Serengeti National Park animals

Serengeti National Park animals: Serengeti national park is a popular tourist destination which is located in the northern part of Tanzania. This national park is part of the northern tourist circuit which consists of other national parks such as the Ngorongoro conservation area, Lake Manyara national park and Tarangire national park.

Tourists from all around the world visit Serengeti national park at different times if the year to experience its magnificent open savannah plains which is home to various wildlife species such as the big five animals.

The big 5 animals which include elephants, lions, buffalos, leopards and rhinos can be seen in Serengeti national park as well as in Ngorongoro conservation area. These wildlife species are referred to as the big 5 because they were the 5 most difficult animals to hunt on foot.

The term big 5 is common in the tourism industry during planning for Tanzania safaris especially among the tour operators. During visits to Serengeti national park, many other wildlife species can also be seen while on a safari.

Serengeti national park consists of vast savannah plains of about 30000 square kilometers extending up to the south western part of Kenya. This national park also consists of woodland as well as dotted trees.

There are also rock outcroppings which can be seen in Serengeti national park where they are referred to as Kopjes and these include the Maasai kopjes, Moru kopjes, Simba kopjes among others.

The Simba kopje is a good location where most tourists on a safari in Serengeti national park make stops as they drive around the national park. These rock outcrops were formed as a result of volcanic activity.

The different wildlife species which can be seen in Serengeti national park include wildebeests, elephant herds, lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalos, zebras, hippos, gazelles, hyenas and many others.

Serengeti national park is made up of different sectors or parts and these include the western part of Serengeti, the central part of Serengeti also known as Seronera area, the northern part and the southern part of Serengeti.

Western part of Serengeti national park

The western part of Serengeti national park is a section of the national park where the Grumeti river crossings takes place during the great wildebeest migration during the months of May and July.

The number of tourists who visit the western part of Serengeti national park is less compared to other parts of the national park. This part of the national park is also characterized by open savannah plains and woodlands, floodplains as well as a riverine forest.

Some of the wildlife species which can be seen in the western part of Serengeti national park include Nile crocodiles in Grumeti river, giraffes, hippos, elephants, hippos, antelopes and many others.

This part of Serengeti national park is also bordered by the Grumeti game reserve which acts as a wildlife corridor during the great wildebeest migration which takes place between Serengeti national park and Masai Mara national reserve.

The activities which tourists engage in during safaris to the western part of Serengeti national park include walking safaris, game drives (morning or afternoon game drives) as well as a community visit to the Maasai community living nearby the Grumeti reserve.

Northern part of Serengeti national park

The northern part of Serengeti national park is found between Masai Mara national reserve and the central part of Serengeti national park. This part of the national park is characterized by acacia woodlands, a hilly landscape, kopjes and open savannah plains.

Many elephants can be seen during a safari in the northern part of Serengeti national park as well as other wildlife species such as zebras, wildebeests, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, giraffes, topi, hippos, elands, hartebeests among others.

The attractions found in the northern part of Serengeti national park include the Lobo valley where the 2nd largest lion pride in the national park can be seen. In July and august, the wildebeest migration can be seen in this part of the national park as they move southwards.

Walking safaris, game drives as well as cultural visits to the Maasai villages are among the activities which are carried out in the northern part of Serengeti national park during safaris at the destination.

The central part of Serengeti national park (Seronera area)

The central part of Serengeti national park is also referred to as the Seronera area is found in the center of the national park and is famous for its big numbers of wildlife species and for diverse scenery.

All year round, tourists can visit the central part of Serengeti national park as they enjoy seeing various wildlife species such as large numbers of predators like lions, leopards and cheetahs. This part of the national park is also popular among tourists who can be seen in big numbers exploring the different attractions around.

The Seronera valley is among the popular attractions in the central part of Serengeti national park and is a good location to see wildlife species like elephants, lions, leopards, buffalos, rhinos, cheetahs, hippos, impala, topi and many others.

The Seronera river is a good spot in Serengeti national park to see many cheetahs during a game drive in the national park. The central part of this national park is also made up of rivers, swamps, kopjes and grasslands.

Different wildlife species also drink from the Seronera river which makes it a good location to see wildlife species especially during the dry season when the animals are known to gather around water sources in the national park.

The wildebeest migration can be seen in the central part of Serengeti national park during the months of April to June when the wildebeest graze around the savannah plains and this is among the spectacular sights which can be experiences during a safari in the Seronera area.

Southern part of Serengeti national park

The southern part of Serengeti national park is found between the central part of the national park and Ngorongoro conservation area. This part of the national park is characterized by short grassy plains, kopjes, small hills and valleys.

The wildlife species which can be seen in Serengeti national park include wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, lions, leopards, elands, giraffes, elephants, hyenas, cheetahs and many others. This part of the national park is made up of stunning landscapes where the wildlife species can be seen.

During the wet season, the wildebeests can be seen in the southern part of Serengeti national park from December to April. Over 1.2 million wildebeests can be seen across the open plains of the national park.

Activities which take place in the southern part of Serengeti national park include off the track driving.

Wildebeest migration

The wildebeest migration is also takes place in Serengeti national park and it involves movement of over 1.2 million wildebeests in their herds. The movement of these wildebeests is unpredictable and depends on factors such as weather.

This migration takes place annually between Serengeti national park and Masai Mara national reserve and some of the wildlife species such as zebras, gazelles and impalas can also be seen migrating with the wildebeests.

This migration of wildebeests also takes place annually and also involves river crossings across the Grumeti river and Mara river.

How to get to Serengeti national park

Serengeti national park which is located in the northern part of Tanzania can be accessed by different means of transport which include road and air means.

By road, tours to Serengeti national park begin in Arusha town which takes about 8 hours to reach the national park. The tours to this national park may involve driving direct or making en route stops at other wildlife viewing locations.
By air, Serengeti national park can be accessed through scheduled or charter flights from Kilimanjaro international airport or Arusha airport to the different airstrips located in the national park.

The airlines which operate flights to Serengeti national park include Air excel, Coastal aviation or Regional air.

Visit Serengeti national park and experience the magnificent big 5 and the open savannah as you enjoy a memorable safari with Focus East Africa tours.