Wildebeest - Seventh Wonder of the World

The mass migration of 5 million wildebeest in the Mara-Serengeti eco-system that spans Kenya and Northern Tanzania begins in July and ends in late October when the wildebeest migrate back to Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

The sight of millions of animals in transit attracts more than 300,000 tourists a year and is an important part of the economies of Kenya and Tanzania. Arusha, in northern Tanzania, is the centre of safari tourism in Tanzania.

This year's wildebeest migration has been marked by the shocking death of some 15,000 animals that drowned at the Mara river crossing in Kenya.


The carcasses of wildebeest rotting since last week are being picked over by Maribu storks, vultures, crocodiles and other scavengers.

"It was a strong tide that swept them away," said Mara administrative official, Sarisa Nkadaru, adding that most wildebeest died when they were stepped on by others.

Some officials blame the destruction of the nearby Mau forest for changing weather patterns and affecting tide levels, and they called on the government to curb the deforestation.

"Had the forest not been destroyed, the speed of water in the river would have been checked and the wildebeest would not have been swept away," local conservationist Doris Ombara said.

"We have raised alarm over the dangers of the destruction and what was witnessed last weekend is one of them," she said.

This reminds me that even our most prolific and fertile environments may be showing the effects of climate change. I'm glad that this is becoming more recognised.

Source: Reuters

It is great to see that Tanzanian Tourism is launching its first-ever advertising campaign in the U.S.

After decades of being an add-on trek for safari trips originating in Kenya, Tanzania will be promoted as a standalone destination with its first TV campaign in the states. The ads appeared on CNN during late September with the tagline “Tanzania: Land of Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and the Serengeti.” Visuals showcase the three destinations within the country and native Tanzanians, while mentioning that the first ancestors of humans called Tanzania home.

I hope that this kind of promotion helps to boost tourism to Tanzania. It is a country with plenty to offer!

Seventh Wonder of the World

The Great Wildebeest Migration of Serengeti National Park was recently declared the Seventh Wonder of the world. In a joint project undertaken by USA Today and ABC-TV's Good Morning America, a multi-disciplined panel has named the "Site of the Great Migration," which includes about 90 per cent of Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, as the Seventh New Wonder of the World. The panelists who completed the new list of the new wonders of the world descrived the Serengeti and its Wildebeest Migration as "a rare and wondrous natural drama."

Wildebeest (African Wildlife Foundation)

The other six Wonders of the World in this list include the Polar Ice Caps in Iceland, the Underwater Coral Reef in Hawaii Island, Tibet's Potala Palace, Old Jerusalem City, the Mayan Pyramids in Mexico and the Internet.

Serengeti is Africa's greatest national park. It is in Northern Tanzania and covers 14,763sqkm.
Wildwatch has a great map of the migration paths of more than 1.5 million wildebeests, 600 thousand zebras and 300 thousand gazelles, which move in a gigantic herd, migrate through the area in a clockwise circle.

Following the grand multitude are packs of wild dogs and hyenas, families of cheetahs, and prides of lions all pursuing the vast herds. Above the long, dusty procession are circling vultures and other scavenging and hunting birds, on the lookout for their next meal.
No one knows for sure what triggers the migration but the herds seem to follow fresh pastures. In their thousands, these animals travel in long moving columns that at certain points extend for forty kilometers, and which ultimately will describe huge oblong figures a thousand kilometers across within an ecosystem of 250, 000 sq. kilometers.

The nomination of the Wildebeest migration as the Seventh Wonder of the World will give a boost to Tanzania’s safari tourism industry. With fantastic natural riches of landscape and wildlife, and over 25% of land protected for conservation, Tanzani is well-placed for economic growth.

You can browse the blogs of St Jude volunteers in the sidebar to get a taste of their safari experiences during breaks while volunteering at the school.

For further browsing about Serengeti and wildebeest, try these sites.

African Wildlife Foundation
Tanzania Tourist Board
Natural High – safari company