What Is Serengeti National Park?

Serengeti National Park is a wildlife sanctuary located in Tanzania that consists of more than 5,000 square miles (13,000 sq km). It's well-known for the annual migration by wild wildebeest, gazelle and zebra. There is an array of animals that come in a variety of sizes, from the elephant down to the dung beetle. Several different activities keep visitors entertained during their trips. Going during certain months of the year results in seeing specific animals or experiencing different types of weather.

The Serengeti National Park was established in 1951 and is Tanzania's oldest national park. It's approximately 5,700 square miles (14,763 sq km). In Masai, the word “serengeti” means endless plain. There are three main parts of the park: Seronera Valley, The Western Corridor and The Lobo area.

The migration consists of more than one million wildebeest, along with hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle, migrating from the plains to the Western Corridor, up north where they cross the border of Kenya and into the Masai Mara. The largest herds are typically from December to April; calving season is typically the first few months of the year. The herds head back south during November. Due to the migration crossing over both the Grumeti River and Mara River, many of the animals die from drowning or from being eaten by crocodiles.

Some of the larger animals in Serengeti National Park include elephants, giraffe, gazelle, eland and buffalo. There are also lions, leopards, hyena, ostrich and cheetah. Some of the smallest animals include eagles, monkeys, hunting dogs and approximately 100 types of dung beetles. The main predators of the park are lions, leopards, jackals and cheetahs.

Many visitors go to Serengeti National Park to see the great migration, so one of the most popular activities is going on a game drive. Going on safari by foot or via a hot air balloon are popular among visitors as well. There's also an option of camping outdoors in a tent.

Although Serengeti National Park is typically dry and warm, the rainy seasons are from November to January and March to May. Due to the activity of the large herds, the best time to visit is typically between December and March. Those who wish to see predators in action should go between August and October when they are usually out in force, however, considering nature is typically unpredictable, it's almost impossible to predict what will happen and when.