We covered a more remote area to the southeast of our camp and were at an elevation of about 5700'. It was windy and warm today and we enjoyed every minute! One of the things about being in a remote area is there are no washrooms, so we had to find areas that were safe from animals (and tourists) to make use of a "bush" toilet. We saw several animals, but I am saving the best for last - be patient!
Eland
Giraffes
Hartbeest
Zebras by one of the watering holes
Topi (below) are medium-sized antelopes with a reddish-brown to purplish-red coat. They have distinct black patcheson their face, their upper forelegs, and on their hips and thighs. To complete their singular appearance, the topi's yellowish-tan legs look like they are encased in stockings. Both sexes have thick, heavily ringed, lyre-shaped horns that are about 11 to 16 inches. Topis have good sight and hearing and can run quite fast with a bounding gait. We spotted a couple during our lunch break, then later group.
Secretary bird in nest - check out how large that nest is!
White-bellied Kori Bustard birds
White headed buffalo weavers
Cheetahs
We spotted this cheetah in the tall grass and watched him for a while. He moved around quite a bit, keeping an eye on the herd of animals behind him. We were hoping to see him go on a chase, but we learned that they usually wait to ambush their prey.
These unusual rock formations are found throughout the Serengeti. They are called Masai Koppis. One of the great things about them is animals are often found near them – jaguars and lions.
The big highlight of the day was the huge number of lions we saw. The first pride we saw had eight lions. The next group had two males and five females. Some were lounging in the shade, others in the sun.
This female had what looked like a relatively fresh wound under her shoulder.
Later we found a HUGE pride on the rocks. We counted at least four males, five or six females, and at least nine cubs! Needless to say, we spent a LONG time watching them.The biggest male was sleeping at the top of the rock mound, then found his way down into the grass where a female was waiting.
Two males resting in the shade.
There were also lots of Agama Lizards running around on the rocks near the lions. Sometimes the cubs would show some interest and the lizards took off in a hurry! The one below is a male; the females are all black.
As we were starting to head back to our camp, I spotted one lone lion walking along the grass heading toward a herd of Thompson gazelles. We watched it cross one of the roads and keep walking, starting to stalk its prey. Another tourist group came and zoomed up. Our guide had radioed the other vehicle and told them to stop, but they kept going. They startled the gazelles, sending them running. We were SO disappointed because we thought we might actually see the lion go after the gazelles. The lion had covered a long distance so it stopped in the grass to rest and we headed back to our camp.
I did get a little video of the lion walking. https://youtu.be/hXgRTJ_uS3E
It was a great day and we got back to camp around 5pm. This is our last night at the Kisura Kenzan Tented Camp. The food has been wonderful and the staff super friendly. Tomorrow we have an 8am departure as we will head toward Lake Victoria.
There were also lots of Agama Lizards running around on the rocks near the lions. Sometimes the cubs would show some interest and the lizards took off in a hurry! The one below is a male; the females are all black.
As we were starting to head back to our camp, I spotted one lone lion walking along the grass heading toward a herd of Thompson gazelles. We watched it cross one of the roads and keep walking, starting to stalk its prey. Another tourist group came and zoomed up. Our guide had radioed the other vehicle and told them to stop, but they kept going. They startled the gazelles, sending them running. We were SO disappointed because we thought we might actually see the lion go after the gazelles. The lion had covered a long distance so it stopped in the grass to rest and we headed back to our camp.
I did get a little video of the lion walking. https://youtu.be/hXgRTJ_uS3E
It was a great day and we got back to camp around 5pm. This is our last night at the Kisura Kenzan Tented Camp. The food has been wonderful and the staff super friendly. Tomorrow we have an 8am departure as we will head toward Lake Victoria.
No comments:
Post a Comment