December 15, 2004 -- A collection of pictures taken at the Ngorongoro Farm House and in the Ngorongoro Crater can found at Olgira le Korongoro.
The Ngorogoro Crater, our destination today, is one of the jewels of the larger Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), designated in 1979 as a World Heritage Site. James wanted us to get an early start to beat the crowds at the rim gate. Breakfast was at 6:30am and on the road by 7:00am.
The conservation area is a pioneering experiment in multiple land use where pastoralism, wildlife and tourism co-exist. Over 52,000 Maasai live in the NCA with their livestock in harmony with the wildlife and the environment. The area also includes Olduvai Gorge (also known as Oldupai, the Maasai spelling of the name), which is the important paleoanthropological and archaeological site where Louis and Mary Leaky discovered numerous hominid ancestral remains.
Our vehicles approached the Crater from the eastern side, climbing steeply through lush highlands. The first view of the Crater from a vantage point on the rim is breathtaking. To think that at one time millions of years ago a mountain, which many believe would have been the "roof of the world," began rising so fast that it collapsed under its own weight, leaving a caldera 12 miles wide (255 square miles).
As we dropped down to the floor of the Crater the land opens up with vast grasslands, salt lakes, pools, and small but lush forest. The rich pasture supports over 25,000 animals, predominantly grazing animals, including some of Tanzania's last black rhinos, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, elephant, gazelle, birds, lions, and hyena. Although the animals are free to leave or enter the Crater, most remain because of the plentiful water and food available on the Crater floor throughout the year.
We spotted a lone lioness shortly after arriving. By a beautiful pool, we watched hippos bobbing about and blowing bubbles out their nostrils. A soda lake yielded thousands of boisterous flamingos. Beyond the soda lake we spotted three black rhinos.
As we slowly cruised along our drive, at times missing a heavy rainstorm along the eastern side of the Crater, Alex (also known as Baba Eliza, a Tanzanian tradition of naming a parent after the first born, in his case, father of Eliza), spied two hyena chasing a wildebeest. Knowing that something extraordinary was about to happen we quickly turned around and gave chase. Within minutes the hyena had taken down the wildebeest. More hyena arrived and the feast was on. They literally ate the struggling animal alive, taking its unborn calf as a special prize. Jackals dodged in and out amongst the near-crazed hyena. It was all over almost as soon as it had begun.
Just when we thought it could not get better we came upon two large black maned lions lying on a hillock of tall grass. Soon after, we came upon fourteen lionesses lazing about on the open plain. During our picnic lunch two elephants stopped by passing within yards of our vehicles. The climb out of the Crater provides different glimpses of the Crater providing photographers excellent opportunities to include clouds and that low late afternoon light photographers so covet into their compositions.
Back at the farm house we ready ourselves for a campfire lecture with lion researcher, Dr. Craig Packer. He shared some of his current projects including the inoculation of canine populations against rabies and distemper in order to slow the spread of those diseases in wild animal populations. His work on lions is documented at the Lion Research Center. The lecture was followed by a beef barbecue. Group members dining with Dr. Packer had a lively discussion about the ideological divide that exists in the U.S. between researchers and politicians.
Inashangaza kabisa was the only way to describe this truly amazing day!
