November 6th 2004
After the longest migration in living memory, the stage is now set for a mass exodus of the migratory wildebeest and zebra herds back to the plains of the Serengeti.
By last weekend, the herds in the Mara Conservancy had begun to move en masse northwards towards Oloololo Gate – raising the unusual prospect that they might stay even longer in the Maasai Mara. However, by last Wednesday the situation had reversed, and the herds that had congregated around Oloololo Gate and Musiara Marsh began to move back south, crossing into the Conservancy at the busy Paradise crossing point.
It was at this point on the Mara River that the animals’ instinctive nature could be witnessed in all its raw and unfathomable intensity. While hundreds of wildebeest and zebra had massed on the western side of the river, it was clearly against their nature to cross eastwards – and most just stared at the water for some minutes before turning around and resuming their inexorable march south.
For the past three days, the southern Mara plains have been witness to lines of wildebeest stretching up to 10 kilometres long – all striding steadily southwards. At this pace, we estimate it will only be another 10 days before all the Serengeti herds have returned to Tanzania, and the Mara will be left with its own Loita wildebeest population, which are always the last to leave. In some years, they do not leave until January – but it could be even later this year!
Watch this space for what could be our concluding chapter next week.
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