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When somebody says “Game Reserve” you immediately think Serengeti, the maasai word in their language called Maa means “endless plain”. This has been the location for many, many natural history documentaries. The Serengeti is home to the big 5 and millions of plains animals which attract all types of predators.
The Serengeti is most famous for the animal migration between the massai mara and the Serengeti. Sometimes called the circular migration around October nearly 2 million herbivores travel across the northern hills to the southern plains crossing the crocodile infested Mara river. This is a dangerous safari for the animals.
Over a quarter of a million wildebeest alone die on the 500 mile trip from either predators, injury or exhaustion. They then return via the west again crossing the Mara River in a perpetual following of the rains and fresh grass. Diverse habitats exist within the Serengeti including swamps, kopjes (rock outcrops-some with ancient paintings on), woodlands, riverine forests and off course grasslands.
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Ol doinyo lengai, mountain of god, is an active volcano and it influences how the Serengeti looks, by pouring out carbonates which when rained on can set like concrete, which tree roots cannot penetrate hence the treeless plains of the Serengeti which lie to the west, down wind of ol doinyo lengai. The south eastern side is in the shadow of the Ngorongoro highlands which comprise of short grass tree less plains leading onto acacia woodlands.
The plains are penetrated by granite outcrops called kopjes. These were formed by volcanic activity and provide a habitat for non plains wildlife. One such kopje was the inspiration for the Disney film the Lion King. Olduvai Gorge.
We suggest the best time to visit the Serengeti is between Nov/Dec and May. Calving is around Jan –Feb in the south of the park on the short grass. In may the animals move north into the massai mara where they return again July-Oct, the big herds returning around Nov. This is dependant on seasonal rainfall.
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