Every year in June, more than one million Wildebeest prepare
to cross from the Serengeti to the Maasai Mara in a spectacular migration that
fascinates visitors from all over the world.
The wildebeest gather into a single herd, attracted by the
scent of rain in the Mara. In July they cross into the Mara after depleting the
pastures in the Serengeti. Hundreds of people from all over the world gather to
watch the migration which can only be described as spectacular.
Kenya’s Maasai Mara has a huge population of wild game which
is part of what puts Kenya on the tourist map.
It is an extraordinary sensory experience, the sound of the
stampede, the smells of the Mara, the spectacular sights for the eyes to feast
on are stimulating. Visitors break camp at dawn for game viewing.
As the herd approaches, you will be treated to the thunder
of the wildebeest’s hooves grinding against the grounds and a thousand beastly
grunts as they make their way. The large herd charges continuously and seems to
go on forever. Zebras join in the stampede.
The herds are at risk of being attacked by predators, mainly
lions, hyenas and crocodiles. The waters of the Mara River swell with the
rainfalls in Kenya’s highlands, increasing the risk factor. Some animals are
carried off by the water. For those who make it, bountiful pastures in the Mara
await.
The herd do their bit by fertilizing the grasslands with
their dung. In October they go back to the Serengeti where the grasses will
have grown back.
There are different
options for experiencing the migration. You could be watching from a customized
vehicle, walking tour, a horseback ride, or from overhead in a hot air balloon.
