The migratory Serengeti-Mara wildebeest population is the largest of four populations of wildebeest within the Greater Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem, totaling approximately 1,300,000 animals. The three other populations either do not migrate or have ceased migrating. Seasonal rainfall drives the wildebeest migration. In the peak of the rainy season, lactating females take advantage of the rich but brief grazing conditions on the southern short-grass plains to give birth to a single calf. With the onset of the dry season in May, they are forced to move westwards. The wildebeest first retreat to the Western Corridor in June and July to graze on sodium-rich grasses, then migrate further north once seasonal rivers run dry and forage is exhausted. The Mara River near the border with Tanzania forms the populations’ core dry-season refuge. With sufficient water for more than one million animals, this is the only permanently flowing river in the ecosystem. The rains generally return by November, and the wildebeest once again migrate south to the plains. Although the conservation and management practices differ across national jurisdictions, the animals move freely between the protected areas.
Published Date | September 2024 |
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Publication Language | English |
Publisher | CMS Secretariat, GIUM |
Type | Fact Sheet |
CMS Instrument | CMS |