02/09/2020
The most popular time to visit the reserve is between July and October. The peak of the wildebeest migration, usually in October, is a particularly popular time in the park, as visitors come to see the more than 2 million animals travel up to 500 miles (800 km) from Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, according to the World Wildlife Fund. During their migration, wildebeest and several hundred thousand other migratory mammals, including gazelles and zebras, must cross the Mara River while avoiding crocodiles and other predators, such as large cats and hyenas.
An estimated 250,000 wildebeest never make it to their destination, as they fall prey to carnivores, die of hunger, thirst or exhaustion, or drown in the Mara River, according to the World Wildlife Fund. The fallen animals, however, provide a wealth of food and nutrients for the ecosystems.