July

The Great Migration · Northern Serengeti and Kogatende · Moderate to high confidence

North to the Mara River

The herds reach the Mara River. Crossings begin — but never on a schedule.

Through July the front of the migration pushes into the northern Serengeti and reaches the Mara River. This is the crossing everyone has seen on television: thousands of animals piling down a steep bank into crocodile water for no reason that is obvious to anyone watching.

Be clear about the odds. A crossing may happen twice in a day or not for four days. Herds gather at a crossing point for hours and then simply walk away. Three or four nights in the north gives you a good chance; a single afternoon gives you a poor one.

Note also that the herds are not all in one place — the front may be across the river while a third of the population is still well to the south.