What is the Serengeti famous for?

What is the Serengeti famous for?

For decades, Tanzania has seen a boom in the number of visitors, with the majority coming to explore its top hotspots: the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Mount Kilimanjaro. For wildlife adventures, Serengeti offers some of the best game drives and countless wildlife encounters. As per our bookings, 75% of safari-goers include Serengeti in their itinerary. In this article, we explore the Serengeti, particularly the most famous features.

Serengeti National Park is a stunning wildlife park located in Northern Tanzania. The park spans 14,763 km², and it stretches from the northeast to the far northwest, bordering Lake Victoria. There are so many things Serengeti is known for. We’ve crafted five of them. Let’s explore.

1.     The Great Migration.

The first and most captivating event. This natural wonder happens every year in the large Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, when over 2 million ungulates (wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle) follow rain, hoping to find green grazing grounds.

This is a year-long event with a lot of notable events. And because it’s a natural wonder, timing is key. Here’s a simple timeline for this large mammal trek.

• January to March—The migration is in the nutrient-rich grassy plains in the southern Serengeti and Ndutu. They give birth to half a million calves in an event called the calving season.
• April to June—The migration moves north via Moru Kopjes and heads westwards, where they congregate on the banks of the Grumeti River. First crossings begin.
• July to October—The migration dramatically crosses the Mara River, a scene every nature lover craves. They then enter the Masai Mara.
• November to December—The migration is on its way back south, heading to the fertile grounds of Ndutu and Serengeti. Circle restart.

If you want to witness any of these events, plan your tour carefully because the animals have their own clocks. We are here to help you.

2.   The endless plains.

Serengeti got its name from the Maa language of the Maasai, its old human companions. They wondered at its wide, stretched plains that run ‘forever,’ touching the horizon. For this reason, the Maasai called it “Siringet,” which means “endless plains.”

The Maasai were not wrong: this park boasts vast savannah plains, which account for about 5,000 km² of its total area. And during the dry season, the plains turn golden, creating a scenic background sought after by many seasoned photographers.

The plains are very important to the Serengeti ecosystem (including Kenya’s Masai Mara) because:

• They feed over 3 million plains game like wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, buffalo, etc.
• They are favorite habitats for lions, the kings of the jungle.
• They allow predator-prey actions, which, in turn, balance the ecosystem.

Apart from the vast plains, Serengeti boasts other habitats. These include rivers like Seronera in the central, Grumeti and Mbalageti in the west, and Mara in the north. The park also has rolling hills in the north, acacia woodlands, and kopjes in some parts (like Moru, Simba, and Maasai Kopjes).

3.   The highest number of predators.

We can proudly call it the predator capital of the world. Here, large and small predators coexist, shaping the population of herbivores. The notable hunters available in large numbers in the Serengeti are the big cats—lion, leopard, and cheetah.

This park boasts about 3,000 lions. And because the dominant habitat is the savannah plains, which enable visibility, the Serengeti lions are featured in many documentaries. These territorial animals live in 20-strong prides, protecting hectares of plains from other prides. The park has about 300 lion prides.

About 1,000 leopards live in the Serengeti. Due to their elusiveness, spotting one requires special attention. But there are better chances to spot them if you embark on morning or late evening safaris.

Around 550 cheetahs call Serengeti home. Sightings are common in the plains south of Seronera, where they lounge in the kopjes.

Big cats are concentrated in the Seronera Valley (Big Cat Capital of the world).

Other predators present in the Serengeti include spotted hyenas, jackals, bat-eared foxes, mongooses, and African wild dogs.

4.   The Big Five.

All the Big Five animals exist in the vast wilderness of the Serengeti. These majestic creatures, named for their ferocious nature after being cornered by trophy hunters, live in different habitats.

Lions, as we said earlier, are dwellers of the vast plains. You can sight them in the vast plains of Seronera (best spot), Lobo, and Southern Serengeti (especially during the calving season).

Leopards are there, but so elusive. But they are active in the morning (dawn) and late evenings, when it’s quiet and cool. Sightings are common in the acacia or sausage trees along the banks of the Seronera River. You can also encounter them in the south, especially from December to March.

Elephants spy the riverine forests and woodlands. Sightings are common near rivers, where they dig holes to obtain underground water. Buffalo in large herds graze in the grass-rich plains and woodlands. For rhino sightings, the Moru Kopje, a region southwest of Seronera under constant surveillance, is the best.

5.   High concentration of wildlife.

Apart from the animals categorized above, there are more species to see in the Serengeti. Every turn in the plains or woodlands brings the best views. You can search for giraffes, impalas, duikers, elands, waterbucks, hippos, crocodiles, and more.

The park also hosts an incredible bird population (over 500 species). You can come across Tanzania endemics like the yellow-collared lovebird, secretary bird, and ashy starling.

The bottom line.

Going to the Serengeti is an incredible experience. If you can’t make it every year, at least once in a lifetime is enough. We are here to help you secure your spot early and will make sure you enjoy your trip no matter when you come. Let’s start your adventure.