Overview

The southern Serengeti including the northern Ngorongoro Conservation Area consists of the famous Serengeti plains. These short grass and nutrient rich plains are home to the enormous migratory herds of wildebeest and zebra during the wet season. During the dry season, the southern plains are transformed into a semi desert and only a few hearty Grant's gazelles and Thomson's gazelles survive.

The green season is a wonderful time to be on safari in the southern Serengeti and the northern Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Rain means game in the Serengeti and wildlife should be prolific on the southern Serengeti Plains. The southern plains encompass a massive area so it's best to locate yourself in more than one area if time allows. The wildebeest migration will most likely be spread across the green plains of the northern Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the southern Serengeti from December to May.

Game Viewing

Game viewing is spectacular during wet season in the southern Serengeti, as over two million animals will be spread across the open plains. In addition to the large migratory herds, predators will be abundant and easily seen. Cheetah densities will be at their highest as many have followed the migratory Thomson's gazelles onto the southern and eastern plains.

Lions should be easily visible, both resident prides and the nomads which have followed the wildebeest and zebra onto the plains. The most abundant predator, the hyena, will be in large numbers as many clan members will have commuted to the plains from their den areas located along the woodland/plains border. However, the game-viewing highlight in the wet season will undoubtedly be the immense herds of migratory animals.

During the dry season (June to November) many of the animals have indeed dispersed but the southern Serengeti still remains a fascinating place. There are several resident herbivores in this area that are seen year round including Grant's gazelle and giraffe. Elephant and impala are also seen year round but mainly in the wooded Ndutu area. Predators are certainly not as prolific in the dry season but there are a few resident lion prides in the southern and eastern plains including Ndutu, Naabi Hill and Gol Kopjes. As the southern plains do support a few resident gazelles, a few cheetahs can usually be seen in the dry season anywhere from Ndutu to Nasera Rock and around the Gol Kopjes .