November 2015 - Wildebeest migration updates

Dear Carel,

Yesterday we saw streams of wildebeest departing the Ndutu woodlands and heading for Ubuntu and Makao.  With no rain here now for quite a few days, the plains north of the lodge are drying out and the animals are heading back towards Ndutu Marsh areas and out onto the plains out past the marshes.  Within this immediate area, there are large numbers everywhere you drive and this morning, a couple of hundred grazing out in front of the lodge.

Cheers
Ainslie

Hi Carel,

I am at Olduvai Gorge and the head of migration is arriving here. Ready for Ndutu to give birth on January through to March.

Asante Sana,
Emanuel 

Hi Carel

More than 300,00 wildebeest are currently moving towards the Gol Kopjes and some are heading towards the central Serengeti.

Regards,
Mark

Hi Carel,

We are really enjoying the early migration. The plains between Naabi, Triangle and Marsh woodlands are densely covered. The marshes have a constant stream of large numbers coming and going.

Caracal Plateau has been covered also but as yet, not so many have spread out onto Makao Plain. The shores of Lake Ndutu and the valleys leading off it, are also full.

We continue to have good rain, and rainfall figures for this month are so far the highest since 2006.

All the best,
Ainslie

Hi Carel,

The resident herds are having a good time here in Mara Reserve... plenty of food hence lots of energy.

Regards
Onesmus
 

Hi Carel

The rain is continuing to fall here on the Serengeti plains. Here's some more images of a very wet Ndutu Safari Lodge.

Thanks,
Ainslie

Hi Carel

Here's a video of the migration moving past the Ndutu Safari Lodge with Lake Ndutu in the background. What a wonderful place to be right now!

Kind Regards,
Ainslie

Hi Carel,

Here are the rainfall statistics from the Serengeti Pioneer Camp in millmetres

• Sunday:  2.5 mm 
• Monday: 1.0 mm
• Tuesday: 43 mm
• Wednesday:11 mm
• Thursday: 15 mm

Regards,
Anthony

Hi Carel

This is the view from my office window here at the Ndutu Safari Lodge. We've had heavy rain over the past few days, which is good news for the wildebeest here on the southern plains.

Kind regards,
Ainslie

Hi Carel

Wet season has got off to a great start at Ndutu. We've had lots of rain over the whole area, which has brought the wildebeest back in their thousands and yesterday all areas from Makao Plains, Marshes, Triangle, Two Trees, Woodlands were full.

Kind Regards,
Ainslie

Hi Carel,

Heavy rains continue to pour on the savannah, which has not deterred the Loita zebra from crossing the Mara River from the Mara Triangle into the reserve en-route back home to Mara North, Naboisho and Olare Motorogi Conservancies.

Regards,
Onesmus

Hi Carel,

It's raining now. There are a few groups passing here straight to the southern Serengeti. We also managed to see a huge herd in the Naabi area.

Thanks,
Angel

Hi Carel,

The wildebeest are moving down to Ndutu / Kusini, and we can see some groups of hundreds that are now passing through the Moru Kopjes.

Regards,
Anthony
 

Hi Carel,

The herds are on the move, but there's still a few small herds crossing the Mara River close to Kogatende, but the majority of the migration have made their way down to the southern plains of the Serengeti. Our guides have spotted large herds of wildebeest around Seronera, Turner Springs and around the kopjes close to Ikoma.

The southern plains looks lush and green and there's been lots of rain in the Seronera area over the last seven days.

We've also heard that the first herds have just arrived in Ndutu, which is in time for the move of our Serengeti Safari Camp, which will be relocating to Ndutu next week.

Kind Regards,
Nomad Tanzania

Hi Carel,

We took this footage of a wildebeest migration river crossing close to Lemala Mara at crossing point 9 in the northern Serengeti.

Kind Regards,
Veronica

Hi Carel,

With rains continuing to pour on the savannah, our famous Leopard Bahati (Daughter to BBC Star Olive) moved houses earlier today. The Talek River is swollen and the Mara River is also quite high.

The Loita zebra are still moving back to the conservancies in small groups.

Regards,
Onesmus
 

Hi Carel,

More migrating wildebeest herds continue to arrive in the Seronera area. This morning, our balloon passengers were able to clearly see the ‘hard edge’ of the migration. The late great wildlife photographer Baron Hugo Van Lawick was the first to recognise this phenomena that is not really visible from the ground. 

Best regards,
Tony

Dear Carel

The good rains at Ndutu are turning the landscape nice and green now, and bringing the wildebeest back in greater numbers too. The plains between Marshes, Two Trees, Hidden Valley and Naabi have large numbers, slowly flowing down into the marshes too. Nothing too much out on the Makao Plains yet, just small groups

Cheers,
Ainslie

Hi Carel

Here are some images we just received of the herds in Serengeti Central - heading towards Naabi Gate.

Kind Regards,
Veronica
 

Hi Carel,

For almost one hour, we witnessed a few hundred Zebras and Gnus cross the swollen Mara River from the Mara Triangle to the Reserve on their way to the the Conservancies. Some crossed back and forth after realizing their family members were left on the opposite side.

Regards
Onesmus
 

Hi Carel,

I just got back from a meeting in Seronera and drove through some quite big, scattered groups of wildebeest along our access road, especially near the Lodge and the Ikoma Circuit, where they seem to be enjoying the fresh new grass that has come up in the past few weeks, especially in the areas that were burned earlier in the year. 

We did not see many other wildebeest north of Seronera, but some eland and other good game along the way. We had more good rains last night, and as I type we are in the midst of another good downpour, lots of green grass everywhere! 

Cheers,
Oli

Hi Carel

Greetings from Serengeti Balloon Safaris. Our guests are currently enjoying flying over large herds of wildebeest in the Seronera Valley. The numbers are building daily. Plenty of large predator activity is being seen as well. 

Best wishes,
Tony

Hi Carel,

Whilst some big herds have already reached the central Serengeti, we are still enjoying some good herds in the north and some crossings. This one taken yesterday lasting a while. Lots of cats still around also and fat crocodiles.

Regards,
Lemala Kuria Hills
 

Hi Carel

We just flew into Seronera and saw long lines of wildebeest streaming in from the north-west into the Seronera area. Our guests enjoying big herds in Seronera as well as nearer towards Naabi Gate numbering 5000 plus.

There are also big herds in the Western Corridor. Looks like the migration is hitting Seronera now heading down to Ndutu.

Warm Regards
Lemala Ewanjan
 

Hi Carel,

The Mara savannah is full of activities even after the big herds went back home, a few resident / Loita zebra are enjoying the new fresh short grass.

Topi and hartebeest are busy dropping their babies as the calving season gets underway and we've also had good sightings of the big cats with babies.

Regards,
Onesmus
 

Hi Carel,

No rain for a couple of days, but the area around the Lodge is getting greener by the day. Long lines of wildebeest can be seen in the distance heading south, and large numbers being seen as guests drive from Seronera to Four Seasons, with several carcasses being washed up in the Orangi River.

One of our guides - Priscus Sulle - took this photo yesterday as a long line heading south ,around the Maasai Kopje's area, and he said that there are wildebeest as far south as Simba Kopjes.

Cheers
Oli
 

Dear Carel

Greetings from Ndutu once again. It feels good to be able to send in some news after so long. The first zebra, wildebeest and eland have arrived in Ndutu. 

Small groups have been spotted out on the Triangle, Caracal Plateau, small Marsh, coming in from Hidden Valley direction. Not so many yet but it is a start.

The rains have been good too out on the plains and already the mud has caused a few problems.

All the best,
Ainslie

Hi Carel,

No more crossings, all the gnu's went to the conservancies with lots of resident zebra south of Rekero, Rongai / Posee Plains all the way to Lookout Hill.

Regards,
Onesmus

Hi Carel,

Its been raining heavily around the Serengeti and many of the herds have split themselves with a few reaching as far south as Seronera airstrip and far west as Sasakwa airstrip. The entire Serengeti has taken a lush green colour and the wildebeests are loving it.

Thanks and Regards,
Capt. Joel J Fernandes
Coastal Aviation,
Arusha
 

Dear Carel

This morning big rains in the Sero area...

Scattered herds of wildebeest approximately 200 in each herd from Sero airstrip, Maasai Kopjes area, main road to Lake Magadi and past Serengeti Pioneer Camp.

Most of the herds are heading towards Lake Magadi / Naabi area. Yesterday our staff reported large herds between Naabi Gate and the Hippo Pool close to Sero.

Kind Regards,
Alison
 

Hi Carel

On Saturday, we witnessed this massive crossing close to our Entim Camp in the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. The herds crossed from West to East.

Regards,
Sammy

Hi Carel. 

Our first rain started on 22 October with 5.5 mm

Since then:

• 23 October - 1.5 mm
• 24 October - 4 mm
• 25 October - 0.5 mm
• 26 October - 2 mm
• 27 October - 0 mm
• 28 October - 7 mm
• 29 October - 10.5 mm
• 30 October - 12 mm
• 31 October - 27 mm
• 1 November - 0 mm

When we were in the Mara in September we told them to come back to Moru... and here they are!

Cheers,
Tom
 

Morning Carel,

We've had some good rains again the past two afternoons and things are greening up. The big herds are still around our access road and along the main road between Ikoma Gate and Seronera.

Yesterday, our guests enjoyed flying over big herds of wildebeest with Serengeti Balloon Safaris in the Seronera area.

Cheers,
Oli

Hi Carel,

I took this footage of the herds crossing the Mara River at crossing points 7, 8 and 9 yesterday morning.

Regards,
Alex

Dear Carel,

We have had rain the last few days, yesterday 12mm.

Zebra are gathering in large herds around the Seronera / Lake Magadi junction.  This morning wildebeest in small herds of approx 200 per herd were seen from Sopa Lodge to main road.

Around Dunia and Serengeti Pioneer Camp, scattered herds amounting to around 1000 wildebeest, moving quickly to Moru Area.

Kind Regards,
Alison & Tom