Great Migrations

Between the Ngorongoro highlands, Lake Victoria and Tanzania’s northern border with Kenya stretches one of the world's last
Great wildlife refuges-the Serengeti.

Its name comes from the Masan Serengeti, meaning ''endless plain". The Serengeti's 14,763 square kilometers (5,700 square miles)
Equal in size to Connecticut or Northern Ireland contain an estimated three million large animals, most of whom take part in a
Season migration that is unparalleled in nature. Not since the days of the great bison migration the Northern American plain have
there been such concentrations of the animals on the move at one time.

Twice a year, triggered by rains, 1.3 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra and 300,000. Thomson’s gazelle gather to undertake the
Long trek to new grazing lands. The migration of the herbivores roughly defines the boundaries of Serengeti National Park which is
the central zone of the Serengeti ecosystem, an area that also takes min Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve the Ngorongoro
Conservation Area and the Maswa Game Reserve to the west. Within this 25,900 square kilometers 10,000 squares miles) of varied
landscape live thirty-five species of plains animals and 500 species of birds.

The park is made up of the different vegetation zone. In the dry south, located in the lee of the Ngorongoro highlands, are short
and long grass plains, where an average of only fifty-one centimeters of rain falls sporadically during the year. In the center lies the
Acacia Savannah. The western corridor, a region of wooded highland and pans of black cotton soil, curves off in a great swathe to
the edge of the Lake Victoria where the rainfall is twice that of the south. To the north is wooded grassland concentrated along
watercourses and tribulations of the Gourmet and Mara rivers.


History
One hundred years ago the Maasai first arrive at the Serengeti, bringing their fierce reputation and abundant cattle to graze on
the rich grasses. Prior to this the region was unabated and only the Ndorobo and Ikioma came here occasionally to hunt. The
Maasai were soon felled by Dr Oscar Bauman, a German anti-slaver who passed through on his way to Burundi in 1892. Other
white were quick to grasp the Serengeti potential and by 1913 the first European hunter arrived to shoot game. Lion were
Considered to be vermin and were so plentiful on the plains that it was not uncommon for a hundred to be killed on a single safari.

By 1921 their numbers had been drastically reduced and it become clear that lions that lion and other game needed protection. In
response the area was made partial game reserve and eight years later a complete reserve.

The Serengeti was one of the first regions to benefit from the growing appreciation that wildlife was not infinitely renewable but
Needed safeguarding- usually from human interference- and in 1951 the reserve was designated a national park. It was Tanzania's
First national park. The Serengeti has also declared a World Heritage Site, in recognition of its uniqueness of the great migrations.

The original Serengeti also incorporated the Ngorongoro lands. In 1956 the Ngorongoro Conservation Area was created as a
Separate unit to meet the needs of the Maasai and their livestock who, prior to this, had denied access to their old grazing lands
around Ngorongoro highlands in the interests of wildlife.

The best time to see the heavy concentration of animals on the plains is from January to February. During the two periods of
November and March -April- May, it possible by use a four-wheel drive vehicle


Island of the plains
After a kill, lion of the Serengeti will often retreat to kopjes (pronounced kopjeee) an Afrikaans word meaning ''small heard''. This
granite domes can be oases of the dry season and they support distinct population of animals that live there or come to drink from
their rock pool. Most kopjes are found north of Naabi Hill Gate and Seronera Lodge is built around one.

They provide shelter for a number of plants that can not grow out on the open grassland, such as sensevieria, aloes, blue and
yellow hibiscus, and spectacular crimson Gloriosa lily, Cheetah use the boulders as lookout points from where they scan the
plains for the game and rock hyrax lives among them in burrows where they it remains from the leopard, jackal and serval cat.

Accommodation
Serennora lodge is imaginatively built around a large kopje at the summit of which an observation platform is reached by
Climbing rock-hewn steps. Eighty kilometers (50 miles) away by good road and comparable in style and comfort, Lobo lodge
overlooks the northern plains. Both have its own airstrips.Eight five kilometers west of Seronera lodge is Gurumeti River Camp,
a luxury permanent camp runs on solar power. Ninety six kilometers (60 miles) from Naabi Hill Gat the newer, luxury Maasai
manyata inspired Serengeti Sopa Lodge gives sweeping views across the plain from the Nyaboro Hill.

There are different campsite in the park, at Seronora, Lobo, Moru Kopjes, Naabi Hill Gate and Kirawira.