A MEMORABLE VISIT TO THE SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK

One of my childhood fascinations revolved around watching television programs on wild animals and reading documented literature on these animals in their natural habitats. Lions, elephants, rhinos, and giraffes were particularly fascinating to watch, though the perception then was that the animals were merely fiction since they seemed so large compared to the dogs and cats living amongst us in the neighborhood. But this perception suddenly changed when I visited the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, where I came alive to the fact that these animals are real and inherently beautiful.

My journey to the East African country was facilitated by a cultural exchange program shared between my primary school, the Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA), and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). Although I have visited many national parks and game reserves, the visit to Serengeti National Park remains the most memorable experience in my life.

Serengeti National Park is a national park and wildlife refuge on the Serengeti Plain in north-central Tanzania. It is partly adjacent to the Kenyan border and is northwest of the adjoining Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Located in the far north of Tanzania, one of the most diverse countries in the world - both ecologically and culturally - the Serengeti is one of the world’s most iconic national parks. The name conjures up images of expansive, acacia-dotted grasslands, riverine forests, and woodlands that seem to go on forever, covered with herds of grazing herbivores and stalking predators. Known all over the globe for its abundance of wildlife and high biodiversity, the Serengeti National Park has gained and held onto its reputation for good

reason. 

The word Serengeti is an approximation of the word Siringet, used by the Maasai, meaning “the place where the land runs forever”, and the sheer size of the Serengeti makes it a unique and important ecosystem in both Tanzania and Africa at large. This vast ecosystem spreading over 1.5 million hectares boasts the highest density of big mammals in the world, over 500 bird species and is home to the Great Migration…it was declared a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 1981!

Serengeti is Tanzania’s oldest park and the flagship of the country’s tourism industry. It provides a major draw to the northern safari circuit encompassing the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, and Arusha National Park. The greater Serengeti ecosystem is not just located in one country in Africa, it comprises the Serengeti National Park and smaller reserves in Tanzania, while in Kenya, it spans across the Maasai Mara Game Reserve.

The Serengeti is home to the oldest ecosystem in the world. Its usually warm and dry climate is interrupted by two rainy seasons (April to May, and a shorter season in November/December). The Serengeti’s weather is sweet relief compared to some of the lowland desert areas of East Africa, where temperatures can be scorching. The higher elevation of the Serengeti grasslands provides temperate weather throughout the year.

In terms of major wildlife attractions, the Serengeti national park easily passes as one of the best in the world due to the many varieties of animals and their interactions in broad daylight. In the five hours that I was in the park, I had the chance to view eastern black rhinos, lions, leopards, giraffes, African bush elephants, African buffaloes, and other animal varieties in their natural surroundings as opposed to viewing them in a zoo. The game viewing was spectacular, particularly when it came to the hunting episodes involving lions and other herbivorous animals such as the wildebeests. I noticed that the lions hunted in a group of four or five and were often led by a female member of the group known as the lioness.

I also observed that, although these lions seemed huge and heavy, they were extremely fast in their hunting episodes and killed their prey through strangulation. Although female lions did most of the hunting, the largest share of the prey went to the male lions and cubs in what could be compared to contemporary home contexts whereby women settle down to eat after serving their men and children.

The tour guide informed us that they are many wild beasts, elephants, and giraffes in the national park due to the Savanna environment and the availability of many shrubs that act as a major source of food for the wildlife. True to the tour guide’s depiction, I viewed almost thirty elephants moving in a herd which was led by a huge male elephant. I came to learn that elephants are considered an endangered species due to poachers who kill them to extract their highly-priced tusks and sell them in major European and Asian markets. The tour guide also told us that, although giraffes have no known enemy, it was clear that human beings were increasingly killing them for their meat and skin. I could not understand why people could take part in killing such beautiful creatures for their trophies and meat.

We got to understand the greatest show on earth; Wild beast migration which was well explained to us by our tour guide. The wild beast migration is one of the ten natural wonders of the world. The great Serengeti wildebeest migration is the movement of vast numbers of the Serengeti's wildebeest, accompanied by large numbers of zebra, and smaller numbers of Grant's gazelle, Thomson's gazelle, eland, and impala. These move in an annual pattern that is fairly predictable. They migrate throughout the year, constantly seeking fresh grazing and, it's now thought, better quality water.

The precise timing of the Serengeti wildebeest migration is entirely dependent upon the rainfall patterns each year – here we explain how the broad pattern works. This migration, month by month, is shown on the map below – the moving red represents the main herds.

The short rains begin around early November. A little after this, in late November and December, the herds of the wildebeest migration arrive on the short-grass plains of the Serengeti. These are south and east of Seronera, around Ndutu, and include the north of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Dispersed across these plains, wildebeest, and zebra are everywhere – feeding on the fresh, nutritious grasses. They stay here through January, February, and March, with most wildebeest calves born in a short window around February. Gradually they spread west across these plains, then around April, they start their great migration north.

By May the Serengeti's wildebeest all seem to be moving north, migrating to seek fresh grazing and water. The area around Moru Kopjes and west of Seronera is then hectic with a series of moving columns, often containing hundreds of thousands of animals – joined by many zebras, and a scattering of Thomson's and Grant's gazelles.

Some of the migration then head due north of Seronera, but most are usually further west. Around June the wildebeest migration is often halted on the south side of the Grumeti River, which has some channels which block or slow their migration north. The wildebeest then congregate there, in the Western Corridor, often building up to a high density before crossing the river. The river here is normally a series of pools and channels, but it's not continuous – and so whilst they always represent an annual feast for the Grumeti River's large crocodiles, these aren't usually quite as spectacular as the crossings of the Mara River, further north.

The wildebeest migration continues moving northwards during July and August, often spreading out across a broad front: some heading through Grumeti Reserve and Ikorongo, others north through the heart of the Serengeti National Park.

September sees the herds spread out across the northern Serengeti, where the Mara River provides the migration with its most serious obstacle. This river gushes through the northern Serengeti from Kenya's adjacent Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Watching the frantic herds of the wildebeest migration crossing the Mara River can be very spectacular; there are often scenes of great panic and confusion. It's common to see herds cross the Mara River north on one day, and then back south a few days later.

By October the wildebeest herds are migrating again with more accord: all are heading south, through western Loliondo and the Serengeti National Park's Lobo area, returning to the green shoots which follow the rains on the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti in November.

Then the whole Serengeti Wildebeest migration starts again …

Apart from the enticing range of wild animals, I came to learn from the tour guide that Serengeti national park holds corporate events such as bush dinners and team-building excursions, special events such as weddings, and is also home to a favorite three-star restaurant where visitors can relax for sumptuous meals while overlooking the park.

One group that caught my attention consisted of ten men wearing traditional African regalia and dancing to the tunes of beautiful cultural songs. I was informed that these men were part of a larger cultural troupe that welcomed visitors into the park through song and dance. Although the men looked traditional, they demonstrated a fair understanding of the English language as they sang some of the songs in English. The people in the park were increasingly friendly and demonstrated a genuine concern for our comfort and safety while at the park. The singers, who I later learned were from the “Maasai” community, kept us alive with their comforting songs and even welcomed us to dance with them.

To date, the visit to the Serengeti national park remains my most memorable experience due to the many wildlife attractions and hospitable people. Not only did I come across my childhood fascinations in a real-life context, but I also watched the animals hunt their prey in the expansive plains located in the Serengeti district. It was the most fulfilling experience of my life, though I was sad that some unscrupulous individuals were killing the animals to benefit commercially through the sale of game trophies and meat. It is my conviction that developed countries should assist in curtailing the trade in animal trophies by criminalizing the business and providing the much-needed funds to protect animals in their natural habitats.

Serengeti national park is a great place. It offers a great scenic view which leaves an unforgettable experience. Above all, the place provides one great and detailed ecosystem which sustains itself in an amazing wonderful manner: predators depend on the herbivores for their food, and herbivores in turn depend on the vegetation for food. The ever-flourishing vegetation makes the place appear evergreen. Trees are all over, the grass stands tall and bushes are spread around. Serengeti National Park is a great place to visit.

REFERENCE

https://www.expertafrica.com/tanzania/info/serengeti-wildebeest-migration