With the onset of the ‘short rains’ season in December, large herds of animals congregate in the south of the Serengeti and the Ndutu region. This is also the time when most members of the herds give birth to their young, leaving the new-borns with little time to prepare for the great journey ahead.

April sees the animals head north towards Seronera and though the Western Corridor, congregating at the Grumeti River in May/June.

They often cross the Mara River with its frighteningly large crocodiles several times. These are the famous River Crossings.

November sees the herd return slowly south through the Loliondo region and the Serengeti’s Lobo region to the central and southern Serengeti, where the grass is once again green and from where the annual cycle begins again. The amount of time that the animals remain in each region is entirely dependent upon the rainfall pattern – the journey can be delayed for up to a month.