Sabina Pensek

HerdTracker updates from Sabina Pensek

Sabina Pensek |

04 Feb 2020

Peak season of the Great Migration calving when 500,000 young wildebeest are born every week

February is the peak of the Great Migration calving when 500,000 young wildebeest are born in a matter of weeks! Adding to this amazing sight is the sheer volume of predators – statistically, this is the highest build-up of predators anywhere in Africa, at any time of year.

Wildebeest and zebras are calving on the plains in the south and east of Seronera, around Ndutu and in the north of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

You can see the plains come alive with calves; first standing on wobbly legs, and then running all within minutes of being born. Be prepared for some heartache as well, the predators move quickly onto the newborn calves for their annual feast. Mother Nature is revealing what the circle of life means in full gore and vigour.

At the edge of the short grasses is where the highest concentration of predators congregate, waiting to seize any vulnerable calves.

The plains herd animals give birth en-mass in a two to three week period creating a glut for the predators, thereby enabling more to survive those crucial first few weeks. Wildebeest usually give birth in the middle of the herd, forming a moving barricade around them trying to limit the amount of damage a predator can do.

Start of the long rain season in the southern part of Serengeti.

Nearest lodge: Ndutu Safari Lodge, Serengeti