Tanzania continued.

[Houndoc]

Day 2

After a morning game drive in Tarangire, we started for the Serengeti. End of pavement for the next week as we headed over the Ngorongoro area (more on that later when we went into the crater on the last day.) Arrived just before dark at our camp for the next 5 nights in the area around the Seronera air strip.

A lot to see a long the way.

 

[Houndoc]

Each day we then explored different directions from camp- the variety of scenery was interesting. From nearly treeless grasslands, to wooded hills.
The main constant was absurd numbers of wildebeest. The 'Great Migration' is ongoing year round, and targeting it on its annual rotation was one of our goals. I think it is very safe to say I have now seen more wildebeest than any other large wildlife in my life.

Day 3 (more or less).

The morning started out with coming upon a reasonably fresh lion killed wildebeest, but by that point the hyenas had shown up. We got there in time to watch the 30 or so hyena drive off the lions and take control of the kill. Unfortunately messed up my early morning camera settings and didn't get any good photos.

 

[Houndoc]

One of the highlights from the next day was being able to witness a lion take down a young wildebeest, cool to watch, hard to photograph.

 

[Houndoc]

same day....

 

[Houndoc]

Around this time things got a little more interesting in camp. We were in tents in a very basic campsite (my preferred style, not just for cost reasons.)

We had several nights when lions where commonly heard throughout the night- an interesting sound to be woken up to in your tent! Mornings and evenings we had several sightings of a pair hanging out within 200-300 yards of camp (closest was about 100 yards.) Our guide's response? 'that is why we recommend flashlights.'

 

[Houndoc]

We averaged seeing 12-15 lions and 1-2 leopards a day, along with tens of thousands of wildebeest and hundreds to thousands of zebra. Not as many elephant, giraffe, etc.
During the time in the Serengeti we only had two cheetah sightings, but with one managed to watch a kill- amazingly fast and even harder than the lion to photograph.

 

[Houndoc]

The last lion in these pictures is one of the ones that hung out near camp.

 

[Houndoc]

Final full day in the Serengeti.
Another morning lion/hyena interaction. Oddly this time although the hyena had plenty of numbers to drive off the lions, they didn't really try. The interaction between the various species is facinating.

 

[Houndoc]

It was a long drive across the Serengeti, still with a lot to see and then an afternoon around Lake Ndutu before arriving near dusk at our next camp.

 

[Houndoc]

Final stop was the Ngorongoro Crater (camped on the rim, morning drive into the crater.) Amazing amount of wildlife, including first rhino sightings. And all in a backdrop of yellow flowers. A good way to end the trip as we were dropped off at the airport that evening.

 

[Houndoc]

 

[Houndoc]

And have to give credit to our fantastic guide, Nick, and chef, Suili.

 

[kmboren]

Thanks for sharing. Looks amazing.

 

[Kevin B.]

"This is why we recommend flashlights"?

That's not what I was going to recommend. I've seen The Ghost And The Darkness, I know what goes on out there.

 

[I Lean]

"This is why we recommend flashlights"?

That's not what I was going to recommend. I've seen The Ghost And The Darkness, I know what goes on out there.

....and 1923.

Pretty epic trip, thanks for sharing the pics!

 

[rholbrook]

Thank you for sharing. You have got to be in heaven as a Veterinarian seeing such a variety of amazing animals that most of us will really ever see on tv or the zoo.

 

[nnnnnate]

You went all that way and didn't even pet any of them. Should have gone to Yellowstone instead, I hear its encouraged. lol.

Awesome pics. I have a co-worker who has gone to Africa several times to hunt recently. I think I'd prefer your pictures over his. Thanks for sharing.

 

[RockChucker]

amazing photos. thanks for sharing

 

[Tonkaman]

Wow! Great photos

 

[Houndoc]

Thank you for sharing. You have got to be in heaven as a Veterinarian seeing such a variety of amazing animals that most of us will really ever see on tv or the zoo.

It is indeed