The Tanzania Safari: Day 9

We went out in search of some big cats, and were well rewarded for making the effort. A very graceful and relaxed leopard started us off, sitting in her tree hideout surveying the land, and a pride of lions, with 4 2-month old cubs closed out the day for us. We found these lions resting up in a tree, looking surprisingly relaxed for a lion in a tree (although not quite as relaxed as leopards in trees). The little cubs had been hiding in the grass on the floor, and when the mother came down, they all rushed out to greet her. It is always special to see such young lions, so when they came out into the open, the cameras were put to work! The day was punctuated throughout by the always-present elephants and buffalo, and topped off with some great bird sightings. Getting back to a cold drink on the banks of the Grumeti River that is filled with hippos is a magic way to end yet another wonderful day on safari!

Major sightings of the day:

2 elephant herds

Female leopard

2 male buffalo

5 lionesses, 1 male lion and 4 small cubs

To join us on safari, click here!

The Tanzania Safari: Day 8

One of the goals of the photo safari was to catch up with the migrating wildebeest, as they made their way back north towards Kenya, where will be seeing them later this year. Our move across to the Serengeti was kicked off by tens of thousands of wildebeest all around the airstrip! It was truly wonderful to see so many animals dotted around the vast plains. We spent quite a bit of time watching all the wildebeest and taking as many images as we could, before slowly moving on to the lodge. We had the chance to photograph several herds of elephants on the way up, as well as a couple of old male buffalos. During the afternoon safari, a massive storm was rolling in, which gave us some wonderful skies and didn’t dampen the game viewing; black-backed jackals, masaai giraffe, and a pair of very co-operative verreaux’s eagle owls found their way in front of our cameras. After a great safari, we were treated to some delicious food in a very beautiful setting.

Major sightings of the day:

Tens of thousands of wildebeest

Several herds of elephants

Herd of buffalo

10 male buffalo together

Many sightings of single male buffalo

2 verreaux’s eagle owls

2 black-backed jackals

Lesser bushbaby

Striped polecat

To join us on safari, click here!

The Tanzania Safari: Day 7

A full day in the world famous Ngorogoro Crater is quite an experience for the cameras! There are so many animals, with loads to see and photograph, that it literally doesn’t stop. Starting off with male buffalos chasing a mating pair of lions really sets the tone in the crater, as not long afterwards we found several more lions looking interested in some wildebeest. The real treat for the day was a sighting that started relatively tamely, with 4 black-backed jackals feeding on a wildebeest carcass. By the time we had left (around 3000 images later), more black-backed jackals had joined, kicking off the first round of fights, 60 or so vultures had flown in and were starting to harass the jackals, which were in turn chasing the vultures, 2 golden jackals came charging in and chased off the black-backed jackals, and finally, a large hyena ran in and settled all the squabbling, by taking the entire kill and running away. Magic photography! A pair of mating hyena popped up for us, and some black rhino sightings capped off another great day on safari.

Major sightings of the day:

Buffalo chasing lions

4 female and 2 young male lions

1 female and 1 young male lions

Large elephant herd

Too many male elephants to count

Too many buffalo to count

Too many hyena to count

2 male lions

Jackals, vultures and hyena feeding on wildebeest kill

Mating hyenas

2 sightings of black rhino

5 lions

7 black rhino in one sighting

To join us on safari, click here!

The Tanzania Safari: Day 6

Making our way out of Lake Manyara and across to the famous Ngorogoro Crater, we had non-stop sightings, and the cameras made the most of it! A large male lion started us off, quickly followed by a herd of elephants. The birds were again non-stop throughout the day, and a very brief look at a female leopard gave us another large mammal for our lists. Arriving at the crater itself is quite surreal, because you are right up on the rim of the crater (caldera to be exact) and inside a cloud, which creates a dense forest high above the warm plains below. It is a stark contrast to what waits below the cloud – the flat, open and heavily populated plains. We finished the day off with several sightings of lion, as well 4 black rhino. The lodge has the most wonderful view over the crater floor, and with a good pair of binoculars, you can start your safari from you private balcony.

Major sightings of the day:

Many sightings of male buffalo

Many sightings of male elephant

Male lion

Herd of elephants

Female leopard

Serval

Herd of buffalo

12 spotted hyenas hunting

4 black rhino

Male and female lion

2 golden jackals

3 lionesses

To join us on safari, click here!

The Tanzania Safari: Day 5

Heading back to the more traditional safari, we started off at Lake Manyara, an unbelievably beautiful place. The park surrounding the lake has some of the most incredible forests and trees I have seen, which makes it an ideal spot for birds. We did also manage to find a pride of lions resting next to the big lake (not up in the trees for which these specific lions are famous for), as well as some elephants, a few male buffalo, and a host of smaller animals. The lodge is built into the trees, and despite being ultra comfortable, makes you feel like you really are in nature.

Major sightings of the day:

2 herds of elephants

Troop of around 300 baboons

Male elephant

Pride of lions

3 male buffalo

Many different bird species

To join us on safari, click here!