some 1.8 million wildebeest, 800,000 zebra and many gazelle. Predators follow close by, feeding on the newly born. There is plenty of food for the predators at this time. This is the main month for wildebeest births. The great herds are on the move towards the Ndutu Woodlands. This month is also known as the calving season.

March

The beginning of the long and heavy rains. Clouds, growing in intensity, appear from the south and occasional lightning illuminates the night sky. The short-grass plains pastures are nearing exhaustion and the newborn can keep up with the herds. The Great Herds move towards Maswa Game reserve in search of better pasture

During the months of December, January, February, and early March, the best way to see The Great Migration is by camping “Out Of Africa” style in Seronera Valley, Moru Kopjes, Nasera Rock and Ndutu Woodlands. When camping around Nasera Rock there are good chances that clients may get to see the endangered African Wild dogs, and clients will get to meet friendly Maasai tribesmen who have not been influenced by the tourist trade.

April

Heaviest rainy month. Wildebeest are almost evenly scattered on the short-grass plains.

May

Good forage is still available but water begins to be a limited factor. Now the vast herds begin to coalesce with columns containing hundreds of thousands stretched over many km as they had across the woodland zones into the Western Corridor where new food and water has been generated by the rains around this area.

We do not recommend that you follow the Great Migration during the month of April or early May. During these two months The Serengeti is very wet and most of the Great herds are in Maswa Game Controlled Area. This area is full of Black Cotton Soil. If one gets stuck here, there will be no rescue or help in this area at all. The best time to catch the Migration once again is in the months of June and July when the herds are the Western Corridor. We recommend that you camp “Out Of Africa” Style in the Western Corridor—Kirawira, Simiti, Musabi, Mbalageti, Hembe Special Campsites and Serengeti North around Kori, Pufu, Lobo, Bologonja and Wogakuria Special Campsites. We at Tanzania Private Select Safaris will recommend to you the best way follow the Great Migration depending on the ever-changing conditions throughout the year. Please note the migration pattern changes from year to year, and there are no guarantees, as nature is not controlled by us humans!

June

Rains comes to an end and the herds leave the black-cotton-soil plains, crossing the Grumeti River where many wildebeest drown every year providing the yearly food for great dragons of Mbalageti, Kirawira and Grumeti Rivers, the crocodiles who lurk at crossing points. In a normal year the great herds will be in around the Seronera Valley.

July

The great herds now moves northwest briefly leaving the park as they enter the Grumeti Game Controlled Area and with a small portion of the herd heading towards the Lobo area. This time of the year the season in the Serengeti National Park has now changed to the Cat Season as during this time of the year clients will see many Cats.

August

The migration and the ever-attendant predators trailing now cross the Ikorongo Game Controlled Area. The various branches of the migration begin to meet up. The migration in a normal year should now be in the northern Serengeti and entering Maasai Mara. It has been predicted that July and August is the best time to see the River Crossing on the Mara River from Maasai Mara.

September

The migration has now entered Kenya's Maasai Mara Game Reserve just across the northern border from the Serengeti National Park. This is the best time to visit Maasai Mara.

October

This is the driest month in the Serengeti with the bulk of the animals are briefly absent and in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve where there is always plentiful water and better grazing for the plains animals at this time of year. This is the month in the Serengeti National Park where all the concentration of the Animals are around the rivers of the Serengeti.

November

Depending on the short rains that come during the month of November, the great herds start to move from Maasai Mara Game Reserve to Serengeti South all the way to the short grass plains in the South of Serengeti– Ngorongoro ecosystem in search of batter pasture. By the time the great herds have finished the round trip, they have covered over 1200 kms, and more than 250,000 wildebeests have lost their lives on this round-trip!

From July to early November is the best time to see the Migration in Kenya, and we recommend that you spend at least 3 - 4 days in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve to get the maximum sightings of the Great Migration. For this we recommend that you do a Cross Border Safaris, which we will gladly arrange for you so that you may catch the Great Migration in Kenya as well.

From mid-November the great herds move from Maasai Mara Game Reserve to Serengeti National Park. The herds spread all the way out to Kline's Gate in the Loliondo Game Controlled Area. Part of the migration will be seen on the Serengeti Plains on the Eastern Side of the Serengeti National Park.

The best way to see the Great Migration at this time is by camping “Out Of Africa” Style at Ngaranyanyuki Special Campsites in the Serengeti National Park. The Great Herds are slowly moving towards Gol Kopjes and towards Ang’ata Kiti Plains. The Migration has now taken a full circle of approximately 1200 kms by this time!
The Migration pattern is never the same. It changes every year, and it all depends on the rainfall. Sometimes the Migration will be off by 50 Kms from where the animals are expected to be, and sometimes they will be as much as 200 kms away from there original pattern that has now been studied over many years. No one can fully predict what may be seen where at any given time, and this is part of the magic and the mystery of the awe-inspiring natural wonder that is The Great Migration.