01 · The season
Roughly 400,000 wildebeest calves are born within a few weeks, on open short-grass plains, in front of every predator in the ecosystem.
The herds come south for the short-grass plains around Ndutu because the grass there grows on volcanic ash and is unusually rich in the minerals a lactating female needs. They calve in a tight synchronised burst — the strategy is to swamp the predators with more prey than they can possibly take.
For a visitor it means constant action in the open, at close range, with far fewer vehicles than the crossings attract.
02 · Month by month
How it unfolds
December — arrival
Herds move down onto the plains behind the short rains. Numbers build.
Late January — it starts
The first calves. Predator activity climbs immediately.
February — the peak
Thousands born daily at its height. Cheetah on the open grass, lion and hyena working constantly. This is the month to be there.
March — dispersal begins
Calves are strong, the plains begin to dry, and the herds drift north-west.
03 · Safari packages
Packages that reach the calving grounds
5-Day Ndutu Calving Season
8-Day Green Season Safari
7-Day Great Migration Safari
04 · Practical
