A big male lion is having breakfast 150m away

During the dry spell of the last one or two weeks, the animals were quite dispersed and had moved towards the Serengeti and Kusini area, and the triangle towards Naabi Hill.  However, big rains in the last two days has seen the usual dramatic turnaround.  The herds will probably start to move back more onto the Ngorongoro Conservation Area side now and search for the fresh short grass.  There are already a lot of little wildie babies in evidence which makes for great viewing.
While I am writing this, the guests of Serengeti Safari Camp are sitting in the mess tent  watching a big male lion having his wildebeest breakfast not more than 150m away.... It's still amazing that we have the opportunity to witness such things...
The rain has wreaked a small amount of havoc on the roads, and those wanting to cross small Olduvai had to wait for a few hours while the water subsided yesterday.  The bridge over the main arm of the gorge meant there were no issues there.  Today, after two days of heavy rain, some of the roads in the south are challenging, and in true safari style, the odd vehicle is getting stuck...all part of the fun!
Find out more about the Serengeti Migration.

Serengeti Migration Update

The migration is spread all over the plains, from Makao all the way to the kusini woodlands, from Endulen all the way to our current Serengeti Safari Camp site, and well scattered all the way from Ndutu to Loliondo.  Some of our Nomad guides saw the wild dogs near Kusini on the edge of the woodlands, and on the plains to Makao recently. It’s a pack of around 11, and 3 appeared to have collars so are being monitored.  Nomad guide, Richard Knocker also saw a zorilla during his safari in December in Piyaya, southern Loliondo, and a few lucky folk have spotted (‘scuse the pun) cheetah…so it’s not all about the wildebeest.

Happy New Year and hoping for some early calving to make for some very happy people…

For a reminder on where the migration is at different times of the year, and what to expect in terms of experience consult our very helpful Guide to the Migration.

Crossings at Kogatende

Great images just in from Lamai Serengeti where the wildebeest have been milling around, crossing and re-crossing for the last few weeks around the Kogatende area.  It's a great time to be in the northern Serengeti!

Wildies coming thick and fast

We've received reports from Lamai Serengeti today of herds crossing the Mara River near the Kogatende Airstrip yesterday.  Two days ago they were crossing in their thousands and our guests and guides watched the drama for over 2 hours.

Today the grunting of many wildebeest is reaching the ears of the folk at Lamai so we hope for some more action soon.  Keep an eye on our Facebook for images.

The first crossing and it's all action in the north

Exciting news from the Northern Serengeti on Friday - the first crossing of the season.  Only 150 daring wildebeest but as we all know, the flood starts with a trickle.  Herds are pouring into Nyamalumbwa, still plenty of Zebras and wildebeest around the Bolagonja area where the grass is high, the ground is wet, and there are some fires in the area.

In our Serengeti Safari Camp, guests have had great rhino sightings already (rhino are only found in this part of the Serengeti, so it's always a treat) - a mother and little one.  And those lions have been hanging around camp keeping people up!  It's all action.

Serengeti Migration Update

Just in from Nomad guide Richard Knocker out on safari "watching endless columns of wildebeest plodding across the southern plains near Ndutu kicking up huge clouds of dust as they go about their daily search for water and grazing"

Serengeti Migration Update - 30th January 2012

Rains in the southern Serengeti have been very patchy, so the migration is currently quite spread out. We've seen some herds around Masek, some around Kusini and larger herds moving towards Hidden Valley. Generally the landscape is very arid and dry and we're all looking forward to the rains!

Serengeti Migration Update

The bulk of the herds are spread out between Kusini and Hidden Valley, with more of them seen towards the Serengeti Side; looks like they are moving away from the NCAA plains and around Ndutu. However, rains today towards Naabi could see them changing direction slightly, we'll keep you posted.

Serengeti Migration Update - 13th January 2012

There are still big herds of the migration in and around Ndutu, but because it's generally dry now they are tarting to move north and west towards Kusini and Hidden Valley. This is totally normal behaviour at this time of year, in response to the local weather conditions. Nomad guide Richard Knocker, back a few days ago from safari, reports plenty of "cat action" and very good plains game generally.

Serengeti Migration Update

There is a big concentration of about a million wildebeest around Ndutu, towards Makao, Endulen and Naibartat. Also smaller herds seen all over the plains but mostly concentrated around the Ngorongoro side. Patchy rain but seems to be drying up generally.

Serengeti Migration Update

The migration can currenly be found from Kusini down towards Ndutu and in the NCAA; herds even seen moving towards Kakesio near Maswa. There is still widespread, and heavy, rains in the central Serengeti.

Nomad guide Ken had a 'first' sighting at the weekend - he saw 4 leopard in one tree (a mother and 4 grown-up cubs)

Serengeti Migration Update

Nomad guides report seeing the bulk of the herds down in the central Serengeti area; Kennedy says he's seen them scattered in smaller groups, between the Moru and Maasai Kopjes, rather than in one big herd. Good rains in the area means there is plenty of grazing around.

Serengeti MIgration Update

From Remtullah Nassary, Nomad Tanzania guide...

I've been staying at Lamai Serengeti for the last week; we are still seeing some herds crossing the Mara river north to south (these pictures taken 2 days ago) but I think these are amongst the last of the herds now and they will start heading south. The rain up here has been quite patchy this last week, and it appears to be raining a lot further south. Still, my guests were very happy to see this particular crossing.

Thanks to Rem for the update and images

Serengeti Migration - update

There are still big herds crossing and recrossing the Mara river in the northern Serengeti and there has been a lot of rain around Nyamalumbwa and Kogatende which provides them with good grazing. Our guides have seen rhinos with calves and quite a few cheetah chasing down young wildebeest.

Serengeti Migration Update

From Lamai Serengeti: we've had a lot of wildebeest around, our guests are seeing river crossings all the time. Because of the rain we've had here, it seems the big herds are all heading down and across the river again. We've even heard reports of herds near Ikoma. 

From Nomad guide Chediel: I've seen big herds from Nyamalumbwa to Kogatende, criss-crossing over the sand river. 

These great safari images are from Nomad guide Ken

Look carefully at the background, this is on the Kogatende airstrip...

Serengeti Migration Update from Ken

There is plenty of water in the Mara River, and with this lots of carcasses of drowned wildebeest, not such a good sight. There are still lots of wildebeest crossing over in both directions, but rising river levels because of the rain has meant they can't always cross.

It's very green and beautiful up in the northern Serengeti, around Kogatende and there has been good rains around Lobo and in northern Loliondo.

Word on the Migration..from Rowland

who has just stopped by after being out on safari at Serengeti Safari Camp with his guests.

"We were up by the Mara River, watching the crossings, Kogatende area...but I'm not telling you exactly where as it's a secret, as I can still take my guests there and not see any other cars!!!!"

Your secret is totally safe with me, I assured him.

"We saw about 300 wildebeest crossing, and I'm not exaggerating but at least 100 perished. Honestly. There were in such a panic to cross, there were lines of them trampling over other ones. It was very dramatic but not so easy to watch. We also saw a Tawny Eagle diving down, right next to where we were driving, and it grabbed a grass snake and took it back up to the tree; my guests were amazed it happened so close to the car".


And with that, he grabbed his next safari file and headed off out again with a smile.

Serengeti Migration Update

Chediel reports seeing loads of big wildebeest herds around the Nyamalumbwa area as well as frequent rhino sightings.

But his most exciting report:

"On arrival in Lobo on the way to Serengeti Safari Camp, we saw a Martial eagle flying really low. I stopped the car to watch, one of my guests was a keen birder, and then to our total suprise it went after and killed a young Thomson's Gazelle. I have never seen this before! It struggled to drag the kill away, but it wouldn't let go".

Serengeti Migration Update

The migration is en masse in the northern Serengeti areas of Nyamalumbwa to Kogatende. Our new lodge - Lamai Serengeti - is almost totally surrounded, as of this morning (the nights are noisy, with lots of predators moving in fast)! The weather is cool in the mornings and there has been some light rain.

From our Guides:

Emmanuel - spent the morning surrounded by about 500,000 wildebeest. What a sight! Yesterday I saw a rhino surrounded by 7 lion. The lion were stalking the rhion, but on noticing them suddenly he charged at them and chased them all away. An amazing scene to watch.

Ken - Seeing great Mara River crossings!

The latest on the migration

Our guide Ken  has just called in from the Serengeti to report big herds of wildebeest now being seen across the northern Serengeti. Particularly strong around Lobo / Bologonja and Nyamalumbwa, with increasing numbers coming into the Wogakuria & Lamai areas. 

Good groups still being seen in the Western Corridor, but the weather over the next few days will dictate whether they remain within easy reach of Grumeti or also start heading North. We’re keeping a very close daily eye on things and as always will react as fast and flexibly as required, to ensure that everyone gets within reach of some of these concentrations.