Once again, the great wildebeest migration is fast approaching and the world at large is on the brink of witnessing yet again one of the most spectacular and remarkable sight to behold.

Each year around 1.5 million wildebeest and 300,000 zebra (along with other antelope) gather up their young and start their long trek from Tanzania’s Serengeti Plains, further north to Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve. They go in search of food and water. Their journey runs in a clockwise circle and the animals cover a distance of around 1800 miles. It’s a tough journey, and every year an estimated 250,000 wildebeest don’t make it.

One of the most spectacular sights of the migration is when the herds gather to cross the Grumeti River (Tanzania) and the Mara River (Kenya) from July through September. As the herds cross, crocodiles are lying in wait for any weak and feeble ungulates that can’t cope with the strong currents or lose their mothers.

But the river crossings aren’t the only spectacle. Just witnessing hundreds of animals on the plains is a sight in itself. Particularly because they attract many of Africa’s impressive predators. Lions, leopards, hyenas and wild dogs follow the herds and give safari goers excellent chances of seeing a kill in action.