Wildebeest migratory safari Tanzania

Tanzania is the largest country in East Africa and is best known for its vast wilderness, which includes many reserves such as the Serengeti. Some of these reserves have the largest population of elephants and the rare tree-climbing lions. Tanzania is also home to Africa's highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, which stands at 19,000 feet. You can also find Olduvai Gorge and Blackwood which is the most expensive hardwood in all of Tanzania which is also the birthplace of the unforgettable Freddy Mercury, leader of the band Queen.

This country, twice the size of California, is also home to the wildebeest, whose year-round migration is a spectacle. Dubbed the Great Wildebeest Migration, it occurs year-round as the wildebeest of the Serengeti National Reserve search for better pasture and drink. The wildebeest are often followed by zebra, gazelle, eland, impala and predators such as lion and cheetah. Their movement pattern is quite predictable as they follow the year's rainfall pattern. Up to 1.5 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras take part in the migration. The zebras follow the wildebeests because they eat a different part of the grass than their peers. The large numbers also help protect some from the predators, although up to 250,000 wildebeest still die from exhaustion, starvation and predators such as crocodiles, waiting for them at river crossings. Up to 3000 lions follow the migration every year.

The wildebeest are known to use swarm intelligence, which helps them overcome obstacles in their path. The Serengeti, where most migration occurs, is the oldest ecosystem on earth with plant and animal species found only in the Serengeti.