Nothing here stands still. Everything shifts. Dust, shadows, herds. The sky stretches wide above a sea of grass, where life moves like breath – by the millions. The Serengeti is not a place. It’s a rhythm. And once you feel it, it never leaves you. Bernhard and Michael Grzimek named their film Serengeti Shall Not Die – and laid the foundation for its protection. That this vast, moving, and silent land still exists today is in no small part thanks to their courage.
The Grzimeks – Guardians of the Serengeti
In the 1950s, Bernhard Grzimek, director of the Frankfurt Zoo, and his son Michael travelled to the Serengeti – not as tourists, but with a clear purpose: to document, to count, to understand. Their most urgent discovery: the park boundaries at the time covered only a fraction of the true migratory paths of the animals.
Flying a zebra-striped Dornier Do 27, they conducted the first systematic wildlife census by air – a revolutionary method no one had attempted before. They tracked where the wildebeest and zebras moved, where they calved, where they died. The data was clear – and alarming. But the Grzimeks didn’t stop with science. They created public awareness: through articles, lectures, books – and the Oscar-winning documentary Serengeti Shall Not Die.
This film shook not only Europe, but also the colonial administration of Tanganyika, then still under British mandate. For the first time, an African government committed to conservation – based on scientific evidence. Bernhard Grzimek argued with clarity and conviction: that nature needed not only protection, but planning. That the future of tourism didn’t lie in shooting galleries, but in witnessing the untouched world.
The government responded – and expanded the park’s borders.
The Serengeti as we know it today exists because of two men with binoculars and a small plane. The price was high: Michael Grzimek died in 1959 when his plane crashed over the Serengeti. His father later wrote: “He lies in the land he died to protect.” Today, both are buried at the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater – overlooking the vastness they helped save.
An Ecosystem in Motion
The Serengeti is one of the last intact large-scale ecosystems on Earth. More than three million wild animals live here – including over 1.5 million wildebeest, hundreds of thousands of zebras, antelope and gazelles. Every year, they follow the rains: from south to west, north – and back again. An ancient rhythm, felt in every hoofbeat. But it’s not just the animals that move. The light moves. The colours. The sounds. Lion prides lie sprawled on rocky kopjes. Hyenas hunt at dawn. Elephants cross dry riverbeds in search of green shade. The Serengeti is no zoo. It is a stage – without a script. And that is exactly what makes it so powerful.
With Jackpot Safaris – In the Right Place at the Right Time
Every safari we design in the Serengeti is built around timing and instinct. We combine experience, real-time sighting data, behavioural knowledge – and the wisdom of guides who were raised here. At first light, when the mist still clings to the grass, you set off with your guide. You might follow a cheetah on the hunt. You might hear a lion’s roar long before you see it. And in that moment – perhaps – you’ll understand why some people lose their heart to Africa. Forever.
The Serengeti is not a place. It’s a state of being. A state of reverence. Of wonder. Of deep gratitude to be part of something greater. If you want to experience Africa not just with your eyes, but with your whole being, the Serengeti is the place to begin. And Jackpot Safaris is the perfect partner to take you there – led by Andrew Malalika, who grew up at the edge of the Serengeti, raised by his grandfather among stories, silence, and the rhythm of the land.
River Crossings at the Mara and GrumetiIf witnessing the drama of the Mara or Grumeti River crossings is high on your list, we recommend our dedicated Migration Safaris: These include stays in mobile camps, strategically placed – right in the middle of the action, yet far from the crowds. There, where Africa reveals not just its most beautiful, but its truest self.
If you have any questions or would like to explore Serengeti National Park on a customised safari, just drop us a line.