Description

The Annual Great Migration of Wildebeest, Zebra and Gazelle reaches the Mara River in the Serengeti National Park

The United Republic of Tanzania came into being in 1964 when Tanganyika on the African mainland united with the offshore state of Zanzibar. Tanzania is bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south. Within Tanzania’s borders lies Africa’s highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, the Ngorongoro Crater, and what is probably agreed to be Africa’s greatest National Park, the Serengeti. The Serengeti plains host Africa’s greatest wildlife spectacle, the annual migration of some two million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle, whilst also supporting dense populations of predators such as lion, leopard and cheetah.
Most international flights carrying passengers for destinations in the west of the country, will fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport. The nearby town of Arusha supports a smaller airport and it is from here that there is a flight to Kogatende in the northern part of the Serengeti national Park.

This travel documentary film entitled ‘The Crossing’ picks up on the migrating wildebeest as they make their way to the Mara River, which flows down from Kenya, through Northern Tanzania and out into Lake Victoria. To appreciate the vast expanse of the Serengeti Plains and the meandering Mara River, we first take an early morning balloon flight. The pilot guides the balloon over the tree tops as it gently floats along with the breeze. This is truly a magical experience. Here, at this time of the year, the predators are in abundance. During the daily morning and late afternoon safari drives, we come upon several prides of lion, as well as cheetahs and leopard. But the main attraction is the chance to watch the wildebeest as they cross over the Mara River, in their thousands. This really is a spectacle to behold. There are no regular time slots for the show. The wildebeest are unpredictable and have to take their chances. When one animal starts to cross, others rush to follow. This film culminates in following one of these crossings. These ungainly gnus do provide a spectacle that is hard to match. We hope you like it.

Running time is approximately 40 minutes.

Tags: Wildebeest, Zebra, Gazelle, Mara River, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania