What You Need to Know About the Serengeti Calving Season

The southern plains of the Serengeti turn green after the November rains, and fresh grazing is just what the wildebeest need for their energy-demanding calving season. This is when several hundred thousand wildebeest are born.

Calving season is short-lived but epic in scale. In December, great waves of wildebeest come spilling out of the Masai Mara in Kenya and into the southern Serengeti. They then fan out into adjoining areas such as the Ndutu region, Lake Masek, and even the Ngorongoro Conservation Area

It’s an amazing scene: the last great concentration of large, wildland animals in the world with the short-grassy savannah studded with rocky outcrops (koppies, the favourite haunt of the Serengeti’s leopards!) as the backdrop.

Starting in January, the pregnant wildebeest give birth, and by February some 8,000 baby wildebeest are being born every day. The calving season continues into March and is joined by other animals, too. Tens of thousands of zebras and gazelles have accompanied the wildebeest on their trek and are taking advantage of safety in numbers to drop their young.

Such numbers of young and inexperienced animals are, of course, a magnet for Africa’s predators. Big cats – lions, leopards, and cheetahs – stalk the southern Serengeti along with spotted hyenas, black-backed jackals, and African wild dogs. Your chance of seeing predator-prey interactions is very high during the calving season – great news for safari-goers if not for the wildebeest.

But the newborn wildebeest calves are quick to their feet, standing in minutes and able to run with the herd within three days. Most survive the onslaught of predators, and by the end of March, the grasses of the southern Serengeti are exhausted. The wildebeest begin marching west in great lines across the central Serengeti and to the muddy rivers that block their way back to the Masai Mara. Here, the wildebeest pause: the notorious migration river crossings are about to begin.

When Should You Book a Calving Season Safari?

Experiencing the Serengeti calving season does need a bit of forward planning. Although it’s considered the low season, accommodation books out fast. The relevant months are January, February, and March. If you have specific dates in mind, we recommend booking up to a year in advance – especially for February, when the calving season is at its most dramatic. If you’re not specific about dates, then we advise booking six to eight months ahead.

Where Should You Stay?

The best camps and lodges for the calving season lie in the Ndutu area, south of the Serengeti. Many are semi-permanent tented camps set up each year in the path of the migration, enabling you to leave camp on early morning drives and head straight into the action. Your accommodation usually takes the form of a large, walk-in tented suite with a large bed, an outside seating area, and a private bathroom.

We suggest three nights in the Ndutu area and two nights in another destination to complement the migration experience. Perhaps a camp in the central Serengeti, home to excellent resident wildlife, or – since Ndutu forms part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area – a lodge at the nearby Ngorongoro Crater, home to Africa’s Big Five.

What Activities Can You Do During the Calving Season?

Wildlife viewing during the calving season is usually enjoyed from the vantage point of an open-sided 4X4 vehicle in the experienced hands of a professional guide. You’ll have two drives a day, one in the early morning and the other in the afternoon, returning in the early evening with a spotlight leading the way.

Since our recommended accommodation for the calving season lies in privately run concessions, your guide has the advantage of being able to drive off-road for exceptional sightings, and you have the chance to go on walking safaris with Tanzanian park rangers.

Village visits are another popular activity. Accompanied by your guide, you can visit a local community to learn about Maasai culture and traditions and perhaps watch Maasai warriors perform their famous ‘jumping dance’.

One of the Serengeti’s signature activities is hot-air ballooning. While not available in the Ndutu region, it’s an option in the central Serengeti. It’s an hour and a half’s early morning transfer there from Ndutu, but the best option is to combine Ndutu with a stay in the central Serengeti.

What Other Animals Have Their Young at This Time?

If you would like to see lots of baby animals of all types, then the green season is the best time to go. Large numbers of zebra foals and gazelle fawns are also running around on the southern plains, using the cover of hundreds of thousands of wildebeest calves to try and avoid predators.

The sudden growth of greenery prompts many resident animals into their main birthing season. Open woodlands are home to warthog piglets and baby baboons, wobbly-legged giraffes, and baby elephants with trunks they can’t quite control yet.

The equally abrupt abundance of herbivores means Africa’s large carnivores ensure their birthing season coincides with the arrival of the migration. Lions, cheetahs, and leopards generally have their cubs at this time of year, sightings of which are among the most popular for photographers.

Where Else Should You Go During the Calving Season?

For a complete contrast to the Serengeti and Ndutu, then Tanzania’s Tarangire National Park is a good choice. It’s not high season over January, February, and March, and there will be some rain, but the landscape is beautifully green, there will be very few other visitors, and the wildlife is very different from the migration experience.

Still, in Tanzania, the best and most easily accessible beach destination is Zanzibar. January through March is a great time to visit the Spice Island. The days are warm and sunny, and the Indian Ocean is at its clearest, making it an excellent time for divers and snorkellers.

The calving season is a fantastic time for a Tanzania safari! The cuteness of the baby animals, the lush scenery, and the abundance of predators make it a highlight in the Great Migration calendar.