One point five million wildebeest cross the Mara River every year on the way to or from Kenya and Tanzania. On this occasion, some 10,000-15,000 traversed at this point in the river, taking almost an hour and a half to pass. What a photograph cannot capture is the sound, and I also think any photo would find it difficult to catch the mayhem involved as well.

After the passing a dozen or more wildebeest remained in the river, either by drowning or having been trampled to death.

This was undoubtedly the highlight of last week’s trip to the Masai Mara in Kenya. I’ve witnessed river crossings of some 1,000 wildebeest of ten minutes or so duration, but this one clearly was much more memorable. On top of this there were many of the Mara’s cats, lion, cheetah and leopard which I’ll post here in the next week or so.

Taken using a Nikon D700 with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens at 70mm, f/9.5, 1/250 and ISO 400.