The Serengeti is not a country; it is an ecosystem that spans two countries and several reserves and national parks. For most people, when they think of Africa, the Serengeti is what comes to mind. It is a large lush landscape of open grasslands bordered by harsh rocky hills, and it is home to many different species of animals such as lions, elephants, gazelles, zebras and hyenas. The Serengeti begins in north Tanzania and stretches through to southwestern Kenya in east-central Africa. This vast and complex ecosystem is protected by several parks and preserves that protect 80 percent of the land, but the most famous is the Serengeti National Park. This park began as a 3.2-square-mile game reserve in 1921 in order to protect over hunted lions, then grew into the national park in 1951. Many people visit these parks for adventures like safaris.
• The Maasai are a people who live on the Serengeti.
• For centuries, they have grazed their cows on the plains.
• Serengeti is the Maasai word for “endless plains.”
• It is mostly plains, but acai trees also grow and provide food and shade for many of the animals.
• There are more wildebeests than any other animal (2 million).
• Every year, more than 200,000 zebras and all of the wildebeests migrate across the plains in search of fresh grass.
• This migration is the largest mammal migration in the world.
• Ol Doinyo Lengai is the only active volcano in the region.
• There are two rainy seasons.
• Some of the oldest fossils of hominids were found here in the Olduvai Gorge.
• The first European, Dr. Oscar Baumann of Germany, entered the Serengeti in 1892.
While the animals and landscape of the Serengeti are very beautiful, the weather can be extremely harsh. It is a very warm and dry climate with two rainy seasons, from March to May and October to November. Droughts are relatively common in the area and can be devastating to the wildlife. It is a delicate balance that keeps these plains as beautiful and as rich as they are.
