tanzaniatourism.com |
Before we talk about the animals, let's talk about the people who have made the Serengeti home. LiveScience says the native Maasai tribes named the Serengeti after their word for "endless plains." The Serengeti spans about 12,000 square miles in northern Tanzania, half of which make up Serengeti National Park. The miles of grasslands are interrupted by one active volcano. For most of the year, the weather is warm and dry. Two rainy seasons return moisture to the area (and play a big role in animal life).
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Can you imagine living with a handmade fence between you and a lion? Not likely. But to watch them from the relative safety of a tourist convoy is a more realistic dream. You can go on safaris in a few African countries: Botswana, Kenya, and South Africa to name a few. CNN Travel ranked the top 8 from a safarbookings poll which put Tanzania at the top - partly thanks to the Serengeti wildebeest migration. To find the animals, you'll have to plan your trip around the weather and time of year.
According to U.S. News & World Report, here's how it works: In November, brief rain showers signal the "Great Migration" for animals to return to their breeding grounds in the southern grasslands. That's where they stay for much of the winter, making the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in southeastern Serengeti a prime destination for that time of year - filled with wildebeest, zebras, and wildcats (oh my!).
Courtesy of Cayla Ann Photography |
This is a more direct instance of climate affecting animals than people. But with safaris becoming such a big tourist attraction, it's also a reminder of how beautiful the natural cycle can be. Hundreds of thousands of wildebeest making their way across the Serengeti because the weather told them it was time? The tour companies can count me in.