The Serengeti Eco System
The Serengeti National Park is known for its exceptional wildlife population, attracting numerous tourists annually to witness one of the world’s most remarkable natural phenomena. This can be credited to its ecosystem, which has remained virtually unchanged for millions of years.
The Serengeti National Park is renowned for its vast southern grasslands, where nearly two million wildebeests and zebras constantly migrate in search of fresh grazing areas and water sources. The park is also home to approximately 70 different species of mammals, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas (both striped and spotted), African wild dogs, rhinos, elephants, hippos, elands, impalas, waterbucks, antelopes like topis and hartebeests as well as gemsboks. Additionally present are Thomson’s gazelles, Masai giraffes, buffalos, warthogs, jackals, bat-eared foxes, serval cats, caracals, mongooses, genets honey badgers, among others.
In the Serengeti National Park, more than 500 species of birds, as well as other small insects and mammals, coexist in harmony. This park boasts the second-highest concentration of bird species in Tanzania, just behind Tarangire National Park.
The Serengeti National Park features diverse vegetation types that dictate the wildlife inhabiting specific regions. The park’s vast southern low grasslands, from which it derives its name “Siringet” meaning endless plains, support the growth of trees due to the predominantly volcanic rock soil. This area is a common habitat for wildebeests, who thrive on nourishing herbs. The expansive open landscapes facilitate excellent animal sightings, particularly during the migration season from December to April. As we move further north, the grasslands gradually transition into savanna shrubs and acacia trees, providing a suitable environment for more giraffes to roam freely.
When the light rainy season starts at Serengeti National Park, the Great Wildebeest Migration heads south to go back to the nourished grasslands. The animals rest in these lands until the end of the heavy rain season, when the long dry season is upon them and there are no permanent water sources in the South. This makes it inevitable for wildebeests and zebras to head north, where they find green grazing lands and permanent water reserves allowing them to survive the period of drought.
The path is not easy. Every year the animals walk along an 800 km long circular route scattered with hidden dangers. Both land and water predators are always lurking. That is why crossing the mighty waters and the sandy shores of the Mara River is one of the biggest obstacles of the entire route. However, if the herds want to reach the Masai Mara grasslands in Kenya, they must overcome it.
The Olduvai (or Oldupai) Gorge also belongs to the Serengeti ecosystem. Several fossils, belonging to the early humans who inhabited our planet, were found here. Moreover, millions-of-years-old petroglyphs were found which depicted, among other subjects, the Great Migration. This is the reason why this valley is often called “the cradle of humankind”.
Some populations native to Eastern Africa live in the Serengeti Ecosystem area: the Masai, very famous due to their style and colorful jewelry, and the less known Hadzabe and Datoga, two populations living in the surroundings of Lake Eyasi and whose lifestyle and traditions go back a thousand years.
