For wildebeest, the grass is greener on the other side — of the Mara and Sand rivers, that is. Crossings are the stuff nature documentaries are made of. The herd will have reached the Kogatende area in the northern Serengeti, ready to cross the Mara and Sand rivers, complete with hungry crocodiles lurking in the water.
For the most part, herds will cross south to north, drawn by the more nutritious grazing on the northern side thanks to earlier showers. However, some crossings also occur in the opposite direction. For spectacular sightings of the bulk of the wildebeest herds, interspersed with dazzles of zebra and herds of antelope, head to the Lamai Wedge and Nyamalumbwa Plains.
River traffic flows in both directions between Kenya and Tanzania in September, though a southerly direction will prevail by the end of the month. This treacherous traverse is one of nature’s greatest and most tragic spectacles, and tens of thousands of animals will die in the attempt. The rains remain absent in the south, with sparse showers still occurring in the north.