The two million wildebeest migration over the Serengeti Plains culminates in a series of treacherous river crossings, making it arguably Africa’s greatest wildlife display.

Getting Over the River

A Mara River crossing has a stressful and uncertain build-up. At a preferred crossing place, thousands of wildebeest congregate and spend hours or even days taunting themselves and a few human onlookers. Indecisive and anxious, they occasionally glance over the edge of the riverbed before retreating back into the shrubbery and wandering around. The herd’s degree of agitation fluctuates, frequently manifesting as a burst of frenzied braying that ends just as abruptly as it began.

A handful are finally forced to jump from the bank after multiple failed starts due to a trigger or a moment of insanity. They dive into the ocean mindlessly. In a rush of adrenaline, the rest of the herd follows. They thunderously erupt onto the opposing bank after charging shoulder high through the river. This is a risky situation.

The Risks

Every year, thousands of wildebeest are swept away and drowned by poorly planned high-water crossings. As they travel through the herd, huge crocodiles are poised to capture any individual who makes a mistake move. And lions wait on the other bank. Eyeing their target, they are prepared to kill as many emergences of wildebeest as they can get their hands on.

An Eye-Opening Experience

It’s a stunning and completely unforgettable event for the human observer. It is three-dimensional in appearance, spectacular in sound, filled with a contagious sense of disarray and anarchy, and visibly teeming with adrenaline.

When I first witnessed a crossing, I was standing on the riverside just meters from the wildebeest’s emergence point. After a lifetime of watching movies on the tiny screen, it was like the game-watching equivalent of being taken to an IMAX theater.