Serengeti National Park

I am a huge, sunny blanket of grass that stretches as far as you can see. My trees look like giant green umbrellas, and they give a nice bit of shade when the sun is high in the sky. If you listen closely, you can hear my music. It is the deep roar of a lion greeting the morning, the happy chatter of a thousand birds, and the thumping, thumping, thumping of millions of hooves. That thumping sound is my favorite. It means the biggest, longest parade in the world is on the move. It is a parade of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles, all marching together. They are not marching for a party. They are marching to find fresh green grass to eat and cool, clean water to drink. It is a journey they have made for a very, very long time.

My name is the Serengeti. The Maasai people, who have lived on my lands for longer than anyone can remember, gave me that name. In their language, their word ‘Siringet’ means ‘the place where the land runs on forever,’ and it is true. My plains seem to go on and on, touching the big blue sky. A long time ago, people from far away came to see my incredible parade of animals. One kind man named Bernhard Grzimek saw how special I was. He watched the lions nap and the giraffes munch on leaves. He saw the great parade and said, “This is amazing. We must protect this place and all its animals.”. So, he and others made a promise to keep me safe. In the year 1951, I officially became a national park. That means I am a forever home for all my animals, from the tiniest beetle hiding in the grass to the tallest giraffe reaching for the sky.

Today, I am still a safe home where nature is the star of the show. People come from all over the world just to see my animals living freely and happily. They ride in special cars and watch quietly, taking pictures and whispering with excitement when a family of elephants walks by. I am a giant nursery for baby zebras learning to run and a big playground for cheetahs who love to race. I am so proud to be a home for them all. I am more than just a big piece of land. I am a reminder of how wonderful our world is and how many amazing creatures we share it with. I teach everyone, young and old, that it is important to be a good neighbor to every living thing and to protect our beautiful planet so that the great parade can march on forever.