Every green season on the Southern Serengeti Plains (either during January or February depending upon certain factors) one of the most amazing wildlife spectacles occurs when the largest mass of migrating animals on the planet gives birth. But, let’s back up for a minute to see where it all began.

The annual wildebeest breeding season or ‘rut’ takes place when the migration moves off the plains in May. During a three period around 90% of the mature cows are bred. It is anarchy on the Serengeti Plains during this time with the mass movement of animals combined with the rut. Territorial bulls round up cows and stake out temporary territories in an all out effort to breed with as many females as possible. Rival males fight by bashing heads to gain access to neighboring territories.

Eight and a half months later the cows drop their calves (roughly 400,000 animals) on the open Serengeti plains to the south and east of the park. Unlike most other animals that seek cover when giving birth, pregnant wildebeest gather on the open plains and synchronize their birthing withing a two to three week window. No other herbivore in the Serengeti has such a pronounced birth spike. The goal is perhaps to all at once ‘flood the market’ with hundreds of thousands of new born calves in hopes that the predators can only capture a limited number before becoming satiated.  After about 7 minutes calves can stand and after about two days they can out distance hyenas.

The calving came early this year due to the higher then usual precipitation and the early onset of the rains, which created an abundance of nutritional grazing and standing water (both ideal conditions for nursing mothers).

In some years, such as this season, the calving starts as early as mid January while in drought years we have seen the wildebeest delay the birthing until March when conditions were more favorable. In one year we actually saw the wildebeest giving birth in the Central Serengeti Woodlands (a good 30 miles north of their traditional birthing grounds on the South Serengeti Plains. The wildebeest is an incredibly adaptable animal. It is this quality along with its ability to migrate great distances that makes it the most successful animal in the Serengeti.

Check out this video of a ‘curious’ lion pride on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater. The relatively small crater floor (roughly circular and about 10 miles in diameter) is almost a self enclosed ecosystem and contains plenty of grazing and browse along with permanent water sources. The resulting herbivore population (mainly zebra, wildebeest, buffalo and gazelle) supports 3 – 4 lion prides whose individuals rarely leave the crater floor for the duration of their lives.

Due to constant exposure to tourist vehicles, generation after generation of lions have become habituated to safari vehicles. While game driving the floor of the crater on a warm and sunny day, it is a common occurrence to have several lions retreat to the shade of your vehicle. However, having lions actively and curiously interacting with the vehicle as shown in the video is certainly very unusual but it does demonstrate why a few years back the park authorities banned open sided vehicles from from entering the crater.

Driver Guide: Wilfred Fue
Date: January 16, 2012

Plenty of Wildebeest in the South Serengeti around Ndutu Woodlands through Kusini Plains as well as Matiti Plains. Amazing numbers of zebras around the area of the The Triangle and Gol Kopjes. Many gazelles from Naabi Hill through Gol Kopjes and further east to Lemuta Hills. All these migratory ungulates are being followed by the carnivores especially lion, cheetah and spotted hyenas. As it has been quite dry the last week in the southern and eastern Serengeti plains, the migration may move north and west off the plains and to the Central Serengeti woodlands including Moru Kopjes.

The Central Serengeti was very exiting for the big cats especially leopards and lions. Resident animals were plentiful including hippos, buffaloes, giraffes, elephants, crocodiles, reedbuck and waterbucks.

Sparse but good sightings in the North Serengeti especially fore the rare rock python near Lobo Swamp moving out to avoid the high population of elephants who were drinking and wallowing.

The most unusual sighting encountered was a lone lioness near Sametu Camp that had just killed an aardvark – one of the extremely rare nocturnal animals. We also encountered 5 lions on the Kusini plains that successfully stalked and killed a wildebeest at a small waterhole as it came to drink water.

When driver-guides return from the bush at the conclusion of each safari, one of the first things we do is to inspect and service their vehicle and begin prepping it for the next safari trip. We often hear the most interesting stories when a damaged part needs to be replaced (the equivalent to the ‘my dog ate my homework’ story).

Well, a few days ago one of our friendly guides named Arnold came through our doors at the conclusion of his most recent safari. He immediately said he needed his brand new tire cover replaced because his was attacked and eaten by a lion. Everyone kind of laughed it off as just another tall tale from the bush. However, apparently this was exactly what happened!

A special thanks to Tom Poole and his family who just returned from their December safari for sending us this video yesterday to substantiate our guide’s wild claim of tire cover eating lions. Tom – we hope you enjoyed your holiday safari with ADS!

The large wildebeest herds that were previously ranging the eastern Serengeti plains from Naabi Hill through Gol and Barafu Kopjes have shifted south over the last couple of weeks. Though there are still some scattered herds in the Triangle area around Naabi Hill, the bulk of the Migration is now concentrated in the deepest southern regions of the Serengeti Ecosystem including the Matiti Plains, which are located in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area about 10 miles southwest of the Lake Ndutu/Lake Masek area (Ndutu Lodge, Lemala Ndutu and Lake Masek Camps). There are also some scattered herds on the Kusini Plains.

This season we were all surprised with the early onset of the rains and hence the southern Migration, which started a full two months ahead of time in early October (as opposed to early December). The showers continued through November and December and the entire Serengeti and Ngorongoro Ecosystem is a brilliant emerald green. The last week has been dry and sunny and perhaps signals the start of general drying out period. Let’s hope not as if the plains dry, the migration will disperse back into the woodlands and game viewing, in general, will suffer for at least the plains animals. Remember the old Serengeti adage is ‘rain means game’ so lets keep our fingers crossed that at least some precipitation continues through the rest of the green season.

To provide a better understanding of the amazing transformation the Serengeti Ecosystem has undertaken over the last couple of months, see below for two pictures taken from the Ngorongoro Crater view point with the first one take a few weeks ago and the second one take a few months ago. What a difference a little rain makes!