While Serengeti's animal
migration has attained mundane fame, for many tourists,
little is known of Tarangire annual migration. The difference
with Serengeti however is that, in Serengeti animals migrate
away from the park during the dry season (June to October),
the opposite happens in Tarangire; animals migrate from
Maasai Steppe to the park during the dry season. They migrate
to the park in search for water, which is provided by Tarangire
River, and predators migrate along in search for preys.
During this period the park has the largest concentration
of animals than in any park in the northern Tanzania.
Elephants can be seen in herds of up to 600 at a time, along
with masses of wildebeest, zebra, eland, hartebeest, buffalo
and oryx, who, migrate from the dry Maasai steppe to the
gleaming Tarangire River in search of water during the dry
season. The river may reduce
in size, but always provides some water for these animals
who gather in great numbers along its banks. Predators never
go hungry here. Although uncommonly seen, pythons have taken
to climbing trees in Tarangire, but as with all snakes they
avoid contact with humans.
November to February is the time
of plenty with succulent green shoots appearing just in
time for the newborn wildebeest and zebra. By March everything
is lush and wild flowers and butterflies are out in force.
Birds are at their busiest and more than 550 species have
been recorded.
Some of the Serengeti's largest
buffalo herds are to be found in the pristine woodlands
to the north and elephants abound in this area too. For
excellent year round game viewing the Seronera valley
in the centre of the park has abundant grazing and considerable
numbers of animals including giraffes, warthogs, reedbucks
and many other species that sustain resident leopards
and large prides of lions. In the south is the saline
Lake Ndutu which attracts throngs of flamingoes and in
the west the Grumeti River contains some of the largest
Nile crocodiles you will ever see.
During these months the concentration
of animals around the Tarangire river is almost as diverse
and reliable as in the Ngorongoro Crater, but the ecosystem
here is balanced by a localised migration pattern that
is followed by most animals other than lion, who don't
tend to abandon their territory. June to October is the
best time to see large number of wildebeest, elephants,
zebras, and hartebeest. Not all animals are migratory
though, other animals such as giraffes, Impala, Eland,
lesser kudu, waterbuck, gazelle and sometimes rhinos or
leopards can be seen throughout the year. More people
are attracted by the giant pythons and large herds of
elephants. the park is also famous for migrant birds.
The animals mostly disperse during
April and May, when there is widespread greenery, vegetation
and standing water to encourage all the grazers further
afield. In June, the eland and oryxes begin to return,
followed by elephant towards the end of the month. Tarangire
is a great spot for elephant gatherings at the end of
the rainy season in June, and zebra and wildebeest return
together through July.
By mid-August all the animals are
congregating around their last reliable water source,
the Tarangire River. The calving season falls in the early
months of the year, through January, February and March,
and so makes the most of the fresh grass during the rainy
season.
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