It’s Migration Season…Time
for a Kenya Safari!
The Great Migration of over 2 million wildebeest and zebra
has begun moving into the Masai Mara. The
National Geographic pictures with dramatic wildebeest crossings and thousands
of animals spread out across rolling hills…that is the Great Migration in the
Masai Mara. Our Managing Director was on
a Masai Mara safari just last week and captured the amazing photos seen at the end
of this article.
The Migration moves from the Northern Serengeti in Tanzania
into the Masai Mara in Kenya every year sometime in July or August. This year the first herds entered the Masai
Mara at the end of June and they are continueing to move in. The rain in Kenya during April and May has
allowed the grasses to grow over 1-1.5 metres, perfect for feeding over 2
million wildebeest and zebra.
With the wildebeest and zebra come numerous other
animals. Predators following the herds
also enter the Masai Mara. Hunting and
kills are a daily activity now and there is more action on the rolling hills of
the Masai Mara right now than at any other time of the year. This is the most exciting time for a Kenya
safari in the Masai Mara. The amount of
wildlife, the abundance of predators, the dramatic river crossings, and the
gorgeous landscape of the Masai Mara…it all comes together for the holiday of a
lifetime.
There is actually an interesting history regarding the Great
Migration and relations between Kenya and Tanzania. Because the Migration provides for a
multi-million dollar tourism industry annually, both Kenya and Tanzania have
tried to stop the herds from moving out of the country. Park Rangers on both sides have been accused
of deliberately setting fires along the border in order to stop the animals’
natural advance. However, although the
herds may be delayed for a day or 2, they have always maintained their
migration route from Northern Tanzania, into Kenya, and back again. The animals follow the vegetation patterns of
the region and it seems that nothing…not even kilometers and kilometers of
fires…will stop them from continuing their annual Migration.
Here's a 60 Minutes special look at the Great Migration (video) - http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5362301n
Take a look at the beginning of the 2013 Migration in the
Masai Mara. Photos taken by our Managing
Director only 1 week ago on her Kenya safari!
For more information about our safaris, please go to www.travel-wild.com. Find Kenya safaris, Tanzania safaris, Mombasa and Zanzibar properties, and more.
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