Welcome to the Serengeti!

Let’s take a look around!

The Serengeti is a National Park in Tanzania and one of the oldest ecosystems on the planet. The weather, flora and fauna are thought to have changed very little over the last million years. Covering 5,700 square miles it was made a National Park in 1951 and includes a huge range of grassland, savanna, riverine forest and woodlands.

The park is divided into three very distinct regions. The Serengeti plains, Western corridor and Northern Serengeti. The plains are huge expanses of grassland where wildebeest roam and other large herds congregate during the wet season. The Western corridor covers the more swampy savannah. The Grumeti River houses Nile crocodiles, hippos and eagles, with the Great Migration passing through here. Lastly, the Northern Serengeti is dominated by open woodlands and hills. This bushy undergrowth is a great place to spot giraffes and elephants.

The Maasai people have been living in Northern Tanzania for thousands of years and lived in harmony with the animals and environment. They are semi-nomadic warriors who count wealth in cattle and children. They roam the Serengeti to keep their cattle healthy and well fed. Their cows are incredibly important for food, drink and even their poo, which they use to make homes!

5 cool facts

1. It’s all in a name

Serengeti comes from the Maasai word siringit which means “the place where the land runs on forever”.

1. The Great Migration

Each year the world’s largest movement of animals takes place. More than 1.7 million wildebeest, 500,000 zebra and 200,000 antelope move north to Kenya’s Masai Mara.

3. Lion-around

The Serengeti is believed to hold the largest population of lions in Africa, over 3,000! Partly due to their favourite foods being abundant!

1. Blast off

There is an active volcano in the Serengeti called Ol Doinya Lengai. It ejects minerals and ash that fertilise the plains during the rainy season. This helps feed all the herbivores.

5. Relaxing on Kopjes

There are a number of granite rocks called Kopjes dotted around the Serengeti. These are used as hunting and hiding grounds for lions and even inspired the opening scene in the Lion King!

5 residents of the Serengeti

We all know of the big five, but here are some of the more unusual residents you may come across!

1. Working on those guns

This brightly coloured chap is the Red-Headed Agama Lizard. The male lizards do push-ups during the mating season to attract females.

1. Did you say something?!

The bat-eared fox loves eating ants, spiders, scorpions and millipedes. Their large ears are used to locate beetle larvae buried in the ground.

3. Teeny antelope

Kirk’s Dik-dik is a tiny dwarf antelope. They avoid the dangerous water holes and instead survive off the moisture from fruits and leaves.

1. Rainbow birds!

The lilac-breasted roller has eight different colours and males and females both share these unique markings. They consume their prey whole, which includes insects and small lizards.

1. Are you having a laugh?!

I kid you not, this is an aardwolf! Not some strange mixture of an aardvark and a wolf but actually related to hyenas. It loves termites and can get through 200,000 in one evening.

My friend went camping in the Serengeti with all sorts of lions roaming around

It was in tents

What issues face the Serengeti?

Illegal hunting

From bushmeat hunting by local people to wildlife trafficking; the Serengeti is facing huge threats to its wildlife. Sadly poaching pays, especially in poverty stricken communities. The risks are high as the poachers may get injured or risk imprisonment, but the financial rewards pay off. Wildlife gangs will trade in ivory, rhino horn and even cheetahs and giraffes which is having a hugely negative impact on wildlife populations. It’s estimated that 200,000 animals are killed annually in poaching efforts.

Destruction of habitats

No-one actually lives in the Serengeti National Park but around the boundaries the resident population is growing. These people need feeding so more land is being converted into land for crops. Local people are searching for energy sources and logging gangs are shipping wood for construction and huge areas of forest are being cut down. This leads to hillsides eroding, soil being washed away and even villages.

All this means shrinking areas for wildlife and ecosystems that have been around for millions of years being changed beyond all recognition.

Positive News

1. Trunks in the air!

The elephant population has increased from 6,000 in 2014 to 7,000 in 2020 according to the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute. Measures imposed by the government have helped to protect elephants being poached for ivory.

1. Saying no to Tanzanian highway

The courts have decided against building a huge highway which would have stretched across the north of the Serengeti National Park, impacting migration routes of large herds.

1. Living life on the edge

Sadly as wildlife and humans come in contact more, it can cause conflict and often death for the predator. 36 Serengeti lions living on the edge of the national park were moved to other locations to keep them safe after attacks on humans and cattle.

What can you do to help?

1. Visiting the Serengeti? Do your research and find eco-friendly safaris that support responsible and sustainable travel.
2. Never buy products that have been made out of ivory. By stopping demand for such products, we can help maintain and grow elephant populations.
3. Find out more about Serengeti Watch. Initially put together to oppose a commercial highway across the park and now a nonprofit that looks after the people living around the park and helping to build a model of sustainable tourism.

Positive impacts with Earth Cubs

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TEACHING RESOURCES!TEACHING RESOURCES! Extensive curriculum linked resources supporting teachers and schools to bring sustainability into the classroom. Serengeti coming soon!