Ndutu wildebeest calving season Tanzania – Great wildebeest migration pattern
Ndutu wildebeest calving season Tanzania – Southern Serengeti and the Ndutu area play host to thousands of wildebeest that gather for wildebeest calving season which takes place between February and March where close to 8000 wildebeest cows give birth within 3 weeks in the presence of predators that are targeting the newborn wildebeest calves
Ndutu forms part of northwestern Ngorongoro crater And southern Serengeti covering an area of about 7000 km and its one top trails during the wildebeest migration across Tanzania’s Serengeti national park, Lake Ndutu, and Lake Masek plays host to both resident and migrating herds making it a top safari area in Tanzania
The wildebeest start arriving in the larger Ndutu area in November and as the rains kick in till March before heading to the western Corridor as they advance to Grumeti river crossing between May and June before advancing to Mara river which is one of the dramatic wildlife scenes in the animal kingdom
Why take a safari to the Ndutu area in Tanzania?
Despite Ndutu plains being famous for the calving season, there are many other activities that you can do while in the Ndutu area, and some of the top things to do include
Wildebeest migration pattern
Spectacular game drives
Though the wildebeest are here from November to March there are several resident games like elephants, Giraffes, and big predators like Lions, leopard, cheetah, caracal, serval, and African wildcat, and this can be a top game drive area during your visit as you can combine the area with Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater day trips
Flamingos at Lake Masek
The soda lake of Masek attracts flamingos and you can have great sightings of flamingos at the Ndutu area and also little wildlife like the hyenas can be seen at the soda lake
Olduvai Gorge
The Olduvai Gorge in northern Tanzania is one of the attractions you can visit from the Ndutu area is internationally recognized for Louis and Mary Leakey’s famous discoveries of early humans and magnificent antiques documenting the evolutionary history of the stone tools used by an ancestor, vertebrate fauna and environments that have been existent for the last 2 million years
Spectacular birding safari
Large predator birds are attracted by the presence of the predators like large eagles, vultures, and several other bird species like parrots, flamingos, and bee-eaters
When to visit the Ndutu area in Tanzania?
Ndutu plains can be visited all year round but the top peak to visit the Ndutu area is from February to March when large herds of wildebeest have already gathered for the 2-3 weeks calving season and during this time you’re more likely to see the biggest concentration of predators in the whole of Africa
How to get to Ndutu plains Tanzania?
Ndutu area can accessible both by air or by road from Arusha and by road Ndutu area is located 270 km from the Arusha and using a 4×4 safari car the trip can be just about 4-5 hours’ drive and by air, clients can fly into Ndutu airstrip, seronera airstrip or Kusini airstrip and the flight is just under an hour from Arusha
Where to stay during the Ndutu wildebeest calving season
There are many places to stay in the Ndutu area and our peaks are:
Lake Ndutu luxury tented camp
This beautifully designed tented lodge is situated in Ndutu in the south-eastern Serengeti plains within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a prime location for game drives and an ideal stopover to the neighboring Serengeti National Park. The lodge has 20 well-appointed sleeping tents with a combination of Family Suites and individual Guest Tents offering a top-notch true African safari experience.
Ndutu safari lodge
Ndutu Safari Lodge enjoys a prime position near Lake Ndutu and Lake Masek another draw for wildlife during drier times. The cheetah numbers are on the rise with the next generation booming. This year, as this beautiful picture from Ndutu depicts, there have been lots of sightings of young predators highlighting the true value of this treasured part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
