Among other animals, we were hoping to view all of the Big Five: elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion, and leopard. These animals were originally chosen for their difficulty to hunt, and the quest continues today as people on safari continue the tradition, primarily for photographs. While lion, buffalo and elephant are plentiful and easily seen, the leopard and black rhino are very difficult to spot, and we were not at all assured of a sighting.
The rhino is critically endangered, with the leopard not far behind. In addition to their low numbers, they are both solitary animals, which can effectively hide in plain site. Leopards are typically up a tree sleeping during the day, and rhinos can be found in and amongst the migratory herd or in the heavy brush. The kids decided to make it a little more difficult (but more genuine) as they insisted the animal had to be close enough to clearly see it with our own eyes, and not just the zoom lens on Erin's camera. So we still had to find a leopard and a black rhino to truly complete the set.
Right out of the driveway, we saw our first tembo, including some babies, which had the predictable effect on my daughter, Miss Excitable. Of the 166 photographs she took that day, approximately 165 of them were of elephants. (I'm only sort of joking. The actual number is 101. Seriously. She loves elephants.)
As we observed so many of them, we did notice how the families remain together, with one mother tending to several offspring of varying sizes. We also noticed how the siblings appeared to interact with each other, which was very interesting to me.
In and amongst the unusually indulgent guide seeking out every tembo in the entire park, we also saw a number of other very interesting animals. We stopped at a hippo pool, which was packed almost solid with hippos just under the water. You could hear them constantly blowing through their blow holes, which made a sort of hypnotic sound.
A crocodile was sunning itself on a rock just onto the bank of the pool, waiting for some likely prey to stray in its path. I learned that crocs do not have sweat glands, so they will open their mouths as a way to cool down, much like dogs. So when you see a croc with its mouth wide open, it may just be hot! They still have a scary lot of teeth to me, though!
We then headed back to our hotel for a speedy lunch. Our goal was to go back to the rim of the crater by sunset, about a three hour drive on those roads. You don't want to drive after dark, because the animals can come out of nowhere and get hit. Thus, it is an imperative for most guides to have their tours safely at their hotel by dark.
My favorite animal, the twiga (giraffe), is not found in the Ngorongoro Crater, so I had to say goodbye to them as we approached the edge of Serengeti National Park. I really enjoyed seeing them in the wild, and I am glad Tanzania is working so hard to preserve their precious wildlife with an animal reserve. The refuge has paid huge dividends, with several animal species making a strong come back. It is truly a international treasure, and I am relieved that Tanzania is taking steps now to preserve this for future generations, as well.
Then the search for leopard and rhino began in earnest. Both tend to be more easily found in Ngorongoro, so we were all watching and looking to see if we could see something. I appear to have an uncanny ability to locate warthogs, but I'm not much good at anything more interesting!
We did spy a leopard that afternoon, up in a tree sleeping. We were able to get very close, and Erin got some wonderful photos of him as he moved around in the tree. He was so cute, laying on the branch with his paws hanging down on either side. I had never realized previously how much time leopards spend up in trees, and it was really fun to see how easily he melted into the background of the tree.
I find it very fascinating how these brightly colored animals blend into an environment that doesn't appear to be the same color. Although many of them are somewhat golden, they become imperceptible, even up close, if you don't know exactly what to look for. Our sharp eyed guide, Ema, was amazing at spotting them. Erin also really got the hang of it, and was able to spot a few that got us up close and personal. It requires better vision than I have, for sure!
Then came one of the true highlights of the trip. We were driving along when Erin spotted a lion, which dropped down into the brush as she watched. She told our guide, who stopped the vehicle to look for himself. Suddenly, we were moving quickly towards the animal Erin had spied, and it turned out to be a pregnant lioness. We got up right next to her, and she looked pretty irritated that she had been discovered.
She slowly got up and moved to another pile of brush a little ways away, Erin snapping photos all the while. Unfortunately, the lioness never looked back at us as she moved, so Erin never got a shot of her face. But the lion wasn't angry, she was irritated, like we feel with a mosquito buzzing around our heads. It was interesting to consider that we were the ones in the cage, while she was the one who was free.
He lifted his head and looked straight at us, and we all sort of shifted uncomfortably as we debated whether or not he could jump through the open top of our vehicle! Then he slowly stood up, looking towards the female lion off in the distance. He was majestic, indeed, wild mane flowing in the wind. It was a thrill to see him standing there, right next to our safari vehicle. That is as close as I ever want to come to a live lion that is not behind a sturdy fence, but I am thrilled I had the opportunity to do it once!After the lion siting, we thought we had seen our last big siting of the day. Of course, there were plenty more elephants to view, but otherwise, we were heading towards our hotel to try to see the sunset from there. Then we happened across a pack of hyenas with a fresh kill. A gazelle was providing a meal for several of them, with one in particular being especially greedy!
Watching the hyena threatening the pack of vultures crowding around him was pretty interesting. They all wanted to get in on it, and he wasn't having any of it. A jackel was also sitting just out of biting range, trying to get his fair share of the kill. It was a reminder that survival of the fittest is a reality in the wonderful world of the animals on the Serengeti, and the weak do not survive. But without that chain of events, these other animals would not survive. They all need each other as part of the cycle of life, and we were fortunate enough to see how it plays out right in front of our eyes.
When we got to our hotel, which was high up on the crater rim, we were greeted at the door with cold cloths, which were most appreciated after the dusty drive of the day. Everything was covered in dust, and that was one of the best showers I've ever had! Dinner was amazing that evening - I never expected to have one of the best meals of my life in the middle of the African plains!
Then we headed back to our rooms, to be greeted with beds already turned down, and a hot water bottle warming the sheets! I have never had a hot water bottle left in my bed before, but it really works! The heat was on - it was quite cold outside, and hopping into the bed felt so luxurious. There are no malarial mosquitoes there, either, so it was fun to sleep without a net that night.
We called it a night very early, because in the morning, our last one on safari, we had to get up very early indeed if we wanted to see the black rhino. Ema told us that they would be out just after sun up, and we had to be in the right place at the right time, or we would miss it. Thus, we set our alarm for 5 a.m. and went to sleep, excited for the final drive to find a black rhino!
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