The wildebeests have now entered the Mara. I can now confirm after a fact finding mission round the entry points along the Mara and Serengeti border. This may be the earliest arrival recorded in recent past!. I don’t remember when we last witnessed the wildebeests migrating into the Mara from Serengeti in late May. The change in the climate, which has caused lack of rain in the region is the most likely reason.Though this is still in its’ initial stages, every indication shows that the stage is set for the world’s most fascinating wildlife spectacle. A herd of almost 4,000 wildebeest have crossed the border near sand river gate. They have been seen this over the past one week taking their traditional route towards Roan hill. Their movement however is much faster than usual due to little or very dry grass in their way. Since April this year we have continued having intermittent rains which would normally have made the grass on the plains long and lush. However, there was extensive controlled burning of the grass this year. Therefore the grass is not as long as usual around this time of the year, but most of the plains are covered in short green grass. The will for sure slow the migration movement north. Looking onto the Serengeti from the sand river, one can see herds of zebra and wildebeest heading north then crossing the Sand River into the Mara. We anticipate that as the concentration builds up they will bush up north into central Mara. Since 27th May, we have been having light rains in parts of the Mara and this might fasten the process a bit.
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