Annually the wildebeest population moves clockwise in a circular loop through Tanzania and Kenya, following good grazing opportunities and fresh water. The herd calves in the lush grassland of the Serengeti in February, then heads west and north into Kenya as the months pass, following the seasonal rains. In late August and early September they cross back down into Tanzania to eventually reach their calving destination once more.
The most perilous part off their journey is crossing the Mara River from Kenya into Tanzania. The wildebeest start to gather on the north shore of the river, thousands of them milling and bellowing as long strings of them come together to join the mass waiting at the travel-tested best crossing point, in anticipation of the moment when they jump en masse into the water and attempt to cross. As if sensing that the time has come, crocodiles approach the site from both directions of the river, likewise watching and waiting. At some unknown signal, finally one of the wildebeest runs down the bank, leaps into the water and gallops across… and suddenly in a swirl of dust the rest follow in a mad dash to the safety of the opposite bank. Scrambling up the bank they burst onto the plain and spread out once more, soon to be on their way again to the greener lands that beckon them.
Of course, not all of them make it across. In the mad stampede there are beasts that are pushed to the side and fall into deeper water where the crocodiles are quick to grab, hold and drown them, feasting on their flesh in a gruesome display, while others in the herd are injured or trampled in the stampede. Once the safety of the other side has been reached, the mothers seek and are reunited with their young. Sometimes a mother will foolishly head back across to look for a missing calf, only to be killed in the attempt by the insatiable reptiles. For it is the safety in the huge number that cross at once that keep most of the herd alive.
An incredibly thrilling sight, safari trucks line up on the waiting bank, vying for position to give their passengers the best possible view of the event. I mentioned before that our guide, Lazarus, was especially good at knowing where to park to let us see the event take place the best. A recent documentary I saw on TV recently however said that the large numbers of visitors is altering the very event they have come to see… that the wildebeest can’t use the crossing point they have used for so long in the past due to the crowd of spectators on the other side. As a result they are forced to pick a less favorable spot with more fatalities among the herd as a result.
We were incredibly fortunate to see two such crossings in the one day of our trip that we would be in that area. Yet some people travel huge distances to witness the event and have to head back home before the wildebeest decide it’s time to cross and do the same.
The wildebeest we witnessed found their safety in the huge numbers of other animals making the same journey at the same time, but sometimes in life we find ourselves going through our difficulties without the comfort of others. It is in those times that we need to remember that we never travel alone; Hope and Help are ever available, waiting for us to reach up for His extended hand.
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown….”
(Isaiah 43:1-2 NLT)
That had to be exciting to see!
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Tim Brannan, The Other Side, The A to Z of Doctor Who