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Safari The Serengeti National Park is part of the eponymous ecosystem and one of the most famous protected areas in Africa, spanning nearly 15,000 square kilometers (5,700 sq mi). Moreover, it is the oldest national park in Tanzania, established in 1951 and designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981. The endless African savannas, rich wildlife, and unique geological phenomena — all describe the Serengeti. The park is traversed by the path of the Great Wildebeest Migration, and it is the very place where you can encounter the famous African Big Five: elephants, lions, buffalo, rhinos, and leopards.
In our latest article, we've compiled the most fascinating facts about the Serengeti National Park.
Facts about one of the world's oldest ecosystems
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographic region in Tanzania. Its protected area encompasses about 30,000 square kilometers (11,600 sq mi), including the Serengeti National Park and several other reserves. This ecosystem is one of the oldest on the planet and holds significant ecological importance. It is home to a great variety of species, including endemic species found nowhere else in the world.
1. Kopjes: a unique geological phenomenon
Visitors to Serengeti National Park can witness an incredible geological feature known as kopjes. These are ancient crystalline rocks that break through the surface soil, revealing granite outcrops that rise several meters high. As softer rocks erode, jagged granite peaks appear, shaped and fragmented by harsh winds and temperature fluctuations. These formations, known as kopjes, offer sun-warmed rocks that lions favor for lounging. They provide shade and a strategic vantage point, allowing lions to escape the intense African sun and keep watch over their surroundings.
The kopjes are a distinctive feature of the Serengeti landscape and verdant oases amid vast plains. They support hundreds of plant species and are teeming with insects, lizards, snakes, and small rodents. These geological formations are often the best spots to observe lions, cheetahs, and leopards seeking respite from the sun.
2. Ol Doinyo Lengai Volcano
Located near Serengeti National Park, the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano stands as one of the youngest and most active volcanoes in East Africa. It is unique because it erupts carbonate-based lava, unlike the silica-rich lava typical of most volcanoes. This rare type of lava, enriched with sodium and potassium, can erupt at relatively low temperatures — between 500-600 °C (932-1112 °F). Instead of the usual bright red, the lava appears dark brown or black, and is exceptionally fluid and cool, which remains a mystery regarding its origin.
Ol Doinyo Lengai rises to 1,962 meters (6,437 feet). Its nutrient-rich carbonate lava flows from its peak down to the nearby Serengeti plains, enriching the soil. The Maasai people, who are native to the area, revere this volcano as the "Mountain of God."
Facts about the wildlife of the Serengeti
Quantifying the exact number of animals in the national park is challenging as it borders other reserves, allowing wildlife to roam freely between areas. However, approximate numbers offer a glimpse into the Serengeti's vast biodiversity.
For instance, the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) estimated the local elephant population at about 7,000 in 2020, with around 60,000 buffaloes counted that same year. The Encyclopedia Britannica notes that the park is home to approximately 3,000 lions. Notably, the park's claim to fame is the majestic Great Wildebeest Migration, which we will explore next.
1. The Great Wildebeest Migration
Annually, over a million wildebeests, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles, form immense herds to traverse the lush plains in search of food. Their migration forms a vast clockwise loop that begins in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park and extends into Kenya's Maasai Mara Reserve. This journey is fraught with peril, including treacherous river crossings teeming with crocodiles and vast territories patrolled by predatory big cats eager to prey on the vulnerable members of the herds. This dramatic and awe-inspiring natural spectacle has been a recurring event for thousands of years.
By November-January, the migration returns to Tanzania — animals from Kenya's Maasai Mara reserve move through the Serengeti National Park towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Throughout February and March, they predominantly traverse southern Serengeti, then shift west towards the Grumeti River by April. As the rainy season starts in Tanzania from May to June, the herds continue westward, crossing the Mbalageti and Grumeti Rivers. The dry season begins in July, prompting the herbivores to head north towards the Kenyan border, which they typically reach by late September. In October, some animals migrate back into the Maasai Mara in search of fresh water and forage.
2. Serengeti has the largest population of lions in the world
The Serengeti boasts a rich biodiversity that supports one of the highest densities of lions anywhere, with estimates indicating that the park is home to about 3,000 lions. These majestic animals form prides that typically include up to three males and several females, usually with one dominant female. The lionesses primarily take on the role of hunters within the pride.
During the Great Wildebeest Migration, the lions benefit from an abundant food source, but they also prey on other animals, such as buffaloes, outside of the migration period. Lions exhibit complex and varied forms of communication, including a range of vocalizations, and maintain a strict social hierarchy that governs interactions within the pride.
Visiting the Serengeti provides a unique opportunity to observe these regal animals in their natural environment. Accustomed to human presence, the lions do not shy away from onlookers, offering unforgettable wildlife encounters. This proximity allows travelers who visit Serengeti National Park to gain a deep appreciation for the complex social structures and behaviors of lions in the wild.
3. Black rhinos in the Serengeti
The Serengeti is also home to the black rhinoceros, one of Africa's most iconic yet critically endangered species. This large savanna mammal has suffered drastically from poaching. The World Wildlife Fund reports that the black rhino population plummeted from about 70,000 in the 1960s to just 2,400 by the early 1990s. Conservation efforts have since increased their numbers to approximately 5,000, but the species remains at critical risk.
is at the forefront of efforts to protect black rhinos, particularly in the Serengeti's Moru Kopjes area. Park rangers diligently protect these animals, recently allowing visitor access to rhino sightings for a fee.
Facts about the people of the Serengeti
The Serengeti not only holds ecological importance but also plays significant cultural, social, and economic roles in Tanzania. The surrounding lands are home to the Maasai, an indigenous African tribe. The national park draws tourists globally, boosting local employment and national revenue. The park's popularity helps highlight the importance of wildlife conservation efforts worldwide.
1. The Maasai Tribe
The Maasai, one of Africa's oldest tribes, live in close harmony with nature, largely isolated from modern civilization. They maintain age-old customs and speak Maa, a language shared across about 15 ethnic groups. Although Swahili and English are Tanzania's official languages, many Maasai are bilingual or trilingual.
Modern representatives of this tribe live off livestock farming; many of them still do not know how to read or write, but they are proficient with spears, bows, and other types of homemade weapons. Today, they do interact with the civilized world, but only to a limited extent, not allowing modern conveniences to penetrate too deeply into their community and disrupt their traditional way of life.
If you travel to Tanzania, you will be able to see the Maasai in their distinctive attire and possibly even observe their rituals. In the large cities, many community members have abandoned their traditional lifestyle in pursuit of money, now earning by posing for photographs with tourists and selling souvenirs.
2. Hollywood stars visit the Serengeti
Serengeti National Park is one of those legendary places on Earth that captures the attention of regular tourists and the celebrity elite. In 2006, the famous couple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith celebrated their wedding anniversary there. They stayed at a luxurious hotel in the private Singita Grumeti Reserves.
Later, in 2011, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt visited the Serengeti. They were spotted during a safari, coinciding with the Great Migration. In the same year, Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who is also an active environmental advocate, came to Tanzania and visited the Serengeti to personally investigate the devastating effects of poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. Subsequently, DiCaprio donated one million dollars to the Grumeti Fund, an organization dedicated to the conservation of the Serengeti's wildlife.
In 2019, the park was visited by British traveler and TV presenter Bear Grylls, widely known as the host of the popular TV show "Man vs. Wild" on the Discovery Channel. Grylls attended an event aimed at raising funds for the restoration of endangered species populations. As part of the fundraising campaign, he participated in a 24-hour survival challenge in the park and raised over $800,000.
3. Royal Guests
The Serengeti has also been a magnet for members of the British royal family. For example, William and Harry visited in 1991 with their father and mother — Princess Diana.
In 2018, the Duke of Cambridge visited Tanzania in his role as President of United for Wildlife and Patron of Tusk Trust, ahead of the UK Government-hosted Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference that year.
Facts about wildlife conservation in the Serengeti
The unique Serengeti ecosystem represents a vital natural heritage for the global community. Preserving the wildlife populations in this area is a priority not only for Tanzania but for all of Africa. It is estimated that around 100,000 animals die annually in the Serengeti ecosystem. Therefore, conservation initiatives remain a top priority on the government's agenda. Their foundation was created back in the 1960s by a man named Bernhard Grzimek.
1. Bernhard Grzimek and his son Michael: "Serengeti Shall Not Die"
"Serengeti Shall Not Die" is a landmark work in the history of the Serengeti and all of Africa. Its author, Bernhard Klemens Maria Grzimek, is a German zoologist and traveler who long served as the director of the Frankfurt Zoo. He created the documentary film and later a book with the same title in collaboration with his son Michael, who tragically died during the filming. In 1960, the film received an Oscar for Best Documentary Film.
So why are this film and book so significant for the history of Tanzania and the Serengeti in particular? Everything began when Africa, after many years of isolation, finally became accessible to the rest of the world in the 20th century. The development of air transport opened the continent to the already advanced Western countries, which first came with wars and then with their colonial regimes, causing serious damage to the untouched wildlife.
Hunters, poachers, and smugglers exported tons of furs, horns, tusks, and crocodile skin from here. As a result, the populations of many animals began to decrease at a catastrophic rate. Bernhard Grzimek decided to put an end to this devastation and made maximum efforts to save the continent's biodiversity.
After the war, Grzimek was appointed director of the Frankfurt Zoo, which by that time had been almost completely destroyed. Initially, together with his younger son, he traveled to Africa to buy animals for the zoo. But upon witnessing the horrifying scenes that unfolded in the previously untouched virgin territories, the scientist was appalled.
Together with Michael, they launched a large-scale campaign aimed at saving the populations of wild animals. Grzimek conducted consultations with the governments of young African countries, actively participated in the creation of national parks, developed the tourism industry, and obtained technical equipment for wildlife protection. He invested almost all his earnings from books and films into a fund to protect endangered animals. Together with his son, he also carried out extensive scientific work. Flying in a small plane over the continent, they traced the migration paths of animals to properly distribute the boundaries of national parks.
In "Serengeti Shall Not Die," Grzimek described the amazing African animals, the life, and customs of the local tribes. The book was translated into 30 languages, and the total circulation amounted to tens of millions of copies. But the main mission of this work was to draw public attention to the problem of conservation, which was reaching monumental proportions. And the authors brilliantly accomplished this task.
Now, we have the opportunity to enjoy the wild, pristine nature of the African savannah with its amazing wildlife, and this is largely due to the efforts of Bernhard and Michael Grzimek.
2. Serengeti De-Snaring Project
Poaching is a major problem for the Serengeti, as it is for all of Africa. It still poses a serious threat to the survival of elephants, rhinos, and other animal species, whose populations are rapidly declining. The joint project of the Tanzanian National Parks (TANAPA) and the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) is aimed at tracking poachers and clearing protected territories of traps set in areas of high wildlife activity.
The Serengeti De-Snaring project helps organize and train special ranger groups who work closely with the national park administration to find and neutralize traps set by poachers.
Altezza Travel is also actively involved in implementing the project. Every month, we make charitable contributions of $500–$700, which go towards fuel for patrol cars, food, and salaries for rangers. Despite significant results already achieved, TANAPA and FZS continue to call on donors to join the initiative and contribute to preserving the wild, pristine nature, important not only for Africa but for the entire world. Details about the program and participation opportunities can be found on the official FZS website.
FAQs about the Serengeti
How big is Serengeti?
The Serengeti National Park covers approximately 14,763 square kilometers (5,700 square miles). It is part of the larger Serengeti ecosystem, which spans about 30,000 square kilometers (11,600 square miles) including other reserves and protected areas.
What is Serengeti best known for?
The Serengeti is best known for the Great Wildebeest Migration, an annual movement of over a million wildebeest along with hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles. This spectacle is one of the most impressive natural events in the world, showcasing the abundance of wildlife in the park.
How old is Serengeti?
The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest on the planet, with evidence suggesting it has existed in its present form for at least one million years. The national park itself was established in 1951, with UNESCO World Heritage site designation in 1981.
What is special about Serengeti?
The Serengeti is special for its unparalleled biodiversity and its vast, untouched landscapes. It supports a variety of wildlife, including the highest concentration of large predators, such as lions, in the world, making it a critical area for conservation and a remarkable destination for nature lovers.
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