On safari: Driving a 4×4 through the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Imagine driving a 4×4 through the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania on safari with Africa Expedition Support. Weaving your way through narrow tracks in search of African wildlife; without warning there is something moving through the grass in the distance. Thinking back to the wildlife documentaries about the Serengeti National Park you have watched over the years and remember the exhilaration as David Attenborough narrated in his deep calm voice “and ….in the distance ….… there she is …… oh how magnificent ……. Standing so tall and proud …..a lone lioness.” On safari in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is living up to all expectations.
Turning off the 4×4 engine you sit and wait, watching as she comes closer; this is nothing like a documentary. The Serengeti can only be truly experienced live, being there, being in the thick of animal activity. The lioness comes closer, she is totally undisturbed by your presence. After all, this is her territory, she is Queen. She wanders by, no less than 15m from the vehicle, crosses over the track and continues off into the distance. In the meantime you are trying to decide whether to sit and watch her or take hundreds of photos of this incredible human wildlife encounter. Deciding to watch her and take a few pictures as it is only early in the day and hopefully there will be more wildlife encounters to come.
A lone lioness
Turning the 4×4 engine back on and driving slowly along the track through the Serengeti NP, alert and excited you immediately start looking for more wildlife. Around a corner you come across a watering hole complete with date palms reaching high into the clear bright blue sky. In the water there are a few hippos lazing in the cool water, a troop of Vervet monkeys play in the nearby trees and a herd of zebra nervously approach for a drink. With so much activity you don’t know where to look first. You sit and watch for 30 minutes or more, there is no hurry; in the meantime tourist vehicles arrive and leave allowing just enough time to take a picture. Realising you have made the right decision in booking a guided self drive safari and not opting for an organised tour being driven.
Eventually deciding to continue, it is not long before stumbling across a herd of elephants meandering across the plains with several newly born babies huddled in the middle of the herd, closely protected. A family of warthog run by, their little legs taking them at lightning speed as if they have an important mission to accomplish. Surrounded by herds of wildebeest, gazelle and zebra grazing peacefully complete the picture. A little later something flashes across the track and make its way up a tall tree. A leopard? Slowly making your way forward, hopes become a reality and there is a male leopard perched on a branch looking out across the plains. What a magnificent animal.
Feeling like the luckiest person in the World with so many animals and so much activity from unique birds, large and small, to countless plain animals, a lion and a leopard. On the lookout for more lions the decision is made to take a narrow 4×4 track toward a large rocky outcrop, as luck would have it you stumble upon several lions with cubs. The cubs play joyfully in the grass as mum and the other lionesses watch over them; noticing a bush move not far away and a large male lion rises from his well hidden spot. His mane is golden brown, flowing in the slight breeze, he moves a few metres and lies back down again; the cubs spot him and make a dash jumping on his mane and playfully trying to chew his paw. He is unperturbed and tries to sleep through the minor distraction. The cubs don’t give up, they desperately want daddy to play and continue trying to get his attention. Out of luck, the cubs bounce back to mum where she gently grooms them as they try to cheekily bite her leg and neck. You sit in awe of this family encounter and giggle as the cubs try desperately to get the adults to play with them, uncoordinated they fall off their mothers back and tumble to the ground only to bounce back up again. Before long 2 hours have past.
Lion cubs playing with mum
As it is getting late you decide to head back to camp to meet the rest of the group and share the day’s game driving experiences and stories. A couple of kilometres down the road there is a cheetah perched high on a rock overlooking the plains. By the looks of it he is looking for dinner! Gracefully he glides down from the rock and starts striding through the tall grass; not before taking several photos. He is not alone as he is joined by 2 more cheetahs and what looks like a cheetah cub. The four glide through the grass and then 3 drop to the ground out of sight. All that is visible is the little head of the cheetah cub. In the distance there are gazelles grazing and you soon realise the cheetahs are hunting. One of the cheetahs sits up and strikes the cheetah cub with her powerful paw and immediately the cheetah cub drops out of sight; mother is teaching the cub hunting techniques. The cheetahs are out of sight, all of a sudden the gazelle let out a cry and run in the opposite direction – they are aware of the cheetahs and that they are hungry. The cheetahs rise and continue on their way. Feeling a little disappointed for the cheetah but happy the gazelle got away!
This leopard looks rather comfortable from his position high in the tree.
Continuing back to the camp you spot impala, bushbuck, serval cat, dik dik and more.
Back at camp the crew greet with a cheese and fruit platter in hand and ask how the day was. Where to begin you ponder …… by now everyone in the group has returned to camp. Grazing away at the cheese and fruit platter the stories start to flow, everyone had an incredible day. The stories continue over a scrumptious dinner until it is time for bed. The crew smile ….. just another day in the Serengeti National Park.
For more information about Africa Expedition Support and this tour check out http://www.africaexpeditionsupport.com/africa-overland-adventure/ or email Debs at info@africaexpeditionsupport.com
