Riding in a combination of motor boats, giant overland trucks, and 7 passenger jeeps with a top that could be lifted for maximum animal viewing pleasure, Michelle and I have spent many days exploring the wildlife of Africa. Seeing animals so close in their natural habitat is extraordinary, the excitement of an African Safari lives up to its name. Of the many animals we saw, I will now recap the most
spectacular:
1. Dozens of lions that were old, young, male and female all of over the Serengeti. A pride of 12 lions passed our jeep as we were parked such that there were literally lions less than 3 feet from where I looked down upon them...absolutely wild!
2. A cheetah lounging under a tree within 10 feet of our vehicle.
3. Two leopards (one of the rarest sightings) descending a tree that held the dead antelope that would be their meal.
4. Elephants that stood directly beside our vehicle (less than 10 feet).
5. A baby giraffe stuck between the road and its mother who trotted past us to get to her.
6. Baby lions drinking at a stream passing over the road.
7. Otters feasting on fish in a lake.
8. Hippos popping up in the water while we drove in a boat all around us announcing their presence as if we were in an amusement park ride with a loud snort and a plume of water as they exhaled beside us.
10. Buzzards and eagles fishing in waters that we boated in.
11. Buffalo and wildebeest herds crossing the road single file.
12. Hyenas devouring the carcass of a dead wildebeest.
These amazing animals were only matched the the extraordinary birds that we have seen everywhere including pelicans, finches, secretary birds, giant storks, vultures, parakeets, and hornbills.
The most interesting moment of our Safari experiences occurred when our wonderful safari group want nothing more than to see a lion chase prey across the Serengeti savannah. We almost got our chance when one of our sharpest party member's eyes spotted a lion whose sent was masked by a herd of nearby buffalo stalk into high grass as 5 small antelope were approaching. The lion disappeared and the antelope
were none the wiser as the munched their grass and edged ever closer to the lion. The minutes ticked away, and with baited breath we all counted the meters until the antelope was close enough. But alas, when they were within 20 meters of the lion, there was a loud grunting noise. The antelopes heads went alert and then they ran away from the lion. It was a baboon warning the antelopes of the lion, a beautiful
and interesting glimpse of the interconnectedness of animals and nature. Who knew how long the baboon had known of the presence of the lion, but seeing the intelligent behavior was perhaps more fascinating then even a chase would have been.
Exciting narrative!
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