UPDATE: Kennedy has just called in to say he’s seen a wildebeest herd of over a million strong between Naabi, Gol Kopjes and Golini.
Nomad guides also report seeing some smaller herds down in the central Serengeti area, groups spread out between the Moru and Maasai Kopjes. Good rains in the area means there is plenty of grazing around.
Mdonya Old River, Ruaha One day in September our driver Ayoubu and guide Maulidi, along with their guests, saw amongst many other species, a staggering 80 lions in 6 different groups and areas, 3 leopards, 1 cheetah, plus 2 honey badgers, 1 oribi, 4 bat eared foxes, 20 bush pigs, over 1,000 elephants, 600 buffalo and a vast array of other animals, in one single day’s game drive, leaving at 6.30am and returning to camp at 6.30pm.
This will be difficult to beat ! but new records are set to be broken, and one never knows at Mdonya.
Introducing “Fundi”.:
Our newest arrival around the Mdonya area, and what an amazing one he is. A most beautiful young leopard, estimated at around 8 – 12 months old, with an undying curiosity about everything from tsetse flags to our staff quarters to Mdonya vehicles, and its occupants. He shows an amazing curiosity and teenager-like playfulness, and often comes in very close to eyeball our guest – one said that he had always wanted to see a leopard, assuming, if he was lucky enough to see one at all, it would be at a great distance, and never ever expected to have the experience of looking straight into the eyes of one.
He is regularly to be seen around the Mdonya River bed area, some 10 minutes from camp, sometimes at the outskirts of the camp, and on one fine occasion, up on the bonnet of one of our vehicles .
Both driver/guide and guests were surprised and amazed as he wandered up alongside our vehicle, climbed up onto the bumper bar, gave it a lick (and a few scratches our driver is now very proud of) and then settled himself upon the bonnet to peruse the inhabitants of the car through the windscreen – leaving only when he happened to put his weight on a part of the bonnet that popped under it and startled him just enough to descend again. An event never recorded before at Mdonya, and who knows whenever again?
In October, a quiet close-up viewing of a large male leopard stretched out lazily in a tree turned to incredible excitement, as it suddenly sprung into action, came down the tree, and pounced upon a quite unawares lesser kudu standing nearby with another. The kill was amazingly quick and efficient, showing the extraordinary prowess and power of this beautiful animal, which we have been so fortunate to see so many of again this month.
And to top it off, a gentle meander only 15 minutes from camp for a sunset drive turned into unexpected delight as our guide Emmanuel almost impossibly spotted a pair of twitching ears, which turned out to be a cheetah, which then turned out to be a Fabulous Five cheetahs together.
See more newsletters from Mdonya at: Mdonya Old River camp in Ruaha – latest newsletters
Sightings at lake Manze continue to amaze.
Hippo’s fighting, hippos mating, elephants coming daily down to the lakes and channels, crocodiles galore, one even grabbing one unlucky fisherman’s catfish before he could land his catch.
The lions have been very active in the general area around camp.
Many hunts have been viewed by our guests this month, lots unsuccessful, but a few times kills were made in front of our astonished visitors.
Some lucky guests watched a lioness catch an Impala and then other members of the pride attacking a Porcupine. Porcupines are much prized meat for a predator such as a lion, however can be tricky to kill. This time the lions gave up on the prospect of this tasty morsel in the face of the sheer determination of the rodent and its many sharp quills.
Other sightings this month include multiple sightings of buffalo, huge herds of Eland, the endangered African Wild Dog, leopard, black and white Colobus monkey and much, much more.
See more newsletters from Lake Manze at: Lake Manze Camp in Selous – latest newsletters
Kwihala Camp, Ruaha
Woooooaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!
As per usual we get going really early morning. It’s the most beautiful time of day with pastel colours in different shades every dawn. It is like opening a lucky-packet, not knowing what is inside until it graces the skies.
This time we found an ele cow and 2 of her offspring, but the youngest laying with collapsed front legs! Gauging by the position the calf was laying in, we could surmise that it was terminal although it was still breathing. The whites of the eyes were clearly visible…panic flowing from them…a devastating experience!
Mom and elder brother were helpless and despite prods, prompts and even an attempt at raising it up…they could do nothing but stand and await the inevitable. We departed in order to allow for privacy during these times and when we returned a few hours later, the calf was dead. We do not know what the cause of the death is but assume it to be very fast acting as the calf was in good shape not showing any signs of emaciation or injury.
Now in my younger years I would have been emotionally impervious to this event as there is always a clinical and cold scientific explanation for most things and anthropomorphism (ascribing human emotion to animals) is not allowed. All I can say is that age has “softened” me and I challenge anyone to witness such an event and the concomitant behaviour displayed by the other members of the family and NOT recognise similarities with our own.
By the afternoon we found the mom and brother still in close proximity to the dead calf. They were periodically approaching the carcass and sniffing and prodding it only after not getting any reaction, returning to feeding on a nearby bush. They were joined just before sunset by 3 teenage bulls who also did their level best at rousing the calf, using their trunks to sniff, prod, fiddle with the ears, use their feet very gently nudging it and even gingerly placing it on top of the tusk to roll the head. We wondered how long it would take for the lions and or hyaena to discover the carcass and during the night could hear the lions roaring from there, just below camp.
Early the next morning there was still mourning. They had not left his side and the presence of the resident pride made for some very interesting moments indeed. The outraged cow and brother would race at the lions sneaking closer to utilise the bounty. They in turn would growl and disappointingly retreat as size clearly matters. The cubs had not eaten in a few days and they were visibly distressed by the impedance to their mealtime. Patience would pay off though…
For more than 24hrs the mom and her older son stayed with the carcass keeping the scavengers at bay! Only then did they seem to accept that it was over and moved away enough for the starving cubs to gain access to the much needed sustenance.
Once we accepted the departure of the ele calf (having gone through the whole process with mom), it was macabrely acceptable to see the lions tuck in and we witnessed the nutrient-cycle in action.
Interestingly 48hrs after the death of the calf, the same group of 3 males accompanied the mom and her last remaining offspring as they appeared over the ridge and made their way towards where the lions are now devouring the last scraps of the carcass. We sat in anticipation while they determinedly ambled straight to the exact spot where the calf died and paid no attention to the place where the male lion had dragged the remains… They milled around a bit and rumbled, went quiet and then turned as one, walking off fading into the shrub not to look back again…
Read the rest of this and see more newsletters from Kwihala at: Kwihala Camp in Ruaha – latest newsletters
Selous Impala camp
For those who love snakes as we do, here is a shot of an amazing sighting we had this month. One is of a juvenile Black Necked Spitting Cobra who caught a toad and the other is of an extraordinary African Python, about three meters long, who was seen in the middle of the day, rolled up on a fully grown female impala, suffocating it and then swallowing it. This was superb!
Pythons lie low along their victims’ trails, ambushing their prey. They kill the victim by asphyxia and, having split jaws, they can swallow large animals that take days to be digested.
The photo of the python is taken by Jenny and Jeremy Thompson, who also took a pic of two civet cats, while on a walking safari from Impala camp.
See more newsletters from Selous Impala at: Selous Impala Camp – latest newsletters
Mbweni Ruins Hotel, Zanzibar
Photo by Aitha Gothey at Mbweni last month
Take a look on our website in the Specials section - you can book a 6 to 9 night safari from Mbweni Ruins Hotel in Zanzibar, to Ruaha and Selous, beginning or ending in Arusha – for an unbeatable rate. Valid till the end of 2012:
| BEHO BEHO BUSHMAIL OCTOBER 2011 October – known throughout Southern and Eastern Africa as ‘suicide month’ is an intense month. It is a time when heat and her friend humidity sneak in and get comfortable – making themselves at home on your skin and hanging between the furniture like unwanted ghosts. Saying this, it is a fantastic month for game viewing – when animals are usually forced to drying water sources and desperate for the coming rain. Things have been slightly different this year with the early September rains we have experienced – which has bright green shoots of grass popping up everywhere and has filled up some small pools around the camp. Game viewing has not always been easy this month, with new grass coming up in the North of the reserve first attracting a lot of plains game to this inaccessible area. Yet, we have still managed to see our share of interesting and spectacular things! And of course the Beho Beho breeze continues to blow no matter the temperature – a wonderful relief during these months before the big rains.
October can be summarised as a month of change – with new grass coming up and then the bushes coming into bright green leaf followed by impala’s lambing – producing hundreds of young beautiful babies. It is during this stage that the burping calls of the ewe’s can be heard. The only time, besides giving alarm calls that the ewes are vocal, this call being used to communicate and remain in contact with the lambs. Some guests were even treated to finding an impala female who had just given birth. They watched in awe as it struggled out of the placenta and found its way on spindly legs to its mother. Ian has also had his share of finding rare antelope in the Beho Beho forest. This area with its dense forest cover is the perfect place for walking and searching for Suni. Being one of the smallest antelopes, they are difficult to find and spotting them involves a lot of crouching down and peering through thick foliage. But it’s a real treat to find one! They are monogamous and highly territorial little creatures who browse on forest leaves and fruit.
Heribert was chuffed to see some very spectacular sightings and a few rare ones as well! A morning game drive started with a rare sighting of a red duiker – which turned out to be a very short glimpse! Thereafter one of his guests saw some strange spots and they stopped the vehicle to reverse and get a better look. Just then a spotted cat-looking creature raised its head for a second from the long grass and then darted away. Mary-Beth (one of our guests) who was with Heribert managed to get some fantastic shots with her camera. Photographic evidence that they had in fact seen a Serval! Here in the Selous! A serval is the tallest of Africa’s small cats with very long legs, a spotted coat and large prominent ears. It is usually found in long grass where it hunts rodents and birds using it’s excellent sense of hearing. Once it has located its prey it leaps high in the air, out of the grass and pounces on its prey. Heribert and his guests were mighty pleased to have seen such an exceptional sighting here in the Selous. Heribert also spotted a beautiful puff adder on his way back to camp late one evening – adding a second very interesting sighting to his collection for October.
Around the same time Onesmo was up to his normal tricks and was the one who spotted a very relaxed leopard hanging out in a tree one afternoon. He had time to call the other guides and everyone got a good look at this gorgeous spotted cat with limbs hanging casually over either side of the branch. Some decided to wait and once it was almost dark the leopard came down from the tree and disappeared into the thickets. It was Onesmo too – who was even able to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience with one of our guests Angela. It was only Onesmo and Angela out on this particular drive when they turned a corner and there suddenly were two Rhinos coming towards them. Onesmo immediately switched off the engine and with the wind favouring them and blowing in the right direction – they were able to climb to the top of a nearby hill without the rhino’s smelling them. From there they watched them bathe and roll in some muddy pools – Fantastic!Walter bumped into an unlikely visitor on a walk one morning with some of our guests. It was a special lady – but not one anyone would like to meet unexpectedly! A female crocodile was waiting for him along the path down to the rivine overlooking the riverbed below. A 3.5metre croc lay to the side of the path ahead of them. She seemed to look almost dead apart from her deathly stare. After a little prodding with a very long stick she did open her jaws and let out a long hissing sound – showing she was very much alive! Walter skirted around his new acquaintance – leaving them to get to know each other better perhaps another time! Crocodiles will often travel long distances across land to find water and it is possible to meet them in the oddest of places! Even on a walk in the Beho Beho hills!
In terms of our resident Wild Dogs – October has been a very quiet month for us and we have struggled for most of October to find them. In the last week of October, the local pack with pups re-appeared and for a number of days provided excellent sightings. All the guides and guests were treated to an incredible spectacle when out driving one day. After spotting the dogs on a plain and watching them for some time, the vehicle continued on to find a lone baby impala lying hidden in some long grass. A zebra happened to pass nearby and the poor little impala decided to get up and get a better look at the zebra (some thought – the little impala thought the zebra was his mum returning). Unfortunately he gave away his hiding place and the dogs immediately spotted him and began careering towards the little fellow. He froze and stared at his quickly oncoming fate and then sprinted in the opposite direction. He gave up a good fight darting away on spindly little legs – but unfortunately was no match for a pack of hungry dogs. They killed the little impala in some thick brush and by the time everyone got there – the little impala had almost disappeared! It was sad then to see the mother impala returning to all the commotion – unfortunately to find her young missing.
‘Bon voyage Paka….’ We have all said a sad goodbye to a very special member of the Beho Beho family in October…a little courageous ginger tabby cat who arrived here to Beho Beho about five years ago. We are not sure how he arrived here but we think it must have been on an incoming supply truck from Dar es Salaam. As a fully grown kitten, he must have been very surprised to find himself suddenly in the middle of the Selous with lions and elephants as his new friends! He was named ‘Paka’ which is ‘Cat’ in Swahili and has spent the last 5 years or so living around the camp – sleeping in the day underneath and between storage containers and in the night prowling along the paths. One of our night gaurds once saw Paka be chased by lions and he has grown into a brave little fighting cat determined to survive against the toughest elements! He is still very much wild and does not allow anyone to touch him, but if you are lucky you could catch a glimpse of him on a pathway before sunrise. He has a muscular build and a stunning ginger and cream coat with huge green eyes.But correct wildlife management legislation stipulates that we may not keep any pets in the Selous Game Reserve (and rightly so!) and even though he came by accident it was decided that Paka must find a new home. And so ‘Operation relocation of paka’ commenced! A special cat capturing cage came from Dar es Salaam and it was baited with some yummy fried chicken. We managed to catch him on the first night that we put the cage out and then kept him covered until we could arrange a flight for him to Dar es Salaam. In the meantime, Kimberley contacted some friends Geoff and Vicky Fox who own and run Fox Farm in Mufindi. As a working farm (see image) surrounded by beautiful tea plantations this was thought to be the perfect place for Paka- somewhere he could roam free and get fat on tasty mice and rats! It turned out that Geoff Fox had a female farm cat and they were in fact looking for a male mate for her. Perfect match! After flying in the tiny plane to Dar es Salaam with his personal escort (Sean) he was taken to the local vet where he was checked out and inoculated. The vet was very impressed by his healthy size, strength and gleaming coat. In our opinion, clear indicators that a life in the bush is good for your body and soul! (If you can survive!) Furthermore the vet confirmed our hope and suspicions that Paka was indeed a male! Shortly thereafter Paka was flown on the next available flight to Mufindi where he has now settled into his new home very well. We wish Paka well…and hope he grows a thicker coat quick – as it is much colder up in the Mufindi area compared to the dry hot Selous! ‘Good Luck Paka!’
The end of the month saw a special fun celebration in camp with Halloween on the 31st October. The day was packed with yummy mouth-watering surprises -almost entirely the treat kind (rather than the trick kind)! Guests departing in the morning were sent away with a treat box filled with beautifully crafted orange spider web cupcakes. Those who stayed on had the usual delicious lunch but Karin and her team had added a scary face to the pie pastry top and we all could see it was going to be a fun-filled day! Tea time arrived and we were all in awe of the delicately crafted spider web cupcakes – some with marzipan pumpkins on their tops and the web-like dark and white chocolate cookies made by the cooks! As soon as it was dark, it was time for the creepy-crawlies to come out and we ate under the stars on the parade ground. The dinner table was filled with glow-in-the-dark snakes, mice and spiders and orange pumpkin buckets with candles lighted the pathway to dinner. One of our ‘more enthusiastic’ waiters appeared from the darkness dressed in a full skeleton costume – and danced a little jig as he mingled with the guests – providing much amusement and the odd fright as he took away your plate from behind you in the darkness! Dinner was a scrumptious meal especially pudding which was a creative coffin style chocolate mousse even with its own white chocolate RIP sign!
We will be closing for most of November and the beginning of December. This quiet time with no visitors enables us to do some important maintenance and also to complete some of our new projects. As a safari camp – we always strive to evolve and improve the product we provide to our guests. New exciting developments include an extension on the pool area making more space to relax and sunbathe; the demolition of an unused pilot’s room (banda 1) and a refurbishment of the interiors of the kitchen (which Karin is chuffed about!). All of this is keeping our camp manager Ian very busy as he regularly runs around all day with his tape measure in hand! We also have an exciting new look and feel for the camp with some bright new furniture and fittings – but we won’t spoil all the surprises – hopefully more on this next time!We hope this Bush Mail finds you well and you are looking forward to an enjoyable festive period ahead! Christmas plans are already under way here at Beho Beho and we are all brimming with excitement for the glorious food, fun and entertainment of Christmas that we have in-store for the lucky guests who will be here during this period! And if anyone is stuck with nothing exciting planned- then why not escape the cold and come spend Christmas with us in the Selous – we still have space and it’s going to be a bumper one! A very special and memorable Safari Christmas! Oh yes, and did we mention the weather looks to be blue skies and sunshine and HOT HOT HOT!
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Just back from Singita Explore Mobile Tented Camp, Mark Witney, Chief Operating Officer at Singita, shares his musings about a night under canvas and the vast African sky.
If you have never spent a night in the African bush with nothing between you and the vast African night sky but a canvas tent, you have to put it on your ‘bucket list’!
Anthropologists are pretty certain that man originated in Africa and I have to believe that this accounts for the spiritual experience often described by first-time visitors to this continent. Africa is etched deeply in the DNA of all of mankind. The best way to experience this is to immerse yourself in the sights, smells, sounds and feel of the night, and what better way to do this than to lie in a comfy bed in a beautiful tent with a gentle breeze blowing.
An evening at Singita Explore starts with a gathering around the fire. Cocktails and campfire talk as you watch the fire throw sparks up into the dark sky, and above you a view of the Milky Way as you have never seen it before. Because there is no surrounding light pollution, each star in this huge galaxy is clearly visible. Satellites drift across the evening sky, distant reminders of the technological world that seems so irrelevant when you contemplate the universe. Nearly 14 billion years old and expanding at hundreds of kilometres per second, around a billion galaxies in the universe and approximately a billion stars per galaxy – the numbers are beyond comprehension. Our sun is just one of those billion x billion stars and our earth is just a tiny speck revolving around that tiny sun. How irrelevant we are and how full we are of our own self-importance!
Nearby a fiery necked nightjar calls its plaintive prayer ‘good Lord – deliver us’. Far away a hyena whoops to announce that her night patrol has begun.
“Dinner’s ready” shakes you out of your reverie and to the table set just beyond the campfire. Hurricane lamps create a warm glow as you sit down to a simple but beautifully prepared meal. Potato and leek soup with bread freshly baked on the fire, grilled venison with locally grown, organic vegetables and a good old fashioned malva pudding with cream for dessert.
Coffee is served around the fire and as the embers fade so too does the conversation.
Back to your tent and, in the silence of the camp as you snuggle between the sheets, you become aware of the fact that many of the nocturnal creatures are just beginning their ‘day’. A spotted eagle owl hoots while the nightjars continue their repetitive call to the Lord. A lone hyena, closer now, whoops gently and sadly and in the distance you can just make out the roar of a territorial male lion announcing his dominance.
As you drift off to sleep you briefly contemplate how strangely familiar it all feels and yet how far away you are from the life you lead. You are hooked – and you’ll be back!
Hello all, so then, how have things been?? Just thought that we would make you all really rather jealous with stories from our last week up in the Nsefu sector before the camps close for the rains…
After the early couple of days of rain at the beginning of the month, which took us really rather by surprise and left Nsefu bar with a curious looking new hair do, things dried out and really started to heat up. With temperatures resting in the early 40’s during the day everything was starting to get a little slower off the mark – even the birds sitting in the roads could only just get off in time to let you pass. However whilst we were all wilting away it would appear that mother nature decided to put on a pretty spectacular show for our last guests up in the Nsefu sector for the season.
Carmine Bee-eaters littered the bank with their gloriously coloured plumage and their friendly and familiar chirps – Bertie had put in a fabulous hide down on the river bed, right amongst a Carmine colony and, once in there, they forgot you were around and flew right up to you giving a spectacular display. From the small and elegant Bee-eaters we were then blessed with the B52 bombers of the skies as the Pelicans dove down to feast on the fish trapped in the drying out Lunga Lagoon. Whilst large and slightly clumsy looking, they swim in perfect unison through the water creating a perfect trap for the fish – once full to the brim “time out” is taken on the edge of the lagoon waiting for their appetite to return.
Lunga Lagoon was also the site for some slightly less elegant shows, with a few buffalo getting stuck in the mud and providing a feast for the crocodiles as well as a young male lion who was not going to turn down such a wonderful opportunity. The lion pride at Tena took a little attempt at mating, but I think it was just a little bit too hot for the old guy and he really rather just take things easy in the shade!!
Large herds of buffalo have been moving in swathes across the open plains, eating what small amounts of greenery that they can find, and maintaining comfort in numbers, but this really didn’t help a couple of them up at Nsefu when the Nsefu pride, with last years cubs, took to their feet and dashed through one particular herd, breaking it up from all sides, before isolating one buffalo and taking it down, whilst simultaneously (and I don’t think that this was planned) pushed another off into some deep thick mud where it got trapped and turned into easy pickings – it was like two for the price of one in the lion supermarket!! Rather full, they continued to gorge themselves on this wonderful feast before cooling off in the river and then doing what lions do best – sleeping!!!! From the same pride, mum has brought her new cubs out to play a couple of times, but they are still really rather tiny so not fully part of the pride yet, but the occasional glimpse has been had which is a real treat.
The icing on the rather large cake then came with Wild Dogs… a pack of them were spotted on the salt pans for several days running, which is great news as they are not often seen at this time of the year as well as not often seen up in the Nsefu sector. We hope that they stick around and provide us with lots more excellent viewing.
So that was the last week of Nsefu and Tena Tena being open – you can not say that we didn’t go out in style! The camps are now closed and packed up for another rainy season – although we will be opening Nsefu for the River Journeys, which is always a particularly magical trip. The other thing is that we have had a lot of people inquiring about our beloved Tena Tena and what is happening.
We will be opening our current Tena at the beginning of the season for a few weeks (exact details yet to be finalized) whilst we finish building the new Tena. We will then block off a few days and move everyone across and get started with the new era. Whilst it will be sad to say goodbye to a camp that we all know and love, the new camp will be fantastic – a hard challenge though to upgrade such a camp and maintain its current feeling.
To give you all a brief insight into it, the new site will be just over a kilometer upstream and situated under a beautiful ebony grove. The new tents will be square in shape (current tents are 5m x 3m and the new ones will be 5m x 5m, so slightly bigger but not huge, which we feel is important) the bathrooms will be on the side and they will be pretty much the same as the current ones. The main difference in the rooms will be that there will be no thatch over the tents, so just a straight canvas roof, the floors will be a permanent fixture and the sides of the tents will baton down onto the floor. We are hoping to go solar which will be quite a challenge for us, as we have not gone this route so positively before – something new and exciting!!
So there we go for the brief insight into the new Tena Tena, I hope that it has got everyone excited and whetted the appetite. We are starting to get raw materials into place now and will start as and when we can, weather permitting, so shall keep you all posted with progress and, hopefully, with some photos.
I shall go now, but I really feel I should leave you all with a rather entertaining story from Luangwa River Camp… Claire was waving Sebastian off on his game drive a couple of days ago after a rather large rain storm. Just as the car drove off and Claire turned away, she heard a dull thud – Sebastian, rather un-used to driving a car with a canopy, had slightly misjudged the height and hit a low hanging branch which caused all of the water sitting ontop of the canopy to come pouring down creating a spectacular waterfall feature all over Sebastian and the spotter in the front seats!! Much hilarity was enjoyed by all onlookers!!!
Just in case anyone missed the online streaming of the hippo film , I believe it is being shown this evening in the UK on Channel 4 at 9 p.m.
Hope you all had a chuckle and have a great week. Next week who knows what tales we will have to share…
Migration report – 1 November 2011
Report from Nomad Tanzania’s Kiba Point Manager Matt, staying at Serengeti Lamai:
Guests at Lamai saw a good crossing yesterday. Heavy rain the last few days seems to have brought the wildebeest back and they have been around in force with herds visible in front of the lodge almost all the time. We’ve also had some nice morning visits from a herd of ellies one day, a herd of buffalo the next and a herd of eland the day after.
We watched a hyena chase some wildebeest two mornings ago. Last night, we watched a leopard and hyena walk in front of the rooms and lions pulled down two wildebeest just off the kopje a couple of days ago.
The highlight for me so far was when I went out on a game drive. We came across a pride of lions with a leopard in a tree about 200 meters away and a fresh zebra carcass fifty meters after the leopard at the bottom of a korongo. A lioness came over and was about to chase the leopard up the tree when a buffalo decided to join the party and chased the lion away (who then went and started eating the zebra).
Serengeti Migration Update – 20 October 2011
From Nomad Tanzania guide Remtula Nassary “I’ve been staying at Lamai Serengeti for the last week; we are still seeing some herds crossing the Mara river north to south (these pictures taken 2 days ago) but I think these are amongst the last of the herds now and they will start heading south. The rain up here has been quite patchy this last week, and it appears to be raining a lot further south. Still, my guests were very happy to see this particular crossing”
Serengeti Migration Update – 29th September 2011
There are still big herds crossing and recrossing the Mara river in the northern Serengeti and there has been a lot of rain around Nyamalumbwa and Kogatende which provides them with good grazing. Our guides have seen rhinos with calves and quite a few cheetah chasing down young wildebeest
Serengeti Migration Update – 21 September 2011
From Lamai Serengeti we’ve had a lot of wildebeest around, our guests are seeing river crossings all the time. Because of the rain we’ve had here, it seems the big herds are all heading down and across the river again. We’ve even heard reports of herds near Ikoma.
From Nomad guide Chediel I’ve seen big herds from Nyamalumbwa to Kogatende, criss-crossing over the sand river.
Serengeti Migration Update – 7th September 2011
There is plenty of water in the Mara River, and with this lots of carcasses of drowned wildebeest, not such a good sight. There are still lots of wildebeest crossing over in both directions, but rising river levels because of the rain has meant they can’t always cross.
Serengeti Migration Update – 24th August 2011
Spectacular thunderstorms over the past 14 days have changed the Lamai Wedge and most of the northern Serengeti into solid green pastures. Unusual for the time of year, the rainfall and lightning has been so bountiful that it hasn’t gone unnoticed to the wildebeests that are close to the area.
Attracted by the promise of green grass the herds residing in the Masai Mara are now returning by the thousands. Adding more to their already vast numbers, they cross the Mara River in dramatic amounts, creating crossings so spectacular you will not believe your eyes!
Serengeti Migration Update – 17th August
Word on the Migration..from Nomad guide Rowland…
who has just stopped by after being out on safari at Serengeti Safari Camp with his guests. “We were up by the Mara River, watching the crossings, Kogatende area…but I’m not telling you exactly where as it’s a secret, as I can still take my guests there and not see any other cars!!!!” Your secret is totally safe with me, I assured him. “We saw about 300 wildebeest crossing, and I’m not exaggerating but at least 100 perished. Honestly. There were in such a panic to cross, there were lines of them trampling over other ones. It was very dramatic but not so easy to watch.
We also saw a Tawny Eagle diving down, right next to where we were driving, and it grabbed a grass snake and took it back up to the tree; my guests were amazed it happened so close to the car”. And with that, he grabbed his next safari file and headed off out again with a smile.
Serengeti Migration Update – 10th August 2011
Chediel reports seeing loads of big wildebeest herds around the Nyamalumbwa area as well as frequent rhino sightings.
But his most exciting report
“On arrival in Lobo on the way to Serengeti Safari Camp, we saw a Martial eagle flying really low. I stopped the car to watch, one of my guests was a keen birder, and then to our total suprise it went after and killed a young Thomson’s Gazelle. I have never seen this before! It struggled to drag the kill away, but it wouldn’t let go”.
Serengeti Migration Update – 29th July 2011
The migration is en masse in the northern Serengeti areas of Nyamalumbwa to Kogatende. Our new lodge – Lamai Serengeti – is almost totally surrounded, as of this morning (the nights are getting noisy, with lots of predators moving in fast)! The weather is cool in the mornings and there has been some light rain.
From Nomad guides out in the Serengeti
Emmanuel – spent the morning surrounded by about 500,000 wildebeest. What a sight! Yesterday I saw a rhino surrounded by 7 lion. The lion were stalking the rhion, but on noticing them suddenly he charged at them and chased them all away. An amazing scene to watch.
Serengeti Migration Update – 6 July 2011
Our guide Ken has just called in from the Serengeti to report big herds of wildebeest now being seen across the northern Serengeti. Particularly strong around Lobo / Bologonja and Nyamalumbwa, with increasing numbers coming into the Wogakuria & Lamai areas.
Good groups still being seen in the Western Corridor, but the weather over the next few days will dictate whether they remain within easy reach of Grumeti or also start heading North. We’re keeping a very close daily eye on things and as always will react as fast and flexibly as required, to ensure that everyone gets within reach of some of these concentrations.
Serengeti Migration Update – 27 June 2011
Just back in from safari. The migration is very fragmented with herds still in the Western Corridor, sizeable herds being seen in Lobo, Togoro Plains and around Mbuzi Mawe. There are also reports of trailblazing herds stretching from Kleins and up into Bologonja. The afternoons have been rainy most days with spectacular thunderstorms at times. This unseasonable weather, for our dry season, explains why the migration is so broken up.
From Richard Knocker, Senior safari guide, Nomad Tanzania
Migration and the Grumeti River – 21 June 2011
From Felix and Jacob, Nomad guides at Serengeti Safari Camp
There has been some rain over these last days, around Lobo and Mbuzi Mawe and everything is starting to green up. We’ve seen the migration crossing the Grumeti River, heading towards Lobo. There are plenty of herds around Togoro and Ikoma too.
Felix – I saw a crocodile ‘in partnership’ with a fish eagle, taking fish out of the water, which the fish eagle then ate. I also saw a cheetah with very young, about two month old, cubs.
Jacob – A first for me, seeing hippo mating in the Grumeti River, that and a poor old zebra getting taken down by a hippo whilst crossing the river.
Serengeti Migration Update – 15 June 2011
I drove from Kogatende to Loliondo this morning. There is great game in the east and some herds of wildebeest, no doubt part of those that are being reported by the Mara operators.
Nothing in Koga itself at the moment but I’m told that the majority of the migrating herds are in Grumeti and heading north fast so expect them up near us soon.
Cheers, John Corse (MD, Nomad)
Migration Update – 14th June 2011
Slightly cooler weather at the moment is a bonus for those out game viewing. Most of the action is being seen around the Kirawira/Grumeti area of the Western Corridor. The Grumeti River is not that high, but there are many pools filled with water that the crocs are hiding in, waiting for the unsuspecting wildebeest to visit. Guests out now were just treated to that spectacle as they sat beside the pool. Leopards seem to be all around our Serengeti Safari Camp, currently in Musabi.
Serengeti Migration Update – 26th May 2011
“There are many large groups of wildebeest around the Western Corridor and from Serengeti Safari Camp (currently in Musabi) we’re getting great sightings every day. Over the last week I’ve seen over 60 lion, lionesses and cubs as well as 6 leopards and 5 cheetah. There are cats everywhere!!!
The weather is cool and cloudy, but no rain at the moment.”
Nomad Tanzania senior guide – Emmanuel Njawa
Serengeti Migration Update – 3rd May 2011
Hearing From Nomad guides out in the Serengeti in the field that the Migration is still around in the southern Moru area, but its rained in the central Serengeti (Rongai) for the last three days, so this might persuade the wildebeest to head north again. We’ll keep you posted.
Serengeti Migration Update – 26 April 2011
Wednesday evening last week, the migration were en masse on the big open plains around Ndutu; thousands of them in every direction. We had one of those ‘parting of the waves’ moments…Cornelius drove us right into the midst and then for about an hour we watched them passing, an amazing site and rather on the noisy side!!
Thursday morning we woke early, packed up our Wilderness Mobile Camp and headed north and west up to Moru Kopjes; what an epic drive that was! We had a huge stormy black sky to our right and brilliant sunshine to our left. We left the southern grass plains way behind, they’re drying up now as the long rains haven’t been good to us this year, and arrived in the Kopjes around sunset. The following morning, at sunrise, the migration arrived. Literally! I think I even saw the first wildebeest in the procession; a thick fat ‘snake’ of wildebeest and zebra pouring in below us.
Since then, our camp headman says they’re still coming through, but due to only gentle rains in the evenings, they may well keep heading up north and west. This is unusually early, but then it’s all about the rains and they’ve been somewhat lacking so far.
Migration Update – 15th April 2011
The word just in from the Serengeti – there’s a large group of Wildebeest around Makao in the Ndutu area and then another large group seen heading towards Moru. It hasn’t rained in Ndutu for several days now, despite cloudy weather, and so it looks like that lot might be heading off to find greener pastures. Generally they all seem to be spread out in a wide area, some have been seen around Nasera and Olduvai. This is very normal behaviour at this time of year.
Migration Update – 23rd March 2011
Monday morning, this week, we watched the first of the migratory herds arriving back into the Ndutu area after several days of heavy rain. They had started to go north-west towards Moru and Maswa, as the southern grass plains were drying up. Now, with all this rain and the area greeing up nicely, they are heading back. By Tuesday morning the plains were filling up lots of wildebeest and zebra and plenty of cats. We spent a good hour with a small pride, a beautiful dark-maned lion and his three lionesses; fat and happy after a recent wildebeest kill. The next morning, our guide Jacob, out even earlier than us, saw three cheetah take down an adult wildebeest. By the time we got there, the cheetah were sprawled in the mud (had been very rainy Monday night) next to the kill. Fantastic to see the southern grass plains teeming with activity
Serengeti Migration Update – 9th March 2011
Serengeti Migration Update there have been very good rains around Ndutu and the wildbeest are heading south from the Moru area, loads of calves with them and the usual bunch of cats following looking for an easy dinner!
Nomad guide Alikea saw a Marshall eagle engage in a spectacular aerial display against a Kori Bustard, diving at it over and over until he killed it. This is not something you see every day!!!
Halifa reported mating zebras, not quite at every turn, but seemed to be a lot of them – and plenty of wildebeest giving birth, and young calves.
Migration Update – 28th February 2011
The wildebeest are concentrating around the Hidden Valley & Miti Mitatu area with some headed to Kusini due to lack of rains this past week around Ndutu. Nomad Tanzania guide, Emmanuel, has been seeing cats everywhere and a leopard that walked right in front of his car, stopping right on cue to pose for happy photographers in the vehicle, before climbing up a nearby tree. He said it was one of the best close-up sightings he’d ever seen. Halifa has been seeing lots of newborn wildebeest and even a wildebeest giving birth. The guests with him, first-timers on safari, were suitably awed by it all.
Migration Update – 14th February 2011
Migration Update big herds seen around Kusini & towards Maswa. Ndutu is currently dry and windy and generally there isn’t much rain around. All the guides report seeing stacks of cats and elephants whilst they’re out amongst the herds.
Migration Update – 7th January 2011
Good rains in the southern Serengeti (around Ndutu especially) has meant that the migration is well scattered – Nomad safari guides reporting seeing big herds around Ndutu, Moru, Kusini and some in Piyaya. Our guide Halifa has had the most exciting week of all; seeing a buffalo giving birth and then fighting off a hyena, and a herd of wildebeest crossing Lake Ndutu. Rowland saw a honey badger and kept his distance! They’re all reporting in from the field to say the general plains game sightings are great!! Our Serengeti Safari Camp is in Ndutu, well placed to catch all the action
Migration Update – 24th December 2010
The migration is scattered, many herds still seen around Moru, but many on their way down to Ndutu, in the Naabi Hill and some have gone across to the Gol Kopjes.
Rains in Ndutu and surrounds have meant lots of green grass and good grazing.
Cats are everywhere Chediel and his clients saw a spectacular cheetah kill, mother feeding her cubs. Sylvanus watched a leopard and older cubs take down a young zebra. Everyone is in the Christmas holiday spirit and enjoying their safari – Happy Christmas to all from Nomad Tanzania and hope to see you on safari in 2011.
Migration Update – 14th December 2010
Nomad guides are reporting seeing the migration stretched between Naabi, Moru and down to Ndutu. There has been some rain so the whole area has greened up nicely, especially around Ndutu where there has been quite a bit of rain. Lions are definitely on the viewing menu, as well as elephants and some great bird sightings.
Migration Update – 24th November 2010
The wildebeest herds are scattered in rather fragmented herds between Lobo and Seronera; this isn’t unusual for this time of year, and the lack of heavy rains has meant they are more spread out and in smaller groups. Nomad guides have still had good cat sightings over the last week from our Serengeti Safari Camp in the central Serengeti.
Migration Update – 7th November 2010
There are still some crossings being seen at the Mara River, our Nomad videographer witnessed a very exciting crossing yesterday with other Nomad guests, but the herds are also seen further south around Lobo as well. The rains have been light this past week, but everywhere is still green and lush. Our guides have seen good elephant, lion and plains game sightings; Jacob and his guests saw a baboon kill a baby bushbuck.
Migrationn Update – 26th October 2010
There are big herds around Bologonja, heading down towards Lobo. There have been plenty of rain in the last couple weeks, so there is lots of good grazing for the wildees. Nomad guides at Serengeti Safari Camp are still seeing good crossings, Chediel saw a herd of elephants crossing as well as the wildebeest and zebra. As always the cats are plentiful with lion everywhere and some spectacular cheetah sightings.
Migration Update – 13th October 2010
The wildebeest are still lining both sides of the Mara River, crossing and re-crossing. Rains up in the northern Serengeti has meant that everything is greening up and there is plenty of good grazing. General game in the area is also good, with Nomad guides reporting good sightings of cats, plus good numbers of rhino around Kogatende and our new Lamai Serengeti site
Serengeti Migration Update – 4th October 2010
The wildebeest are stretched along the Mara River in large numbers with crossings happening most days during this last week. We followed one herd, on the opposite bank, that expanded in numbers until it was about 5000 strong. They headed east passing several possible crossings en route. It was like watching a tornado build up and build up, but one that you’re never sure where it’s going to actually touch down. They passed crossing points that were easy, shallow entries with fewer rocks but they kept going; the wind seemed to make them jumpy and restless and the slightest thing would set them off again. Nomad guide Emmanuel kept us on the trail of them all day…watching them from the opposite bank. We’d headed back to Serengeti Safari Camp at the end of the day so left them there in their numbers. The following morning they still hadn’t crossed over, but were now scattered in every direction. Rains in the north have kept a lot of the herds on the TZ side with good numbers crossing but then crossing back over again. We also saw lots of elephants, the resident cheetah brothers hunting (right alongside our car) and heard plenty of lion calling at night.
Migration Update – 20th September 2010
Our Nomad private guides are still seeing big herds of wildees between Wogakuria and Kogatende in the northern Serengeti. Kennedy reports “wonderful game with lots of cat in Bologonja and rhino sightings in Kogatende”. Chediel has been watching “awesome crossings” at the Mara River with his guests; long lines of wildebeest that seem to go on for ever, all chancing their luck crossing the croc-infested river. Emmanuel watched a pride of lion work so cleverly to take down a stray wildebeest with military precision. They’re all reporting rain – heavy at times – but say it’s cooling things down during the heat of the day.
Migration Update – 14th August 2010
Large numbers over wildebeests have crossed over the border but there are still mega herds milling around the Daraja Mbili area of the Lamai Wedge (northern Serengeti). Spectacular river crossings have been seen all last week, with herds going north and south and plenty of smaller herds still south of the Mara river. The weather has been hot during the day with some rain, nights are cool and windy. Guests staying at our Serengeti Safari Camp have been seeing dramatic river crossings with many crocodiles pursuing the herds through the water; also lots of leopard sightings around camp, as well as black rhino.
Migration Update – 4th August 2010
Nomad guides are seeing large herds of wildebeest in the Wogakuria area, and around the Mara River. Guests staying in Serengeti Safari Camp are in the perfect place for some exciting river crossings; our guide, Godwin, sat and watched as crocodiles attacked one long line of wildebeest desperately trying to cross. The guests with him were stunned by the drama and savagery of the experience.
This last week they’ve also seen a Rhino with her young calf chasing off a puff adder; a side striped jackal, lots of cats following the migration and plenty of elephants. It’s cold at night and warm clothes are definitely needed for those early morning game drives, but the days are still warm and sunny.
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Migration Update – 26th July 2010
The bulk of the migration is now in the northern Serengeti – between Wogakuria and Bologonja – with just some stragglers left coming up from the Grumeti area. Our Serengeti Safari Camp is perfectly placed right in the middle of all the action; guests out with our Nomad guides last week saw fantastic wildebeest crossings at the Mara River – also plenty of cats lionesses taking down a wildebeest at Woga, a family of cheetah sitting surveying a long line of wildebeests, from their high vantage point atop a termite mound, and a leopard killing a young gazelle right in front of the car. They also saw a rhinoceros and a youngster near Nyamalumbwa, Bologonja.
Migration Update – 24th June 2010
The migratory herds have separated into two distinct groups – one in the Western Corridor/Grumeti area and one in north-east Serengeti and northern Loliondo area. Our Nomad mobile camps are operating in both areas and have them covered. We are expecting the western herd to to start moving north to the Mara River area towards the end of July.
Migration Update – 17th June 2010
The rains in the Serengeti have now stopped, but the unseasonal weather of the last month has meant that the wildebeest are continuing to move in a rather abnormal pattern. Whilst some wildebeest are, as we would normally expect at this time of year, in the Western Corridor area, other herds can be found as far north as Bologonja up near the Mara River. Nomad clients, currently on safari in the Western Corridor, are all enjoying very good migration sightings with the large amounts of cats and other predators following the herds.
Our Serengeti Safari Camp, with its emphasis on flexibility and mobility, really comes into its own at times like this and with the wildebeest patterns continuing to be unreliable, we are keeping a very close eye on the proceedings.
Migration Update – 7th June 2010
Our Nomad guides are reporting seeing large herds heading back down from Lobo and into the Western Corridor area, with smaller numbers remaining in the northern Serengeti around Bologonja. The unseasonal rains we’ve had recently have meant the migratory patterns are not as normal. At this time of year we would expect to find the bulk of the migration in the Moru Kopjes area (of the mid-Western Serengeti), heading into the Western Corridor. The fact that some front-runners went straight to the north, is a result of the unusual rains. However, they are now reverting back to more of what we’d expect at this time of year.
Migration Update – 31st May 2010
Nomad safari guides are reporting seeing the migration as far north as Lobo and Mbuze Mawe with some herds still around Ngarananyuki in the Seronera area.
Due to the unseasonably wet weather we’ve been having, the herds of wildebeest and zebra are very spread out and fragmented. We’re watching closely to see which way they go now, as this is an unusual pattern for the migration at this time of year.
Migration Update – 20th May 2010
Our Nomad guides are reporting seeing the bulk of the migration around the Central Serengeti region. The herds have left the southern area of the short grass plains and are now heading into Musabi, with some front runners heading further west into the Grumeti area. General plains game sightings, with the accompanying lions and other cats, have also been very good.
They reported rain yesterday, but generally the days have been warm and sunny.
Migration Update – 19th April 2010
The changeable weather over the last week has brought some rain showers and overcast days which have cooled everything down. The bulk of the wildebeest herds are starting to move north-west, with Nomad guides reporting herds in the area of Kusini and heading up towards Moru. Game has been very good this last week with guests seeing a number of cheetahs and large prides of lion on the periphery of the migratory herds.
Migration Update – 7th April 2010
The bulk of the migration is still in the southern Serengeti in the area between Kusini and Endulen (either side of the Ndutu area). Some rain over the last week has meant there is still some good grazing about. Guests on safari with us have been treated to some fantastic game sightings recently with lots of cats on the menu, plus an Aardvark was spotted in Loliondo, a rare sighting indeed! Other guests witnessed two cheetah hunting a wildebeest; one of the cheetah ended up being carried along on the back of the wildebeest for about 30 metres before dropping off. The wildebeest managed to escape. Intrepid guests climbed the Naibardat Hills, in the Ndutu area, quite a climb at 2300 feet but well worth it to see the view from the top.
Migration Update – 24th March 2010
Our guides are reporting that the migration is still in the Ndutu area of the southern Serengeti, between Golini and Lemuta, and the game viewing has been fabulous There have been plenty of predator sightings cheetahs hunting antelopes, lions stalking wildebeest and plenty of lion cubs. Over the last week we’ve had some rain to cool things down – morning showers – and the Ndutu area is looking quite green at the moment.
MIGRATION UPDATE – 11th March 201o
The bulk of the migration is still in the Ndutu area, but spreading out slightly north-east towards Golini (Piyaya direction). Our guides have been seeing amazing sightings around Ndutu and at Lake Masek as well as lots of cats plenty of cheetah, a female lion with her cubs and then a pride of 15 lion very near to our Serengeti Safari Camp (currently sited in the Ndutu area).
Migration update – 24th March 2010
Our guides are reporting that the migration is still in the Ndutu area of the southern Serengeti, between Golini and Lemuta, and the game viewing has been fabulous There have been plenty of predator sightings cheetahs hunting antelopes, lions stalking wildebeest and plenty of lion cubs. Over the last week we’ve had some rain to cool things down – morning showers – and the Ndutu area is looking quite green at the moment.
MIGRATION UPDATE – 11th March 2010
The bulk of the migration is still in the Ndutu area, but spreading out slightly north-east towards Golini (Piyaya direction). Our guides have been seeing amazing sightings around Ndutu and at Lake Masek as well as lots of cats plenty of cheetah, a female lion with her cubs and then a pride of 15 lion very near to our Serengeti Safari Camp (currently sited in the Ndutu area).
Migration Update – 25th February 2010
The bulk of the Serengeti migration is still in the Ndutu area and around Kusini. There has been plenty of rain and there is very good grazing in the area currently. Our Nomad guides are reporting seeing lots of new-born wildebeest about as well as amazing game generally, especially in the Masek area a pride of 16 lions, lots of cheetah and stacks of plains game. Plus one group of guests were lucky enough to watch one column of wildebeest passing them that took 3 hours from start to finish!
Migration Update – 12th February 2010
There are currently up to half a million wildebeest on the Macau plains south of Ndutu and some also decent herds around the Lemuta area. There has not been any substantial rain showers for some time, so the area is drying up and has been quite windy. No rain is forecast for the next 7 days so we would expect the Wildies to be on the move towards the end of this time.
Migration Update – 23rd January 2010
The migration is spread across a wide area of the short grass plains, with everything looking green and lush after recent rains. However, the eastern plains around Salei are drying fast now and longs columns of wildebeest are forming and setting off to the south-west. The first new calves of the season are being seen, so happy days for the predators.
Migration Update – 13th January 2010
Rains are continuing in the southern Serengeti and the area is very green and lush. Our guides are reporting seeing hundreds of wildebeest all over Ndutu “as far as the eye can see”, also around Malanja towards Oldupai, and all the way to the Golini Plain up to Lake Masek. Our Serengeti Safari Camp has enjoyed being right in the midst of all the action.
They’ve been seeing plenty of predators too, especially lions; a pride of 16 lions resting, whilst two of their pride successfully brought down a buffalo. One of our guides also saw 15 rhino in the Ngorongoro Crater the other day.
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