It is early July in the northern Serengeti and the first few wildebeest are arriving at the banks of the Mara and Grumeti Rivers. More wildebeest quickly pile up behind them, shuffling nervously and peering closely at the murky brown water. None of them enters the river yet.
Having eaten their way across the Serengeti after the calving season, the migrating wildebeest herds now need to cross these rivers for fresh grazing in the Masai Mara. But every animal knows the rivers are home to one of Africa’s largest and most feared predators – the Nile crocodile.
Eventually, the pressure is too much and the wildebeest begin to cross the rivers in panicky groups, almost instantly triggering the appearance of giant, open-jawed crocodiles. The resulting scenes may not be for sensitive viewers but, as part of the Great Migration, the river crossing season offers a wildlife experience second to none and the opportunities for photography are excellent.
As well as the drama in the water, the event attracts scavengers – vultures, marabou storks, and hyenas – and it’s not as if it’s just crocodiles the wildebeest have to worry about. Lions and cheetahs wait patiently on the other side of the rivers as do roaming packs of African wild dogs.
The timing of the migration river crossings is hard to predict – it varies from year to year depending on local conditions but it’s safe to say that the wildebeest begin crossing sometime in July with the greatest numbers during August. The river crossings continue into September and tail off towards the end of the month as the wildebeest fan out across the Masai Mara, gathering their strength before beginning the migratory cycle again.
As for where to see the river crossings, you have a choice of two destinations: Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve and Tanzania’s northern Serengeti which includes the private Grumeti reserves. There are several rivers that run through the region and have to be crossed by the migrating herds – the two most famous are the Mara River and the Grumeti River – and the drama can be equally enjoyed from either side of the river.
