Serengeti National Park
Few people forget their first encounter with Serengeti National Park. Perhaps it is the view from the summit of Naabi Hill at the park's entrance, from where the Serengeti's grasslands appear to stretch to the very ends of the earth. Or maybe it's a coalition of male lions stalking across open plains, their manes catching the breeze. Or it may be the epic migration of animals in their millions, following the ancient rhythm of Africa's seasons. Whatever it is, welcome to one of the wildest places, one of the greatest wildlife-watching destinations on earth.
It’s here on the vast plains of the Serengeti that one of earth’s most impressive natural cycles has played out for aeons as hundreds of thousands of hoofed animals, driven by primeval rhythms of survival, move constantly in search of fresh grasslands. The most famous, and numerous, are the wildebeest (of which there are some 1.5 million) and their annual migration is the Serengeti’s calling card. There are also resident wildebeest populations in the park and you’ll see these smaller but still impressive herds year-round. In February more than 8000 wildebeest calves are born each day, although about 40% of these will die before reaching four months old. A few black rhinos in the Moru Kopjes area offer a chance for the Big Five, although they’re very rarely seen.
The 14,763 sq km Serengeti National Park is also renowned for its predators, especially its lions. Hunting alongside the lions are cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, jackals and more. These feast on zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles, topis, elands, hartebeest, impalas, klipspringers, duikers and so many more. It’s an incredible birdwatching destination, too, with over 500 species.
0 comments:
Post a Comment