We visited the Serengeti at the time of the Great Migration. The migration is a 1000 kilometer trek which has been going on for thousands of years and is lead by an instinct to survive.

The following was copied from a Tanzanian website:

“The humble leader of the migration is the Wildebeest, known to be lacking in intelligence, earning it the affectionate moniker ‘clown of the plains’. In its defence, the Wildebeest is a successful team player and as a gregarious herbivore it reaches up to 1.5 million in numbers as part of the migration. Its intelligence and ability to survive in such a harsh environment as the East African bush lies in its strength in numbers – a super-herd in the seemingly never-ending circle of life of the Serengeti.

Accompanied by 200,000 zebra, 350,000 gazelles and 12,000 eland this strange wonder of the natural world circulates the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya, its path dictated by rainfall and the resulting growth of grasses on the plains. There is neither a start nor finish to their journey; merely a relentless sequence of life and death. The only beginning is the moment of birth and the only ending is death – which can come only too easily in the migration.”

We saw a river crossing. It was magnificent. After the zebras (two babies at the end) the Mother Wildebeasts with their babies attempted to cross. When several scared Wildebeast babies turned back to shore the whole group turned back to shore and back up the bank until the babies were ready. They will try again when the babies were a bit bigger.

Godlisten said seeing this was a highlight for him on this trip. In the past he had seen the mother leave the babies to drown as she continued with the group so she would survive. We were happy they returned to shore.