Tanzania VII.

12-27-14 SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA: We headed out on the morning game drive after the rainstorm the previous night, and found the wildebeests in migration mode. Their giant herd was crossing the small river near camp to change grazing areas. We watched for a while, it was an unending stream of animals. The zebras joined in the relo as did the giraffes, but they crossed in their own cliques.

The wildebeests seem to be the most successful species that we have seen. They are certainly the most numerous. If anyone of them starts running, they’re very good runners, others will follow anywhere. Intelligence doesn’t seem to be their forte, or beauty for that matter, but they outnumber everybody else.

The Serengeti is a high plain grassland with lots of acacia trees, both umbrella and flattop varieties. They are lots of other trees and shrubs including hibiscus and peppermint. Only the occasional acacia gets very big. Rivers have carved shallow valleys and there are lakes. Lake Lagarja is nearby with more flamingoes. Some places have thicker tree growth and some places very little forestation.

I can’t think of any place else where animals are so plentiful. Almost any place you stop and look around there are bunches of grazers—wildebeests, several gazelles, impalas, zebras, giraffes, elephants, dik-dik and lions, cheetahs and leopards, hyenas, jackals, vultures and dozens of other birds and small mammals.

Then we watched a different cheetah with three cubs walk for a couple miles looking for a meal. When it got too hot, they all took a nap. The cubs look about half the size of the mom.

Following the guides’ grapevine led us to an acacia tree with a leopard and his fresh kill. It was an immature antelope that it had been partly eaten and then dragged up the tree for safe keeping while he slept off the massive meal.

In the late afternoon there was another rain storm and rainbow, then dinner after ‘tails around the campfire. At night in the Serengeti and at the Tree Camp, as well, we often heard animals call, roar, cackle, scream and sometimes they seemed to be fairly close by.


Marabou Stork drying out.

Giraffe crossing.

Fischer's Lovebird.

Sniffing the air.

Ring-necked Doves.

Leopard on the left - see the dangling tail, left-over gazelle on the right in the pantry.

'I left a wake-up call for noon.'

Wildebeest are the most numerous species that we saw.

Lyin' in the weeds.

Two dozen elephants.

Family portrait.

Grey Crowned Crane.

Bat-eared Fox.

'Tails in the woods.

Time for dinner.