December 17, 2004 -- A collection of pictures taken in the Serengeti National Park can be found at Elwai Esirenget.
The Serengeti is the site of the world's largest mammal migration. Wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, and predators are on the move constantly in this area looking for water and food, calving, rutting and mating. Since November, the migrating animals have left the Maasai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya, heading south towards the southern plains, following the Loliondo controlled area boundary on the eastern side of the Serengeti (map of migration). The rains, moving south to north, are regenerating new grass.
By January, "Happy Gnu Year", the migration reaches the short grasses of the southern Serengeti plains, including the northern reaches of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the eastern edges of the Maswa Game Reserve. In this nexus, the ecosystem is supporting about two million wildebeest and three hundred thousand zebra, gazelle, eland, and topi. In general, January through March is the foaling/calving season; the peaks are in January and February.
April and May marks the long rainy season and the migrating animals move westward. By the end of May, the pastures are exhausted and the herds head north. By this time, the animals are entering the western corridor of the Serengeti. Rutting and mating occurs through June. The treacherous crossing of the Mara River where the migrating herds fight against swift currents and waiting crocodiles occurs during July and August. The herds stay in the Maasai Mara through October. Once the short rains begin in November, the cycle begins anew.
It rained all night. The short rains have arrived, but they are late this year. Migrating herds are beginning to stream through the plains, east of our camp. We were on the road early today (7am) to visit some of the larger kopjes.
Kopjes are refuges for all kinds of wildlife. One rather flat one was home to a hyena clan and nursery. At another, we saw a lone buffalo hiding amongst the ever present acacia and candelabra trees. Lions also use kopjes as resting and hiding places. Lion cubs were seen many times poking their heads out to the sound of moving vehicles. Birds of prey such as the dark chanting goshawk and bateleur eagle were seen perched on the more craggy kopjes.
Vistas were majestic -- rolling green/gold plains, dotted with kopjes and mountains, stacking clouds, and rain spouts. As we headed back to camp for lunch, we spotted 4-5 lionesses snoozing in a sausage tree. Their cubs had to be content to nap at the tree's base. During lunch a giraffe strolled past the kitchen area.
Lions and hyenas captured our attention during the afternoon game drive. The hyena contact happened quite unexpectedly. James had stopped his vehicle over a culvert to allow Carol to take photographs of storm clouds and heavy rains on the horizon. While opening his vehicle door, James was saying that "hyenas love to hang out here ..." and out rushed three hyenas from the culvert. Needless to say James retreated rather quickly!
The lion encounter was not as surprising. Three lions (one male, two females) were actually occupying the road after feeding on a wildebeest. We watched them for a good half hour when the male got up to check out one of his companions. She told him in explosive whaps and roars that the time was not right. He quickly went back to sleep. As we left the three lions, we noticed one other lioness resting in the shade of a small acacia. She had been behind us, undetected, the entire time. Who was watching who?
At the evening camp fire, Beverly and Brittany were surprised with early birthday presents (both have late December birthdays) -- they were going on a balloon ride the following morning with Harry and Robin. Carol had made arrangements during the day. Actually, Pascal had sacrificed his downtime after lunch to drive Carol to Seronera to finalize the plans. The rest of the evening was spectacular. As James talked about Tanzanian political history, enormous thunderheads full of lightning encircled us. Hyenas visited the camp continuously throughout dinner. They were still marauding as we went to bed.
