The impact of wildebeest migration to animal distribution in Serengeti

The wildebeest migration is Serengeti greatly influence to overall animal distribution in Serengeti and nearby conservation areas. The wildebeest migration in the Serengeti has a profound impact on the distribution and abundance of various animal species. Be it the predators or herbivores, all their distribution through the park is highly dependent on the movements of the wildebeest through the park. The migration act as a keystone process, influencing everything from nutrient cycling and vegetation growth to predator-prey dynamics and even the distribution of other herbivore populations through the park.

Let us have a detailed look into how wildebeest migration impacts the overall ecosystem of Serengeti.

Nutrient cycling and Vegetation

Nutrient distribution

As they migrate from one part of the park to another all year round, starting from Ndutu are at the beginning of the year and ending in Kogatende area with mara river crossing to Masai mara national reserve of Kenya. During this great migration, they will be grazing and depositing urine and dung in different parts of Serengeti national park. This is very important in maintaining the health and productivity of grassland of Serengeti.

Grassland productivity

The zonal grazing pattern of wildebeest facilitate the first growth of grass and also increase the overall forage biomass to facilitate the survival of all the herbivores in the park. Therefore, the presence of wildebeest will enable the survival of all other herbivores in Serengeti.

Nitrogen content

The movement of the wildebeest also has a great impact on the nitrogen distribution within the park which further impact on the growth rate of the grass in Serengeti hence impacting on the overall ecosystem of the park.

Predator-prey dynamics

Food source for predators

The mass migration of wildebeest ensures that there is stead food for big cats including lions, cheetahs, leopards and wild dogs. The sheer number of preys including wildebeest and zebras ensure that there is a stead supply of food for these predators that lives within Serengeti.

Predator distribution

Knowing that predators preys on the herbivores, the movement of these herbivores led by the wildebeest will also have a great impact on the distribution of the predators as the predators will move closely following the flow of the wildebeest migration.

Predator competition

The different predators will compete for the prey in names of wildebeest as they are all supposed to feast on the same group of prey. The competition might lead to a greater rivalry among different predators as the compete for food.

Impact on other herbivores

Competition

Even though the migration create food for other herbivores in long run but it also create a stiff competition for food in the short run most especially during the dry season when the growth of the grass is restricted.

Habitant use

As wildebeest migrates, some other herbivores most especially the small antelopes might avoid the places where the wildebeest are concentrating and go the places where there is less concentration of animal so that they can feed in less competitive places.

Population dynamics

The impact of wildebeest migration to other herbivores varies depending on the different herbivores. Whereas zebras are likely to join wildebeest during the migration, elephants and buffalos are unlikely to join the migration vehicle and this so because there needs differ.

Tourism and economical impact

Tourism revenue

Wildebeest migration is the major source of tourism revenue as different tourist all over the world visit the Serengeti area. People will visit Serengeti to witness the river crossing of mara river between June and September which is known to be the peak season of the park. Several people also visit Serengeti during the calving season between December and march to witness the newborn wildebeest.

Economic dependency

Alot of people around Serengeti and nearby places are dependent on the income from tourism activity as a result of the wildebeest migration. As tourist keep coming to witness this great animal movement, the community will benefit from the dollars that these people come with.

Conservation importance

As the income from the migration grows, this will increase to highlight the importance of increase the conservation effort of wildebeest as they greatly contribute to the overall income of the country and the community.

Potential negative impact

Carrying capacity

Disrupting the migration of wildebeest will greatly impact the wildebeest and other herbivore population of Serengeti. This might result into a decline in the total population of wildebeest and other herbivores that live within the park.

Habitat fragmentation

Human activities like construction and faming can alter the flow of the wildebeest migration hence restricting the movement of the wildebeest. Such activities can also affect the grazing area of the wildebeest and other herbivores.

Climate change

The change in climate will affect the location of the wildebeest migration as it can have a great impact on the food availability of the wildebeest.

The flow of the wildebeest migration through Serengeti.

Wildebeest migration that takes place between Tanzania’s Serengeti national park and Masai mara national reserve is a year-round event that start with the calving season in southern Serengeti and end with its climax of Mara river crossing that happen between June to September before the circle start again flowing the same route. Even though the dates of migration are not certain, we are going to look into the close estimates of the migration, highlighting the key dates and key event of the great migration of the wildebeest through the great parks of Africa.

The calving season of the wildebeest in Ndutu area.

This marks the beginning of the great wildebeest migration that will take place in the southern part of Serengeti national park and nearby conservancies. During the calving season thousands of wildebeest will give birth to the wildebeest calves daily for about 2 months. This attracts several predators as they congregate with the view to feast on the vulnerable newborn wildebeests. The predators will also use this opportunity to teach their young one how to hunt their prey, taking the advantage of the newborn calves. The calving season will take place between December and March of every year, and it will reach its climax during February. For those interested in encountering the newborns, this should be the time when you should plan your safari adventure in Tanzania.

Why does calving season happen in southern Serengeti?

The wildebeest calving season occurs in the southern Serengeti (including the Ndutu area) primarily due to the abundant, nutrient-rich grasslands that develop after the rainy season. These lush grasses, fertilized by volcanic ash, provide vital sustenance for lactating mothers and their newborn calves. The open plains also offer better visibility for spotting predators and safety in numbers.

Mating season of the wildebeest around Seronera area

As the calves start to grow and able to move, the wildebeest will start migrating towards the central Serengeti region of Seronera area. This migration will take place between April and May as they are searching for the new grazing grounds in the plains of central serengeti. This migration will also encourage the predators to migrate as they follow the mass movement of the wildebeest and zebras. Once settled in the fresh green grazing season of the central Serengeti, the mating of the wildebeest will begin around may as the food will be in plenty encouraging the wildebeest to conceive.

Grumeti river crossing of wildebeest.

The wildebeest migration will continue towards the north of Serengeti national park, and they will encounter there first major obstacle during this movement which is the crossing of the Grumeti river. Filled with the crocodile waiting to feast on helpless wildebeest. Wildebeest and zebras will attempt to cross this river around early June and towards the end of June. Some will be feasted on by the hungry crocodiles while many will survive the force of running waters and the hungry wildebeest and cross over the Grumeti river This will create the first great view that you will enjoy during June as we are waiting on the climax of Mara River crossing.

Mara river crossing of the wildebeest

The climax of wildebeest migration that draws tens of thousands of revellers in Serengeti every year to Serengeti is mara river crossing that take place between June and September of every year. During this time of the year, the wildebeest will congregate around kogatende and Lobo area of Serengeti national park and Masai mara national reserve of Kenya.

Thousands of wildebeest will be crossing the crocodile infected Mara River to search for the new grazing areas in Kenya side. Given the speed of water in mara river and the number of crocodiles in the river. You will be entertained by the spectacular view during this crossing experience as the hungry beest and zebras will be trying to overcome all challenges to reach the other side of the river to get the new grazing ground in Kenya.

The return of wildebeest to the southern Serengeti

Between October and December, the wildebeest will embark on their journey to return to the southern Serengeti as they are started to prepare to give the birth to the newborn. The return is not very thrilling but completes the cycle of this year-round migration of the wildebeest. The return to the south is encouraged by the favorable conditions that do exist in the southern part of Serengeti national park and the nearby places.

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