Sight · Serengeti National Park
Remote short‑grass plains for calving herds and prowling cats
Overview
Kusini sits in the far south on open short‑grass plains punctuated by granite kopjes. It’s remote, quiet, and made for long horizons and on‑top‑of‑the‑world viewpoints from the rocks. Several camps operate here seasonally, and it tends to see fewer vehicles than the busier central areas.
When the Great Migration swings south, these short grasses turn into a nursery. From roughly January–March, wildebeest and zebra drop calves in staggering numbers—an irresistible magnet for cheetahs and lions. Even outside peak months, resident predators and plains game keep sightings strong.
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Local know-how
Plan 3–4 nights to follow predator movements and shifting herds.
Fly into a nearby bush airstrip and arrange transfers with your lodge.
Bring binoculars and a 300mm+ lens for cheetah on open short grass.
Wear grippy footwear for kopje walks and pack layers for cool dawns.
Ask your guide about the “Kusini Crater” for concentrated game viewing.
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Serengeti Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Serengeti National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Serengeti audio tourMore stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Expect multiple lion prides using the kopjes for shade and vantage, good odds of cheetah on the short grass, and occasional leopard around rocky outcrops. Elephant, giraffe, buffalo, hyena, and plenty of plains game round things out. A local favorite nicknamed the “Kusini Crater”—a circular grass flat ringed by acacia—often concentrates game and is known for cheetah encounters.
Pre‑dawn coffee by the fire, an early game drive (often with a bush‑breakfast), a lazy siesta through the heat, then an afternoon drive to hunt for cats and wrap with kopje sundowners. Guided walking on the granite outcrops is a signature experience and a brilliant way to read tracks and geology.
Beneath the short grasses lie ancient Precambrian granites and gneisses. Erosion exposed rounded kopjes—little ecological islands that trap moisture and create shade and lookout posts for predators. Volcanic ash from the highlands formed shallow, mineral‑rich soils that favor nutritious short grass, which is exactly why calving herds love it.
Wildlife
645 sightingsLionMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
234 sightingsLeopardMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
273 sightingsCheetahMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
542 sightingsElephantMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
132 sightingsCape BuffaloMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
190 sightingsWildebeestMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Serengeti. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Parkwolf’s Serengeti ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
