Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park is a vast treeless plain with thousands, even millions of animals searching for fresh grasslands. 'Serengeti' means an 'extended place' in the Maasai language. As the largest national park in Tanzania, the Serengeti attracts thousands of tourists each year. A visit to Serengeti National Park is enriching at any time but the best months for wildlife viewing is between December and June. The wet season is from March to May with the coldest period from June to October.

The annual migration of millions of zebra and wildebeest takes place in May or early June. The migration of these vast herds is one of the most impressive natural events and the primary draw for many tourists. Large herds of antelope as well as lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, bat eared fox, hunting dog and jackal are also found in Serengeti National Park. Wildlife such as baboons, hyraxes and klipspringers are attracted to the granite outcroppings that are found throughout the Serengeti. Nearly 500 species of bird, including vultures, storks, flamingoes, and ostrich have been recorded on the Serengeti. The swamp area attracts birds by the thousands including the crowned crane and sacred ibis. This area should be avoided during the rainy season.

The first European to set foot in the Serengeti was the German explorer and naturalist Dr. Oscar Baumann. In 1913 the first hunters arrived to discover the wildlife plentiful, especially the lions.