Great Migration Archive
Serengeti Highways & Monopolies
Posted by jimheck in Economy, Great Migration, Politics, Serengeti on August 16, 2010
Your voice against the Serengeti highway has attracted the attention of the most powerful in Tanzania. Unfortunately, he’s digging in his heels.
During an end of July live television speech to the country President Jakaya Kikwete said that “under no circumstances” will the government be deterred from building the road.
Kikwete doesn’t shy from the limelight, [...]
Remarkable Season
Posted by jimheck in Great Migration, OnSafari on April 12, 2010
A quarter to a third of hotel/lodge employees have been fired: Food and service are suffering. Maintenance and new building has halted. There’s less air service. And the weather is the weirdest in years. This was one of the best safari seasons in my career!
(I don’t want my glib rejoinder to [...]
On Safari: Migration Outstanding
Posted by jimheck in Big Game, Great Migration, OnSafari on March 23, 2010
It was slightly wetter than normal for my Gustafson safari which ended Monday, and the migration was outstanding!
The unequivocal highlight was the day we left Olduvai Gorge for Ndutu, spending the entire day on the grassland plains northeast and south of Naabi Hill. We drove and drove and only rarely found areas with no [...]
Back on (a wet) Track!
Posted by jimheck in Big Game, Great Migration, Serengeti, Weather on January 19, 2010
As we enter the great migration season in Tanzania everyone ready to go (including me) wants to know the state of the veld. Well – dare I suggest it? – it looks… wonderful.
I wanted to say “normal” but normal doesn’t exist, anymore, in these confused eras of global warming. But frankly that’s what [...]
Migration Arrives!
Posted by jimheck in Great Migration, Mara on June 25, 2009
Tour operators and property owners await the wildebeest migration into Kenya’s Mara from the Serengeti like most Kenyans await the rains. Well, it’s arrived!
Kenya’s Maasai Mara at any time of the year is a fabulous place to game view. The gently rolling grasslands, numerous watercourses and occasional tall hill provide all the conditions [...]
Ndutu Migration
Posted by jimheck in Great Migration, Planning Travel on April 9, 2009
Our three days ended with a bulls-eye migration find at Ndutu. But a whole lot more, too!
There are several reasons that most safaris don’t overnight in Ndutu, even though that’s the best place to be to see the great wildebeest migration from late November through May. We did spend our last three [...]
Dry Serengeti
Posted by jimheck in Great Migration, Serengeti, Weather on March 27, 2009
Our safari encounters a very dry Serengeti. Is a drought, or are floods, coming?
We arrived Ndutu Lodge on Wednesday after an extremely dry drive east to west across the entire bottom half of the Serengeti. It isn’t yet a drought, but it’s very dry.
We started north of Olduvai Gorge, saw the remarkable Shifting [...]
Great Wildebeest Migration
Posted by jimheck in Great Migration on August 1, 2008
THE GREATEST WILDLIFE SPECTACLE ON EARTH
by Jim Heck, June, 2008
The greatest wildlife spectacle on earth is the migration of about 1½ million white-bearded gnu (wildebeest) through the Serengeti/Mara/Ngorongoro ecosystem. Wildebeest are joined by another half million zebra and gazelle.
The easiest time to see the migration is when it’s most concentrated, December-April on the southern [...]