Serengeti: a national park in the heart of Africa.
The African Maasai tribe calls this territory “endless plains”. The Serengeti Park has a length of about 15 km2 and it is home to hundreds of animal species.
The first European who visited the Serengeti was the Austrian explorer Oscar Bauman. In 1892, the area had not become yet a national park and seemed like an ideal hunting ground. At the beginning of the 20th century, the American scientist Stuart Edward White arrived to the Serengeti. He left a detailed description of his stay there and came back to Africa in 1920. White hunted lions with his colleagues: as a result, about 50 animals died. Uncontrolled hunting for predators led to a decrease in their population. In 1929 the British colonial administration allowed hunting only on an area of about 3 km2 to prevent a catastrophe. It was the beginning of the creation of the Serengeti National Park. It got the status of a protected area in the early 40s.
The popularity of the park began to grow after the German animal rights activist Bernhard Grzimek and his son Michael released the documentary “The Serengeti Must Not Die”. The picture attracted public attention to the problems of African nature. In the center of the plot is the annual migration of ungulates. This film is still considered one of the most important documentaries about respect for wildlife.
What is the Serengeti now? The national park is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located on the border of Tanzania and Kenya and borders two other reserves – Ngorongoro and Masai Mara.
The fauna of the national park is incredibly rich. Almost all African animals and birds live here, and most important – the famous “big five”: lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard. There is a lion pride settled in the Serengeti – more than 40 predators of different ages.
Other predatory inhabitants of the Serengeti are cheetahs. Male cheetahs prefer to form so-called “coalitions”, while females tend to choose solitude.
The migration of ungulates takes place in the Serengeti every year. Antelopes, zebras and gazelles set the tone for this monumental process, followed by predators and scavengers. Each group follows its own goals, but their common goal is to survive. During the dry season, herbivores travel colossal distances in search of new pastures with fresh and lush grass. In fact, they go beyond the Serengeti and move to the territory of the Masai Mara park. Not everyone can endure such a journey: many ungulates die on the way because of fatigue, lack of food, or predators.
Today, the Serengeti has become one of the most visited parks in the world by tourists. Tripety travelers enjoy this place and come here all year round. But, the best time to visit the Serengeti is in autumn and spring. The aforementioned migrations take place from October to November. Guests of the park can personally observe the movement of thousands of animals that risk their lives every day. March in the Serengeti is not a dramatic time, but a joyful one: the cubs of large mammals – tigers and lions – are born. You may take a lot of photos there and upload them to the Tripety travel blog.
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