Over three million large game animals inhabit these rolling grasslands, which the Maasai people call Siringet, meaning “endless plains”. In the open grass plains during the rainy months from November to May hundreds and thousands of wildebeest and zebra congregate. The area is the starting point for the Great Migration. Toward the end of May when the pastures become dry, the wildebeest start to gather en mass and move north to the permanent water sources found there. Usually they then move westward first and finally when they have exhausted the grazing lands, they turn north east in a stampede not stopping until reaching the broad Mara river. After a treacherous crossing they enter into the Maasai Mara in Kenya.