Serengeti National Park
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The Serengeti National Park is the oldest and most well-known national park in Tanzania. It is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and a World Heritage Site. Big mammals, cats, and an incredible variety of herbaceous and carnivorous animals can all be seen in the Serengeti, which is arguably one of Africa's most exciting places to see game. The Maasai have lived there for millennia, herding their cattle, and it is also their ancestral homeland.
How the Serengeti as Formed
The Maasai Mara in Kenya is part of Tanzania's Serengeti ecosystem. Tanzania is home to 75% of this special ecosystem. It covers 5,700 square miles (14,750 square kilometers) and is a verdant ocean of green grasses. Three million years ago, volcanic eruptions in the Ngorongoro region produced these grasses. The vast region now known as the Serengeti Plains was covered in volcanic ash. Due to the high phosphorus concentrations in these ashes, a large area of mineral-rich fertile soils was created, supporting millions of animals with short green grasses. Numerous species of wildlife are supported by the Serengeti.
The Great Migration
Wildebeest make up the majority of the 3 million animals that are taking part in the Great Migration. Since phosphorus is present in every cell in their bodies, wildebeest flourish on short grasses with high phosphorus concentrations. Zebras, antelopes, and other animals that travel 1,800 miles a year in a clockwise direction in search of water sources are also part of the Great Migration. In the southern Serengeti, 250,000 wildebeest calves are born over the course of three weeks during the fall rains. In order to prepare for the next phase of their migration to the northwest Serengeti, which starts in the early spring, they graze on these grasses. The Great Migration Cycle in the Serengeti
In order to start its calving season, the migration is traveling along the Great Rift Valley escarpment's eastern border from the Maasai Mara in the northern Serengeti region to the southern Serengeti. "Calving season" starts when the wildebeest give birth to a quarter of a million newborns over the course of three weeks after arriving in the southwestern Serengeti. As predatory animals search for their young, it is an excellent opportunity to witness the drama of the hunt. November through December is when the brief rains happen. During the calving season, wildebeest gather on the grassy plains of Kusini Camp, which is located along their migration route. There are places in the southern Serengeti that offer remarkable views of the Great Migration, like the Moru Kopjes, where you can see Maasai rock paintings and witness the rare black rhino migration at this time of year. Like Gol Kopjes, where cheetahs are drawn to the fresh green grasses, it is also a great place to see cheetahs. Flamingos are drawn to Lake Ndutu, one of the soda lakes in the Rift Valley, where they build their nests. Additionally, it features breathtaking acacia forests where numerous animal species hunt.
Other Wildlife Species in the Serengeti
The Big Five (rhino, elephant, buffalo, lion, and leopard), giraffes, 400 different bird species, hippos, gazelles, jackals, hares, dik-diks, mongooses, warthogs, hedgehogs, cheetahs, waterbucks, hartebeests, ostriches, and crocodiles are all found in the Serengeti. A variety of species can be found where the central Serengeti woodlands meet the southern Serengeti plains. Big cats, hyenas, and other predatory carnivorous animals fall under this category. The renowned tree lion, tree-climbing leopards, and pride of lions all call the Seronera River in the central region home. Each of these creatures has its own natural prey and predators.
Serengeti Food Chain Structure
The Serengeti's food chain functions as follows: The lion is the "king" because it is more powerful and has sharper teeth than its rivals or prey. A cougar or a leopard will prevail in a one-on-one confrontation with a lion. These carnivores hunt lions in packs as a result. An individual lion does not rule over an elephant. It is terrified of elephants because of their enormous size, weight, and ability to spear or toss lions through the air with their tusks. Lions must hunt strategically in groups in order to kill an elephant. An elephant can be brought down by the combined weight of multiple lions. Since a giraffe kick can kill any animal, lions show respect for giraffes. Each big mammal species in the Serengeti has a cautious respect for the others because of their unique strengths, sizes, and abilities. As a result, these animal species coexist peacefully and even share water holes—that is, unless they are starving.
Serengeti High Seasons
All year long, the Serengeti welcomes tourists. It offers the chance to witness breathtaking views of the Big Five and the yearly Great Migration, even during its short rainy season (November–December) and long rainy season (March–May). Visitors can enjoy the Serengeti's vast, magnificent scenery and the tribal peoples who call it home throughout the year.
Kopjes
Lions and other predatory animals use the rocky Moru Kopjes in the Central Serengeti as lookout points to find game. For more than 500 million years, piles of old granite rocks known as the Kopjes have protruded from the level surface of the Serengeti. All six species of big cats—the lion, serval, cheetah, African wildcat, leopard, and caracal—can be found year-round in Ndutu, which is located in the southeast of the Serengeti ecosystem. For those who enjoy big cats, it's a fantastic location. Mary Leakey discovered the oldest complete human skeleton, which dates back 1.8 million years, in Ndutu, just 18 kilometers from Olduvai Gorge.
Ngong Rock
The Ngong Rock is a white rock whose composition is made of a totally different substance from any other rock in the region. The rock can also be considered a comet meteorite. The rock is situated on one of the kopjes in Serengeti National Park and is considered the oldest musical instrument in the world. The sound produced by tapping on it is metallic and sounds like a 'ping.' The sound can travel for a very long distance. The Maasai people of old have been using the Ngong Rock to converse with other Maasai in places very far away. The rock has several indentations on its surface, indicating how early humans were conveying messages and making music out of melodies.
Maasai Rock Paintings
There are a series of rock shelters found in central Serengeti that guard paintings from ancient times. These paintings will depict people, animals, symbols, and Maasai performances that were carried out by using red ochre, black, and white kaolin-based paint.
Activities
In the southern part of the Serengeti, visitors can tour the endless plains of the Serengeti watching the calving of the wildebeest, take a tour of the Olduvai Gorge; archaeological site of Louis & Mary Leakey, visit the Moru Kopjes known for the endangered Black rhinoceros and the Maasai rock painting. In the Western part, the Lake Victoria beckons the visitor to explore and fish. One of the most dramatic phenomena on the planet takes place in the Western Serengeti in the months of June-July when the Great Migration crosses the Grumeti and Kirawira rivers which are packed with crocodiles waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting migrants on their journey along the northern to northwestern route. From the northern highlands of the Serengeti, the visitors view the famous Mara River and its giant crocodiles. In the northwest, the Ikoma, the visitors can participate in the walking safari and night game game drive. The Serengeti NP provides the Balloon Safari round the clock.