The Serengeti park: a World Heritage Site

Serengeti is a jewel of humanity. A very vast territory protected for almost 100 years that boasts a very high concentration of mammals and is the scene of one of the most spectacular natural events on Earth, the migration of wildebeests and zebras.

Each animal finds its home

The Serengeti is located in the center of a large conservation area protected by several parks (some united together) which extends from northern Tanzania to southern Kenya. There you can find very different habitats. The boundless plains with low grass are loved by zebras and wildebeests because they can spot predators; even cheetahs in large spaces can express their maximum speed. The plains with tall grass, on the other hand, are the favorite of the lions, who blend in perfectly; while it is in the area of ​​the kopje (large granite boulders emerging from the plain) that the lionesses will go and raise their young. If you find yourself in the wooded areas near the rivers and in the north of the park, take a good look at the branches because this is the habitat of the leopard, an exceptional predator that swoops down from above on the victims. After hunting the leopard, drag the prey on the branches to eat undisturbed and comfortably take a nap with the legs dangling.

Plenty of water but .. watch out for crocodiles!

There are numerous lakes and rivers that allow the survival of the fauna even during the dry season. The main river is the Grumeti, with all its tributaries, a paradise for hippos and crocodiles. Grumeti and Masai Mara are the backdrop for some of the most dramatic moments of migration. Millions of wildebeests and thousands of zebras cross the rivers courageously meeting the dangers of water and crocodiles, in order to continue the perennial ring circuit in search of new pastures.

Dizzying numbers

More than 200 different species of animals find their optimal environment there. 14,763 square km of park host among others: all the big five, (the great and dangerous masters of the savannah) lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo (although a good dose of luck is needed to spot the now very rare rhino ); cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, Thomson's gazelles and Grant's gazelles, mouse antelopes, water antelopes, saltarupe antelopes, eland, impala, harnesses, cephalops, dik dik, klipsplinger, warthogs, mongoose ...

If you have a careful eye, you can spot some of the more than 430 species of colorful birds. With good reason, the Serengeti has been called UNESCO site and International Biosphere Reserve.

The Siringet of the Masai, the greatest regret

But Serengeti wasn't just about animals. Until 1951 it was also inhabited by the Masai people and still today old and young Masai speak with nostalgia of the immense pastures of the endless plain (Siringet in the Masai language). For the government of Tanzania, determined to protect its natural heritage, it was very difficult to convince this proud people of breeders to abandon the plains of the Serengeti. After exhausting negotiations with the old tribal chiefs, a point was reached where the Maasai threatened to go to war to defend their pastures. The government then found mediation and accepted that the Masai people could live within the Ngorongoro conservation area, adjacent and initially united with the Serengeti.

The test of courage

The Masai also agreed to modify the rite of passage to adulthood. After the circumcision the young men had to prove that they were strong and brave by killing a lion. Returning victorious from the savannah dressed in the skin of the king of the animals they would have had the first of the many wives destined for them. Since 1951 the state has pledged to repay livestock killed by predators and the Masai have stopped killing lions.

Serengeti is the place to find Africa imagined since childhood, where nature is still wild and majestic.

We too, after decades of traveling far and wide, still love this unique and wonderful park.