Top Guide to The Great Migration Animals |Serengeti & Masai Mara

 Great Migration Animals: Learn about the Great Migration animals, their behaviors, routes, and best viewing months across the Serengeti and Masai Mara.

The Great Migration animals form one of nature’s most breathtaking phenomena—an endless cycle of life involving over two million hoofed creatures and the predators that shadow them across Tanzania’s Serengeti and Kenya’s Masai Mara.

Known as the “Greatest Wildlife Show on Earth,” the Serengeti migration animals and Masai Mara migration wildlife include massive herds of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and the iconic big cats and crocodiles that hunt them.

Every year, these animals undertake a 1,800-mile (3,000 km) circular journey driven by rain and fresh grass, creating dramatic river crossings, mass calvings, and nonstop predator-prey action.

If you’ve ever searched for “Great Migration animals,” you’re likely planning (or dreaming of) a safari to witness this bucket-list event. This guide covers every animal involved, their behaviors, the month-by-month calendar, survival strategies, and practical tips to help you experience the migration at its peak.

Primary Migratory Animals of the Great Migration

1. Wildebeest (Blue Wildebeest – Connochaetes taurinus)

• Population: ~1.5–1.7 million
• Role: The undisputed stars and engine of the migration
• Unique behavior: Form super-herds that can stretch 40 km long; males establish temporary “lekking” territories during the rut
• Why they migrate: Follow rain-triggered grass growth; their short, square lips allow them to crop very short grass that other species can’t eat
• Calving: ~250,000–500,000 calves born in a synchronized 2–3 week window (usually February) — 8,000 newborns per day at peak
• Threats: River drownings, lion and crocodile predation (up to 250,000 wildebeest die annually, mostly calves)

2. Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)

• Population: ~300,000
• Role: The “pathfinders” that travel ahead of wildebeest
• Unique behavior: Prefer taller grass with higher fiber; their digestive system processes it faster, leaving shorter, protein-rich grass for wildebeest
• Stripes: Help confuse predators and biting flies
• Threats: Primary lion prey during dry season when they lead the columns

3. Thomson’s Gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii)

• Population: ~200,000–300,000
• Role: The “tail-end Charlies” that follow weeks behind the main herds
• Unique behavior: Eat the re-growth after wildebeest have grazed; males defend tiny territories for mating
• Speed: Can reach 60 mph (100 km/h) — second fastest land animal after cheetah

4. Grant’s Gazelle (Nanger granti) & Eland (Taurotragus oryx)

• Smaller numbers but still migrate; eland are the largest antelope and can jump 2.5 m from standing

Predators That Follow the Great Migration

Lions (Panthera leo)

• Serengeti has ~3,000 lions; Mara River prides specialize in ambush at crossing points
• Kill rate skyrockets during July–October crossings

Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus)

• Prefer open plains; target Thomson’s gazelle fawns

Leopards (Panthera pardus)

• Solitary; drag kills into trees away from hyenas

Spotted Hyenas (Crocuta crocuta)

• ~8,000–10,000 in Serengeti; clans of 60+ follow calving grounds in February

African Wild Dogs, Black-backed Jackals, and Vultures

• Clean up the leftovers

Nile Crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus)

• Mara River hosts some of the largest crocs in Africa (up to 6 m / 1,000 kg)
• Over 3,000 crocodiles congregate during peak crossing months; some wait a full year between meals

Great Migration Calendar: Month-by-Month Animal Highlights

Month	Location	Key Animals & Events
Dec – Mar	Southern Serengeti / Ndutu	Wildebeest calving, zebra foaling, predator bonanza
Apr – May	Central Serengeti	Long rains → herds split and move north
Jun – Jul	Western Corridor & Grumeti	First major river crossings (Grumeti River)
Jul – Oct	Northern Serengeti & Masai Mara	Mara River dramatic crossings, peak predator action
Nov	Northern Serengeti	Short rains begin, herds start moving south
Dec	Back to southern plains	Cycle restarts

Best month for river crossings: Late July – early October (Mara River)

Best month for newborn calves & predators: February (Ndutu region)

Why Do These Animals Migrate?

The migration is triggered by rainfall patterns in East Africa. Wildebeest have an almost mythical ability to “sense” distant rain. When southern plains dry out, they move north and west following thunderstorms.

Zebras lead because their superior memory of routes helps the less-intelligent wildebeest. The entire loop is a perfect example of co-evolution: grazers, grass, rain, and predators in constant balance.

Dramatic Animal Behaviors You’ll Witness

• Synchronized calving – 80% of wildebeest calves born within the same 2–3 weeks to overwhelm predators
• Mara River chaos – herds hesitate for hours or days before one brave (or panicked) animal leaps, triggering a mass plunge
• Crocodile ambushes – crocs target the middle of the crossing where panicked animals bunch up
• Lion “fishing” – prides wait at known exit points and pick off exhausted swimmers
• Vulture “highway” – hundreds circle above drowning or injured animals

Mind-Blowing Facts & Statistics

• Total migrating hoofed animals: ~2 million
• Distance traveled per year: up to 800 km (500 miles) in some years
• Wildebeest calves can run 10 minutes after birth
• Up to 10,000 animals can cross the Mara River in a single day
• Mortality rate: ~10–12% of the herd annually (natural population control)

Map of the Great Migration Route

(The classic figure-8 loop from southern Serengeti → western corridor → northern Serengeti/Masai Mara → back south)

Great Migration Animal Count (Approximate)

• Wildebeest: 1.5 million
• Zebra: 300,000
• Thomson’s Gazelle: 250,000
• Predators: ~15,000 large carnivores follow the herds

FAQs About Great Migration Animals

Which animals participate in the Great Migration?

Mainly wildebeest (1.5 million), plains zebra (300,000), Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles, with lions, hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, crocodiles, and vultures following as predators.

Where can I see the Great Migration animals?

Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, or Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve. Private conservancies (Serengeti Mara, Grumeti, Loliondo) offer exclusive viewing.

Which month is best for seeing the river crossings?

Late July through October, with August–September usually the peak for dramatic Mara River crossings.

Do all animals survive the migration?

No — approximately 250,000–300,000 wildebeest and 30,000 zebras die each year from predation, exhaustion, drowning, or thirst. This natural attrition keeps the ecosystem healthy.

How dangerous are the river crossings?

Extremely. In a single bad crossing, thousands can drown if the herd panics and piles up. Crocodiles take hundreds more.

Practical Safari Planning: How to See the Great Migration Animals

Best months by experience

• Calving & predators → January–March (Ndutu, southern Serengeti)
• Grumeti River crossings → June–early July
• Mara River crossings → late July–October
• Fewer crowds → May, June, November

Top locations

1. Kogatende (northern Serengeti) – closest to main Mara crossings
2. Lamai Wedge & Mara Triangle (Masai Mara) – quieter than main reserve
3. Seronera (central Serengeti) – year-round cats
4. Ndutu (Ngorongoro Conservation Area) – February calving

Recommended safari types

• Mobile camping safaris that follow the herds
• Fly-in packages to private conservancies
• Luxury lodges with permanent river-crossing views (e.g., &Beyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge, Singita Mara River Tented Camp)

What to pack

Binoculars (8×42 or 10×42), bean bag or tripod for photography, neutral-colored clothing, rain jacket (green season), power bank, GoPro for river crossings.

Photography tips

Use fast shutter (1/2000+) for splashing water, continuous autofocus, shoot in bursts during crossings, bring 100–400 mm or 200–600 mm lens.

Ready to Witness the Great Migration Animals Live?

Nothing compares to the thunder of 1.5 million hooves, the raw power of a Mara River crossing, or the sight of a lion pride taking down a wildebeest at dawn. Contact us today to book your Great Migration safari now for front-row seats to nature’s greatest drama.

Secure your spot for 2026 or 2027 — the best camps and private concessions book 12–18 months in advance, especially July–October.

Don’t just watch documentaries. Be there when it happens.