Return, Update Schedule, & What to Expect

Hi everyone!

I know this time was too long--I haven't updated in months, so I've probably let a lot of you down--my apologies for that. I'm also really sorry this post isn't the snowy owl post I had planned on before, I'll just be sharing with you all about how often I'm planning on updating from now on, as well as what to expect from me on this blog.

To begin, this year I'm a freshman in high school--oh joy! Because of the heavy workload (I'm taking an AP class as a freshman along with a handful of Honors courses, plus preparing for a major competition in February), I unfortunately will not be able to update as often as before. I understand that when I first started this blog I was able to blog almost once every week, and then as time went on I kind of started slacking. I'm really sorry to say that I won't be able to make new posts weekly anymore.

However, since I do still have a passion for animals and wildlife conservation, I would like to make it a goal to update as much as I can, to the best of my ability. I'm also telling myself to start taking this blog more seriously--since I'm in 9th grade now--and trying to be more responsible about updating this blog. Realistically, I think I'll only be able to update once every two to three weeks, and around the time of high school finals, probably even less. No more long periods of silence without warning!

A little sneak peak at my blogging schedule in the months to come:
January: I'll be having a big competition in February, so I'll be posting less this month to prepare.
February: My big competition will be sometime this month (I'm pretty sure it's the second week), but after that, I'll have a little time to blog some more.
March: My AP exam will be in the beginning of May, so I'll be posting a little less than usual.
April: My AP exam will only be one month away--it's crunch time for me around this time, so expect very little number of updates. (There is a chance I can make some time during spring break to update once)
May: AP exam on the 8th! After that, high school finals--eek! My spring semester finals will be the last week of May (I think), which means I'll be posting a bit less than usual as well.

Basically, January~May will sort of be my "off" months, when I won't be able to post as often. But June, July, and most of August will be summertime for me, so I'll be able to post as often as I want then!

On another note, I'm possibly going to be starting volunteering for a wildlife conservation volunteer program in a couple months, so I'm really hoping that I can share what I learn from that with all of you! Then it won't just be facts about animals I write about, but real conservation efforts and problems our world is facing.

This leads to the next topic I want to touch on. Although I always am very careful with not plagiarizing and making sure to practice "fair use," there is a small chance I could forget to cite a source correctly, or stumble on some other small mistake. I really want to start being more careful with what I put in my blog now, since I really don't want to get into trouble with the law for a copyright violation. That said, I'm going to try to not only talk about animal facts from my research and reading, but also incorporate my own opinions or experiences with their conservation efforts (if possible--again, I'd like to achieve that though the conservation volunteering I'm hoping to start in a couple of months).

I hope you all understand my busy schedule and situation and have a general idea of what my blogging pattern will sort of look like. I'll try to put up that snowy owl post sometime in the next two or three weeks, though~ please look forward to that!

Thank you very much for sticking with me!
~Cheri

Arctic Hare

Hello everyone!

I'm not sure how to begin now, but now that I've finished my summer school, I've finally found the time to write again! I really apologize for all who were anticipating posts to be released during the past few months. I won't blab much, but let's just say that summer school took a lot longer than I thought to finish~ so I'm really sorry for the long delay! It feels really good to be able to write on WeForWildlife again after such a long time. :) Let's jump right into it shall we? As I promised:

Arctic Hare

Courtesy: National Geographic

Classification: Mammal
Size: 20-29 in / 51- 75 cm
Weight: 6-15 lb / 3-7 kg
Diet: Omnivore
Lifespan: ~5 years
Appearance: snowy white body + black tipped short ears during winter / blue-grey coat during spring
Status: 
Least of concern (for now) But it's best that we be careful--loss of habitat in the Arctic might eventually threaten them.



First off, what's the difference between a rabbit and a hare? Yep, the two terms are different! Hares actually have slightly longer hind legs than rabbits do. (I guess that's why it's the Tortoise and the Hare, not the Tortoise and the Rabbit!) The long legs of the arctic hare let it hop up to 40 miles per hour (60 km per hour)! Hares are also slightly bigger in size than rabbits.

Behavior
The Arctic Hare is not distinctly a herd or solitary animal. Sometimes they live together in groups, while other times they like spending time alone. When they are together during the winter season, they like to dig a burrow into the snow and cuddle up together~way to share the warmth!

Each spring or start of summer, a female will give birth to a litter of anywhere between two and eight cute baby hares. Baby hares grow very quickly~ it only takes a couple months for them to attain their adult characteristics, and they become ready to reproduce within one year!

"Arctic Hare (Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada)" by Ansgar Walk

Food and Diet
As I mentioned above, Arctic hares live on an omnivore diet. They mostly dig through the thick snow to find moss and lichens during the winter; they feast on fresh berries and parts of shrubs during the spring, summer, and fall.

The Arctic hare also poses as potential food for Arctic predators, which include the snowy owl (I quite like this animal, maybe I'll talk about it in the next post!), Arctic fox, and Arctic wolf. Although it is easy to quickly "side" with or favor one predator or prey, it is important to keep in mind that neither of these animals can survive as a steady species without the other. Not enough Arctic hare means its predators' population will start to drop due to lack of prey. If there aren't enough snowy owls, foxes, and wolves to hunt the hare, they will overpopulate themselves, creating competition amongst the hare that will lead to its own decreased population, as well as the demise of its food sources, such as shrubs, berries, mosses, etc. Without these plants and animals, we can only imagine what a desolate place the Arctic will become.

Adaptations
Since they live in such a harsh environment, the Arctic hare has evolved many useful adaptations over the years to allow it to survive. These hares have a thick, white coat to help preserve heat, which turns blue-gray during the spring to help it camouflage from predators in the shrubs and rocks. During the winter, their coat is pure white, which helps them blend in with the snow. The small, dark ears also contribute to conserving body heat.

"Arctic hair (summer fur), Ukkusiksalik National Park, Nunavut, Canada" by Ansgar Walk

Conservation Threats
The Arctic hares were prized by the Native Americans that lived in the region (called the Hare Indians), who relied upon hares as one of their food sources. However, Arctic hares may soon become over hunted for their fur and for food. Let's make sure than when humans begin swarming into the Arctic (for what reason? I don't know. But I suspect we will someday move into the Arctic/Antarctic when we become too overpopulated) we don't kill off too many of these beautiful creatures. After all, without them, the entire ecosystem would fall apart. Shrubs and their food will overgrow and their predators will lose a very valuable food source. Let's make sure the Arctic hare and all other "least-concern" species don't have to follow the same unfortunate path as the endangered animals!

Here is a video of the arctic hare for you to enjoy. From National Geographic, no copyright infringement intended. (and a quick note for you all at the bottom)




I really hope you guys enjoyed this post! After such a long break from WeForWildlife, I'm afraid I might have been a bit rusty writing this post~however, I'll make sure to make the next ones better! I'm thinking of doing the snowy owl next~ after all, they are a wonderful Arctic species, and I've just finished rereading the Harry Potter books...maybe I'll even include a tribute to Hedwig! (congratulations if you understood that reference)

Hedwig (a snowy owl from Harry Potter)

On another note, I just wanted to let you all know beforehand that my family and I will be on vacation for the next four weeks. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure Blogger (the platform I use to write this blog) can't be accessed from where we will be going. I'm sincerely hoping that's not the case, but if Blogger really is blocked there, I probably won't be able to update this blog for the next four weeks!

I'm really sorry about just getting back onto WeForWildlife and having to disappear again for another month! However, I will try to keep writing my posts offline while I'm away, and post up what I've written over my vacation when I get back. Hopefully I'll be able to get around one or two more posts done and ready for you guys by the time I return. I'll let you all know as soon as I get back when to expect another update on the Arctic theme!

~Cheri

Sources:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/arctic-hare/
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/hare_arctic

I'm Still Here!

Hi everyone!

I apologize for the long silence--I know that a new post was supposed to come out weeks ago! Currently at this time I have a lot going on at school (California state testing is in a couple of weeks--yikes!) and I have a very heavy extra curricular workload, so unfortunately I haven't been able to update as often as I had hoped. However, the next post is being worked on (slow progress, but growing!) It will be about the Arctic Hare, and I am very excited to share it with you all! I sincerely hope that I will be able to post it very soon!

Thank you for not losing faith in me,

~Cheri :)

Sea Bear

Should we start this month's theme in the Arctic or Antarctic? Hmm.... let's start with the Arctic. Which animal? Let's go with something classic, like..... the POLAR BEAR!!

Polar Bear

Courtesy: Polar Bears International

Classification: Mammal
Size: 7.5-8.42 ft / 2.28-2.63 m (I wouldn't mess with them if I were you!)

Weight: 900-1600 lb / 410-720 kg
Diet: Carnivorous
Lifespan: 25-30 (in the wild)
Appearance: White fur, small ears, small tail, large body
Status: 
Vulnerable! Due to global warming, the polar ice caps are slowly starting to melt--causing them to slowly lose their home habitat. 
"Fun" Fact: Due to the melting polar ice caps, some polar bears are forced to move so south that some polar bears have mated with grizzly bears in North America, creating a subspecies crossbreed called "grolar bear."

Etymology
Different people across the world will have different names for this fascinating creature, so I thought it'd be interesting to tell you all about the polar bear's other names.

Native Inuits of Alaska call the polar bear "Nanuq," which means a great animal deserving lots of respect. When used in poetry, they are referred to as "Pihoqahiak," which means "the ever-wandering one." Considering the amount of traveling polar bears do across floating ice sheets in the Arctic, (hundreds and hundreds of miles each year!) I can see where the name comes from.

Russians call polar bears "Beliy Medved," which means "white bear." Norwegians and the Danish call polar bears "Isbjorn," which means "ice bear." Americans call this animal, well, polar bear. But the scientific name for polar bear is actually Ursus maritimus, which means "sea bear." Some other names for polar bears (not necessarily from the American culture) include "Lord of the Arctic," "Old Man in the Fur Cloak," and "White Sea Deer."

Courtesy: Polar Bears International

Life in the Arctic
The Arctic can get very cold during the winter, so polar bears have developed a long list of adaptations to help them survive. I will go over a few.

Polar bears have a thick layer of fat, which provides them with insulation when the weather gets cold. The bottoms of paws covered with fur, which help the polar have better grip and not slip on ice sheets. Their paws are also very large, which help with swimming and burrowing dens in the snow. Also, their skin underneath the fur is actually black! The color black absorbs heat more than any other color, so polar bears use this to maximize the amount of heat and sunlight they absorb. Very large paws. Due to their big size and weight, polar bears can easily overheat their bodies if they use too much energy at one. This is why they choose to walk at a slow and moderate speed most of the time. Beware though! They will and can run mighty fast if provoked!

Evolution has done its fair share of preparing polar bears for life in the Arctic. According to Polar Bears International, polar bears are descended from the common brown bear, and may have split into their own species around 350,000 to 6 million years ago! Since then, polar bears have gone under many adaptations to life in the Arctic, such as learning to swim long distances in the icy cold waters, and most importantly, consuming a "fat-rich diet" without causing any damage to their heart or blood vessels.

Food and Hunting

Courtesy: Polar Bears International

Polar bears mainly eat seals, and hunt them down by stalking cracks in the ice where the seals may come up to breathe or looking by water holes. Sometimes, they will dive into the water or under the ice to chase down these seals themselves. Recently, scientists in Norway have just discovered some polar bears diving off the coast to forage for kelp. The polar bear's high endurance and metabolism can allow it to swim for many miles and days without rest or food to look for more solid ice or food sources.

Declining Population

Courtesy: Polar Bears International

In the later half of the 1900's, sport hunting was a major cause for population decline in polar bears. Fortunately, the issue was soon stopped when Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and the United States came together on November 15, 1973 to sign the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears.

However, the polar bears now face a new threat: melting polar ice caps. And of course, this occurring is indirectly caused by our mistakes, as humans. Greenhouse gases and global warming are the main reasons responsible for melting the ice caps, but deforestation also plays a role. With the ice sheets melting, polar bears are losing their habitat. They are forced to swim for days longer to find solid ice or land, and younger or unhealthy cubs are unable to hold out for so long. According to Polar Bears International, scientists tracked a mother polar bear who swam for over nine days, 463 miles in the ocean, before she was able to find a place to rest. Along the way, she had lost her own cub and 22% of her body fat. Read here for more information.

With your help, though, polar bears can slowly start to regain their home territory. Try to reduce your carbon footprint and recycle as much as possible to reduce pollution. Walk or bike to close places instead of driving a gasoline-run car. If pollution does not stop, the polar bears will continue to lose their habitat. I would hate to see these beautiful animals go extinct!

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I sincerely hoped you enjoyed the first informative post of the Antarctic/Arctic theme, and I will see you next weekend! (The topic will be released then)

~Cheri

Sources:

http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/about-polar-bears

Introducing the February-March Theme!

Hello everyone! I apologize for the long silence and not updating for a long time--however, I am back with the February-March theme ready to share with you all! I am very excited for this month's theme, and hopefully I will be able to post something every one to two weeks now. Without further ado, let me introduce WeForWidlife's next theme...

Courtesy: Arctic & Antarctic Collection

~Arctic & Antarctic~

Over the course of the next few weeks or months, I will be discussing the animals of the Arctic and Antarctic. Call it the North and South Pole if you want--I like both names :) I will pick a few animals from each list to write about:

Arctic Tundra

• Polar bear
• Arctic fox
• Arctic hare
• Narwhal
• Snowy Owl
• Caribou/Reindeer
• Puffins (Atlantic)
• Harp seal

Antarctic

• Penguins (different subspecies)
• Whales (different subspecies)
• Seals (different subspecies)
• Orca (also known as Killer Whale)
• Krill

Have an animal in mind but don't see it on this list? Don't worry! Just email me here or go to the Contact tab to request your animal.

If you are confused to which area the "Arctic Tundra" and "Antarctic" covers, let me clear that up for you. When I refer to the Arctic Tundra, I will always mean the northern portion of North America, Europe, Asia, and all other continents (that I forgot to list) in the Northern hemisphere close to the North pole. Here is a visual to help:

Courtesy: Athropolis

All the land within the circle (that is not blurred out) is the "Arctic" area I will be covering. The Antarctic, on the other hand, is a bit different. Antarctica is much larger, so all the animals I'm covering from Antarctica will only be from the continent (with the exception of marine animals that annually migrate to different locations). Again, a visual to help:

Courtesy: World Sites Atlas

The Antarctic animals I will be blogging about will come from only Antarctica--except for the marine animals, such as whales, which annually migrate to other places.

I am excited to announce the third WeForWildlife theme--I hope you all have lots of fun reading about these beautiful creatures. I know I will!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

I know this post is shorter than usual, but guess what? Tomorrow, February 15, is President's Day, a holiday! That means no school for me, my sibling, my friends, or anyone that is still in school! That also means I have a whole entire day to work on the first post about animals of the Arctic/Antarctic theme! Yippee! I'm going to try to put up a post by tomorrow night, Pacific Time! 

I can't wait to see you next time,

~Cheri

QUICK NOTIFICATION

Hi all!

If you were wondering why my blog hasn't been updated, I am terribly sorry for the silence. I am currently working on the next post (the February-March theme!) but I wanted to let you all know that I am still alive, this blog is still going, and I will make sure that this next post will be published by the end of this weekend!

I thank you very much for your patience,
~Cheri

African Migration ~ Wrap Up ~ Part 2

Happy New Year! It's 2016, and I have some resolutions to share with you. Also, since my family spent Winter Break in Hawaii this year, I have a WeForWildlife TRAVEL SPECIAL to share with you guys soon! But first, I will present to you all the final and long overdue African Migration Wrap Post: Part 2.

In the last post, I shared with you the main highlights of the Migration during each month of the year. Today, I will inform you of the best places to stay or go to ensure the most exciting views of the Migration!

Let's jump right into it shall we?

January-April: 

From January all the way through April, the wildebeest and other Migration animals will be present in the Serengeti Plains, so depending on which specific area in the Serengeti you wish to visit, I would recommend different lodges and camps (There aren't really big commercial hotels in the middle of Africa like you would see in Las Vegas).

In January, most of the action takes place in Tanzania, so if you are going at that time, the Asilia safari camp in Namiri Plains would be a place to consider to stay. According to the UK Telegraph Travel, The Namiri Plains was closed off to public for 20 years in an effort to bring back the cheetah population, but they have reopened again last year. Due to its cutoff from human traffic for so long, if you decide to go anytime in the next couple of years, the camp will still seem more "wild" and natural than commercialized.

Courtesy: Asilia Namiri Plains

At the Asilia camp you will be able to see a wide variety of animals, which include: lions, cheetahs, leopards, wildebeest, buffalo, and hyenas. If you are lucky, you might see some black rhinos, aardwolf, and ground pangolins as well. Your chances of seeing more active animals are higher if you go on a safari in the early morning or late afternoons. 

Asilia is not the only camp you can stay at. Serengeti Under the Canvas and Olakira Camp are "mobile tented camps" that follow the Migration. In other words, unlike the Asilia, they are always moving and there is no set "location" for where their camp is. Where the animals are, that's where these mobile camps are.

There are pros and cons to all of these options. Stationary camps like Asilia do not follow the wildebeest and other animals which are constantly on the move, so you are only guaranteed seeing lots of migrating animals when they are in the Serengeti/Namiri Plains area (January-April). However, the Asilia camp area is still very natural and animals are still comfortable wandering in this area--meaning you will see a greater variety of animals (you will probably see some more predators than grazers). 

Courtesy: Asilia Namiri Plains

Mobile camps like Under the Canvas and Olakira follow the movement of the animals, so you will pretty much always see animals in action, but they focus on the migration of wildebeest and zebras and other grazers--so the variety of animals (rare predators in particular) you will see are slightly less than the variety of animals that will wander around the Namiri Plains area during January through April.

May-July

From May to August, the wildebeest and other animals will be crossing rivers, so you should stay in the Central and Western Serengeti area. In my opinion, this is the most action-packed period of time the whole entire year! There aren't a whole of of options for where to stay in this area, since the river-crossings can get rather wild. The Serengeti Migration Camp is centrally located, however, so this might be a place for you to consider. 

The Serengeti Migration Camp is located close to the Grumeti river, so you will be able to see wildebeest and zebras crossing rivers, hippos, and even some crocodiles. You will also be able to see herds of elephants, giraffe, and beautiful lions prowling in the area in search of prey. Here is a complete list of the wildlife you will be able to see in the Serengeti area around the camp:

Click on the picture to enlarge Courtesy: Elewana Collection

August-October

During this time of year all the animals have followed the rains to the Masai Mara region. However, this region is "government property," officially called the Masai Mara National Reserve. You will have to present your passport in order to enter this area.

There are two great options when staying in the Masai Mara, and which one you choose will depend on your personal preference. If you prefer a more commercialized hotel to stay in, consider the Mara Serena Safari Lodge. If you would like a more wild experience that is closer to nature, consider Governor's Camp. 

Mara Serena Safari Lodge is a hotel and a more commercialized place to stay (it even has Wifi, a conference room, and a buffet!). They also offer safaris and game drives, as well as a special "Gorilla Safari" which you can book in advance. See their website for pricing and booking details.

Mara Serena Safari Lodge lobby Courtesy: Mara Serena Safari Lodge

Governor's Camp is more of a traditional safari camp, with tents and campfires...the like. During the months August through October, you will be able to see thousands of wildebeest and zebras (and many other animals) grazing on the plains, and due to this camp's excellent location, you will be in the center of all the action. Governor's Camp offers safaris as well, which you will also have to book in advance to guarantee a spot. Visit their website for more details on safaris, pricing, and activities.

Governor's Camp picnic table Courtesy: Governor's Camp

Some pros and cons to each of these places to stay: Mara Serena Safari Lodge is a cleaner and more commercialized to stay. They will have many amenities that will make your life there a lot easier and much like your normal business-trip hotel stay. However, because this hotel is so "developed," the experience will not be so "safari-like" for you. This pricing (as I would imagine and you would see on their website) is would also be more expensive because of all the services they offer in such a remote place. 

Governor's Camp is a more natural camp, making your trip a lot more "wild," but that means there is no maid to vacuum your room every day, refold the bathroom towels, and arrange the shampoo bottles in pretty positions. Although there will most likely be workers who will make your bed during the day, there is not much for them to be done regarding hygiene. Staying clean is up to you. The experience of your trip will be a lot closer to wildlife and nature, though. 

November-December

This is the trickiest time of year to find the center of all the action, because the animals are on their way back to the Serengeti, meaning they are all scattered and are not all concentrated in on particular area. Refer back to my last post, African Migration Wrap Up Part 1, for all the areas where you will be able to see most of the animals. I would recommend you stay with a mobile safari camp at this time of year to guarantee seeing the most amount of wildlife. The mobile Serengeti Safari Camp will help lead you to the best spot for animal viewing at the right time. This safari camp moves their location once every few months based on the route the Migration animals take.

Mobile tented camps follow the movement of the animals Courtesy: Serengeti Safari Camp

Private and/or guided safaris take you up close to wildlife Courtesy: Serengeti Safari Camp

Hopefully with these tips and advice on where to stay, you will be able to plan and experience an amazing African Migration trip! 

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Remember when I said I'd share with you all a great way to help wildlife? Don't worry, I haven't broken my promise. Here it is!

For those that don't know, there is a very famous wildlife conservation organization called World Wildlife Fund (or WWF for short). WWF offers a variety of ways for you to help contribute to wildlife conservation, but of the minority of people who discover their options for helping, the majority choose to donate or contribute a portion of their own money. However, I bet not everyone may be able to toss out a hundred or few hundred dollars. That is why on World Wildlife Fund, they also give you a choice to start your own fundraiser. I know that sounds really scary and time consuming, but if you are the type who doesn't want to just donate money, and really want some hands-on work/contribution, this is the perfect opportunity for you. Plus, most of the process is already laid out for you.

Panda Nation is what they call it. (Of course, the fundings won't go just to pandas--all wildlife on this Earth will get a portion of the money you fundraise) Click here to go to their "Panda Nation" homepage.

Click on the picture to enlarge Courtesy: WWF

As you can see, they give you plenty of options for what type of fundraiser you would like to start. You can choose to fundraise money for your birthday, participating in a competition, honoring a loved one or favorite animal, starting your very own fundraiser in your class at school, or hosting your personal community fundraiser (like a bake sale or car wash) in your neighborhood.

Once you've got an idea in mind, select the type of fundraiser you would like to have and just follow their simple instructions to get started!

A quick outline of the process of starting your own fundraiser Click on the picture to enlarge Courtesy: WWF

This fundraiser is totally based on you, so you may choose to work with your family or friends as a team. If this is the case, you can choose to set up a team fundraising page. The difference between a personal fundraising page and a team fundraising page is a team page will have a main page outlining your goal as a team, but in addition, each member of your team will also have their own personal page that records the funds that they have collected. 

Through this experience, you will not only be gaining experience for fundraising, having fun, and protecting animals yourself, you will also be helping the World Wildlife Fund take one step closer to their six main goals:

Click on the picture to enlarge Courtesy: WWF

Keep in mind that if you do not feel comfortable fundraising or donating money, that is totally fine. Everyone has their own way of contributing to this world, and I'm sure you'll find yours soon. Even making the tiniest changes in your everyday life can make big differences in the long run. Reducing your time in the shower can help save water. Recycling will help protect our environment. Not wasting paper (printer, napkins, notebook paper....and even toilet paper) will help save lots of forests as well. Whichever way you choose to help animals, I wish you the best of luck in doing so!

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I really hope you enjoyed this last post of the African Migration theme. I will announce the next theme in my next post, which will either be my WeForWildlife New Years Resolutions post or my Hawaii Travel Special. I hope you have an amazing week, see you next time!

~Cheri

Sources:

http://elewanacollection.com/

http://www.governorscamp.com/gallery/governors-camp-gallery

http://www.serenahotels.com/serenamara/default-en.html

http://wwf.worldwildlife.org/site/PageServer?pagename=panda_nation_fundraising#getstarted

http://www.asiliaafrica.com/destinations/tanzania/serengeti/namiri-plains#namiri-plains-offers

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/9714916/Serengetis-great-migration-Trip-of-a-Lifetime.html

African Migration ~ Wrap Up ~ Part 1

As the last post of the African Migration theme, I thought it would be nice if I gave you a briefing and some advice on African Migration safaris, in case you ever want to visit there and witness the spectacular even in person (I did the same with the previous Australian Outback theme. View my previous Outback wrap up post here) I will be splitting this post into two parts, because there is a lot that I want to share with you! Part 2 will most likely come out later this week. I am setting the deadline for before Friday!

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Let's start with timing. The African Migration is actually pretty tricky to follow if you don't know where the animals are in each month. Because they follow the rains, the wildebeest and zebra won't be staying in the same spot the whole entire year. Below is a brief summary of where the animals are in each month and what is worth viewing:

January
Place: Tanzania Serengeti, heading south
Event: Many calves and babies are being born during this time of year. Unfortunately, this also means that predators are constantly lurking around to chow down on the weaker calves. If you want to witness the circle of life, be prepared to witness the beginning and end.

Courtesy: Thomson Safaris

February
Place: Southern Serengeti, Ndutu, Ngorongoro conservation area
Event: Grazing. Nothing extremely spectacular at this point, but if you want to see the peace and calm, now would be a good time.

March
Place: Southern Serengeti, Ndutu, Ngorongoro conservation area
Event: Almost all the grass have been grazed, all the calves have been born. The herds of zebra and wildebeest that were spread out before are starting to group up again, and prepare for their long journey ahead.

Courtesy: Dailymail UK

April
Place: Southern Serengeti, Central Serengeti, West Serengeti
Event: The herds are starting to make their way north. Depending on how fast they are, some herds might already be in the central Serengeti or the west. Go2Africa suggests that you stay in the southern Serengeti plains at this time still.

May
Place: Central and Western Serengeti
Event: Lots and lots of moving! The wildebeest and zebra are constantly on the go. It is even more of a fantastic sight when all of them run together, looking like a huge funnel.

Courtesy: Africa Geographic

June
Place: Central and Western Serengeti
Event: The herds are still moving north, similar to what happens in May. Next month, they'll be crossing the rivers!

July
Place: Western Serengeti and Grumeti Reserves
Event: ALERT! ALERT! This is no doubt the most exciting event of the whole entire Migration--the herds are crossing the rivers! During this month the Migration is packed with action and it gets very intense. Crossing a river isn't that hard, but crossing a river with 5-meter-long crocodiles? Yep, that's just a teeny bit harder. A teeny bit.

Courtesy: Ultimate Africa Safaris

August
Place: Northern Serengeti, Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya** you need a passport to get in
Event: The remaining survivors of the previous month's ordeal start heading back into Kenya. No doubt the newborn are a bit shaky from the crocodiles. I wonder if they have nightmares about them.

September
Place: Northern Serengeti, Masai Mara
Event: The large herds that were traveling together are starting to split up in smaller groups, and are starting to settle down. According to Go2Africa, half of the animals will stay here.

October
Place: Masai Mara
Event: There isn't much going on, although any activity can entertain us. The herds are grazing and having a great time in the Masai Mara area.

November
Place: Back toward Serengeti (leaving Masai Mara)
Event: It has started raining toward the Serengeti, so the wildebeest and zebra (and all other animals that migrate in the Migration) lose interest in the almost completely grazed Masai and start heading back to the Serengeti.

Courtesy: Ultimate Africa Safaris

December
Place: North-eastern Serengeti, Lobo, Southern Serengeti
Event: This is really interesting. It's mating season, and more babies are made. Calves start being born. So what does that mean? The lions and predators start moving in. As Go2Africa puts it, "the wildebeest get hammered. Again."

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I hope Part 1 of this Wrap Up post helped give you a clear idea of where and what the animals are doing during each month of the Migration. In Part 2, I will give you tips on where to stay during each period of the Migration and what to keep an eye out for. 

At the end of the next post I will also share with you all a great way to help endangered species (like the Giant Panda...!) without having to pool too much (or any) of your own money. Make sure to stay tuned for the next post if you want to know how you can help! 

I'll see you next time!

~Cheri

Sources:

http://www.go2africa.com/africa-travel-blog/11704/how-the-wildebeest-migration-works