The Great Migration is one of nature's most spectacular events, involving over 1.5 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebras, and thousands of gazelles moving in a circular pattern between Tanzania's Serengeti and Kenya's Maasai Mara. The migration is driven by seasonal rainfall and the search for fresh grazing. Herds move north from the Serengeti into the Maasai Mara around July, crossing the Mara River in dramatic fashion as crocodiles prey on the crossing animals. They remain in the Mara until October before returning south. The migration sustains predators including lions, leopards, cheetahs, and hyenas, and attracts tourists from around the world, generating significant revenue for Kenya's tourism sector. Climate change, fencing, and human settlement increasingly threaten migration corridors. Conservation efforts by the Kenya Wildlife Service and Maasai conservancies aim to protect this critical ecosystem.
See Also
Hell's Gate National Park Maasai Mara National Reserve Maasai Conservation and Wildlife
Sources
- Kenya Wildlife Service. 'The Great Migration.' Official documentation.
- Sinclair, A.R.E. 'Serengeti: Dynamics of an Ecosystem.' University of Chicago Press, 1979.
- Tourism and conservation studies.