April 8, 2009

The drought is over! On April 1st and 2nd there were quite a few scattered showers throughout the entire Seronera Valley in the Central Serengeti and even out to Sametu Kopjes at the beginning of the Eastern Plains.

Immense herds of wildebeest, numbering in the hundreds of thousands and spanning literally the entire horizon in thick black masses, flooded into Seronera Valley. What and incredible sight this was and one of our clients broke down in tears completely overwhelmed by the sheer power of the migration. To have this many wildebeest (and we’re talking hundreds of thousands) at the heart of the Central Serengeti is extremely unusual at the beginning of April.

As we say here at ADS that anytime is a great time for an african safari tour but right now seems especially good with the herds of wildebeest in Seronera interacting with the large resident lion prides. Thank You Joyce and Jeff Nott for sending in this incredible picture as evidence of this incredible phenomenon taking place right now in the Seronera Valley of the Central Serengeti.

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Double Click the Image to Expand to Full Screen

Then, when it seemed things couldn’t possible get any better, they most certainly did. On April 6th the heavens really opened up and the first widespread rains of the entire green season finally hit the Serengeti (it even hailed in Seronera)! For the first time this green season, the rains finally spread out onto the short grass plains of the Eastern Serengeti at Barafu Kopjes, Lemuta Hill and Nasera Rock. This is the preferred grazing habitat of the wildebeest out on these short-grass, nutrient rich volcanic plains.

Within 24-hours, grasses that had lain dormant for months quickly sprouted and the wildebeest are now streaming out of the Central Serengeti and flooding onto these Eastern Plains which are now carpeted in fresh, green grass. What an incredible sight! Our game drives today out to the remote plains near Barafu Kopjes saw the first columns of wildebeest arriving to graze these nutritious pastures. Time will only tell but surely the rest of the migration will follow as long as the rain continues. This is green season game viewing at its finest!