The Serengeti is one of the most famous wild places on Earth. Most visitors know it for lions and the migration, but there is much more to its story. These facts are the ones our guides share most often on game drives.
The name and the place
1. The name means “endless plains”
Serengeti comes from the Maa language of the Maasai. Standing on the southern plains, with grass to the horizon in every direction, the name makes sense.
2. It is about 14,750 square kilometres
The national park alone is larger than some countries. The wider Serengeti ecosystem, including the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, game reserves and Kenya’s Masai Mara, is roughly twice that size.
3. It became a national park in 1951
It is one of Tanzania’s oldest national parks. In 1981 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
4. A film helped make it famous
Serengeti Shall Not Die, a 1959 documentary by Bernhard and Michael Grzimek, won an Academy Award and brought worldwide attention to the park and its protection.
The migration
5. More than a million wildebeest take part
Estimates usually put the number at around 1.5 million wildebeest, joined by hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles.
6. It is a loop, not a one-way trip
The herds follow the rain in a year-round circuit through the Serengeti and into the Masai Mara, then back south. Read our guide to the Great Wildebeest Migration.
7. Calves can stand within minutes
Wildebeest calves can get up and run within minutes of birth. Most are born in the south within a few weeks early each year. See Calving Season, Ndutu.
8. Zebras and wildebeest help each other
They graze together because they eat different parts of the grass, and more eyes and ears help spot predators.
Wildlife
9. It has one of Africa’s largest lion populations
The Serengeti is home to thousands of lions, and some prides have been studied for decades.
10. Leopards love Seronera
The sausage and acacia trees along the Seronera River make the central Serengeti one of the best areas in Africa for leopards.
11. More than 500 bird species live here
From ostriches and secretary birds to tiny sunbirds, the Serengeti is excellent for birdwatching, especially in the green season.
Landscape and history
12. Kopjes are ancient granite islands
The rocky outcrops that rise from the plains are much older than the volcanic soils around them. They give lions lookout points and shelter to hyraxes, lizards and plants.
13. The soil comes from volcanoes
Ash from the volcanoes of the Ngorongoro highlands created the rich soils of the southern plains, which is why the grass there is so nutritious for calving herds.
14. Early humans lived nearby
Olduvai Gorge, on the road between the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, is one of the most important sites for the study of human evolution.
15. There are no fences between it and Kenya
Animals move freely across the border into the Masai Mara. Read Serengeti vs Masai Mara to compare the two.
Quick facts table
| Country | Tanzania |
| Established | 1951 |
| UNESCO listing | 1981 |
| Size | about 14,750 km² |
| Main habitats | Grassland, woodland, riverine forest, kopjes |
| Famous for | The migration, lions, leopards, cheetahs |
For practical planning, read our Serengeti safari guide or see Serengeti & Crater.
Frequently asked questions
The name comes from the Maa language of the Maasai and is usually translated as “endless plains”.
The park was established in 1951, and it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.
Serengeti National Park is in Tanzania. The wider ecosystem continues into Kenya as the Masai Mara.
