The wildebeest

Wildebeest, also called gnus, are members of the antelope family. They are related to oryxes and gazelles. A wildebeest can grow to 2.4 meters (8 feet) in length, and weigh up to 270 kilograms (600 pounds).

Which Animals Participate in the Great Wildebeest Migration

Over 1.6 million wildebeest will lead the way as the rains approach in the Serengeti in late October or November and this is accompanied by 400,000 Thomson’s gazelle, 300,000 Zebra, and 12,000 Eland. These are the main migratory and they cross the ranges of over a quarter of a million other resident herbivores and, of course, carnivores. The lions, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, and lesser predators will always follow the migration and this will be observed as more numbers of predators are seen following the wildebeest migration at the beginning of the circle.

The wildebeest calving season

Annual wildebeest migration usually starts in January and February, when the wildebeest cows drop their young at the same time or rate that sees some 7000 to 8000 calves are born every day and within two to three weeks after eight and a half months after the rutting season. 

Life of the wildebeest calves

Newborn wildebeest calves gain coordination faster than any other ungulates and are usually on their feet two to three minutes after birth. It can run with the herd at the age of five minutes 

The start of the wildebeest circle

Towards the end of the short dry season, around March, the short-grass plains of the southern most Serengeti begin to dry out and the wildebeest begin their journey towards central Serengeti

How do the Wildebeest know which way to go?

There are at least two possible answers, according to behaviourist and ecologist Harvey Croze, co-author of The Great Migration. The wildebeest’s journey is dictated primarily by their response to the weather; they follow the rains and the growth of new grass. And, although there is no scientific proof that this is true, it seems that they, and other animals, react to lightning and thunderstorms in the distance. 

Wildebeest rutting season

the annual rut, with half a million cows, mated in less than a month as the herds consolidate in the woodlands and on the plains of the Serengeti’s Western Corridor. The peak of the rut seems heavily influenced by the state of the moon, with the full moon in May - June being a good bet for anyone seeking the most action.

The journey to the Mara River through Lakes and Rivers in Serengeti

From the western Serengeti, the herds head north, following the rains (or their effects) into Kenya’s Masai-Mara Game Reserve. On their trek, the wildebeests’ path is cut several times by rivers: in the Serengeti by the Mbalagweti and the Grumeti, and in Kenya by the Mara. For most of the year, these rivers are relatively placid, but they can become violent to currents in response to rainfall in their catchment areas, and then they present major obstacles to the progress of the wildebeest.

The Actual Mara River crossing

Wildebeest arrive at the Mara River in tens of thousands and gather waiting to cross. For days their numbers can be building up and anticipation grows but many times, for no apparent reason, they turn and wander away from the water’s edge. Eventually, the wildebeest will choose a crossing point, something that can vary from year to year and cannot be predicted with any accuracy. Usually, the chosen point will be a fairly placid stretch of water without too much predator-concealing vegetation on the far side, although occasionally they will choose seemingly suicidal places and drown in their hundreds. 

Some of the common predators during the Annual Wildebeest migration are Lions, cheetahs, Hyenas, leopards, and jackals will follow along together with vultures.

Closing the Circle of the Wildebeest migration

By late October, when the first short rains are falling on the Serengeti’s short-grass plains, filling seasonal waterholes and bringing new flushes of growth, the wildebeest start heading south again. The herds trek down through the Eastern woodlands of the Serengeti, some 90 per cent of the cows are heavy with the new-season young ones. Tightly grouped as they pass through the wooded countryside the wildebeest scatter and spread out again once they reach the open plains and that marks the end of the circle. By January and February again the wildebeest start a new circle.

Actual timing of the Masai mara wildebeest crossing

The best time to witness the migration from the Serengeti to Masai Mara is between mid-July to September. During this period, the greatest spectacle on earth unfolds right before your eyes. Over a million wildebeest, zebra and gazelles make their way to Masai Mara by crossing the crocodile-infested Mara River in search of greener pastures.

The exact timing may change from year to year as it is a spontaneous event influenced by rainfall patterns and subsequent grazing opportunities. The animals are constantly on the move all year round. They stay in the Masai Mara from July to October before gradually migrating back to the Serengeti in November.