The Last of the Great Migrations

Think about that phrase. "The last of..." It’s become a familiar phrase—too familiar. “The last of the great places.” “The last indigenous cultures.” “The last primates.” “The last hunter gatherers.” “The last glacier…” We have the capability to secure global diversity in all of its forms, cultural and natural, while developing as a global society, yet we are not. It’s a tragedy of massive proportion. Our cleaver western civilization has yet to rise to the occasion and we are surely running short on time.

We recently went to see one of the last great migrations. In the transboundary landscape stretching between Kenya and Tanzania is the famous Serengeti National Park and Masai Mara. Millions of wildebeest reside in this area—million. According to the Masai, after God created all the mammals, they took all the left over parts and made the wildebeest. Indeed, these gangly creatures are a sight to see with their long face, blond beard, hooked horns, and flat black tail.

Every year in July and August, the wildebeest migrate from the Serengeti north to the Mara in search of grass. Flying into the Mara you see them everywhere, they blanket the landscape. Its mind blowing to see the numbers.

The biggest attraction is a “crossing.” This is when the wildebeest cross the rivers—the Mara River and the Talek River. If there has been a good rainy season, the rivers are high and current strong, making the crossing for the wildebeest a challenge. Add the crocs and carnivores waiting on the other side, and you have a serious challenge.

I’ve been fortunate to see the crossing twice and there is truly nothing like it. To see such a massive amount of mammals in one place and then to watch them cross the river is spectacular. You have to be lucky to catch a crossing, some people wait days. Eventually, the wildebeest and zebra will gather towards the river, drinking and grazing.

“It does not really look like anything is going to happen.”

“Just be patient,” says the guide.

All it takes is one to jump in and they all follow. One mammal takes a leap of faith, literally, and the others hurl themselves into the river in single file. Snorting, jumping, lunging, and trying to make it to “safety” on the other side (never mind the lions in the bush). The noise is outstanding—the zebras bark as they make their way across and the wildebeest snort, so put hundreds of thousands of these mammals together—the sound alone is mind blowing.

You find yourself cheering for them, praying for them. Please, make it, go, go, you can do it. Then out of the corner of your eye you see the crocs slowly, smoothly swim their way towards the chain of crossing wildebeest. As the current pulls them towards the crocs, the wildebeest fight harder, snorts louder and it’s just a matter of which one for the crocs. The croc swims effortlessly to a young wildebeest and with one bite, the wildebeest is theirs. Dozens nabbed in a crossing. Crocs have no tongues, so after they nab their prey, they prop themselves up on the shore at an angle and hurl their victim in the air, gnaw with their sharp teeth, hurl it up again, gnaw again and swallow.

An awesome cycle of life.

Drought and habitat fragmentation have led to a massive decline in wildebeest and zebra in this ecosystem. The latest threat is a proposed highway across the northern part of the Serengeti. A political promise with catastrophic consequences. We are opposing the development, and like most conservation challenges, you do what you can and hope that reason prevails. What else can you do?

The Giant Kingfisher

East Africa gleans much attention for its spectacular wildlife. Lions, cheetahs, elephants and leopards. Their sheer beauty is awe inspiring. What surprises most visitors though is the spectacular birds. One of the most magnificent birds is the Giant Kingfisher. You must admit, any bird or animal that has "giant" as part of its name must merit special attention. This impressive bird is approximately 1.5 feet tall. Its black bill is thick and massive. On a recent trip to southern Tanzania, we watched a Giant Kingfisher fish. It dove into the water like a torpedo with excessive force and came out with an 9” fish. Before swallowing the fish whole, the Kingfisher has to break the fish's bones. We watched in amazement as the Kingfisher smashed the fish on the tree branch where it stood. Holding the fish in its bill it smashed the fish on one side, then it flipped the fish in its bill, and smashed the other side. Blood started to cover the branch. After five minutes of whacking the fish to death and breaking its bones, the Kingfisher flipped the bird in the air and swallowed it whole. Awesome.

You Know It Is A Good Holiday When…

The airstrip where you land is dirt and needs to be cleared of wildlife.

You see elephant everyday.

The only noises waking you at night are hippo, lion and hyena.

You are served fresh fruit every morning: mango, pineapple, papaya.

Coffee is delivered to your “tent” every morning. And one morning, the waiter delivering coffee waits patiently while elephants pass and then delivers the coffee.

The only traffic is giraffe in the road.

You wake at 6 am not to go to the office, but to go on a guided walk before it gets to hot.

You watch two crocodiles fight over an impala from your private veranda.

You are so remote your blackberry does not work.

Dinner is proceeded by drinks by a fire on the sandy river bank.

The only strain or stress is searching for cheetah, lion and leopard.

You are guided back to your tent every night by an elaborately dressed Maasai Warrior.

The only accident you get into is bumping into a hippo in your boat.

You fall asleep by 9.30 pm.

You watch the sunset in the middle of a massive river.

You watch elephant brush by your tent in the evening from your bed.

Now, that’s a Good Holiday.