The next day, a big treat

Sunset on the Serengeti

Our hopes are high for today’s safari.  We are looking forward to seeing one of the world’s true wonders, the migration of the wildebeest.  It was right where we left it last night and then some.  It is a sight that is hard to describe and even harder to capture with photographs.  There are wildebeest and zebras everywhere.  There may be a million of them, but all you can see in the immediate vicinity is only a thousand or so.  It is simply amazing.

Impala

However before we even got to the plains the morning started with a sighting of cheetahs, a mother and her two cubs.  The cubs were happily sitting together enjoying the morning air and surveying the plains.  The mother, not far off was watching her cubs and also surveying.  All was fine until we see the cubs take note.  Off in the distance there are two tourists with two game wardens taking a walking safari.  They are many hundred yards away, but the cheetahs spot them and immediately become unsettled.  Although the people are many hundreds of yards off, this fact unsettles the cheetahs, while at the same time they are surrounded by three or four vehicles, each with 3-6 people peering out at them.  As the walkers continue not even noticing the cheetahs, the cubs slink off quietly into the nearby bush.  Charlie says that they know and can predict what safari vehicles will do; people on foot are whole other story.

Cheetah cubs alert to the bush walkers

Back on the plains, where the numbers of animals are simply overwhelming, we survey the herd.  As we drive through this vast herd still in awe we find a wildebeest that is galloping with a limp and then we spot this bright red patch on the side back of his body.  He is sporting an 8-10 inch long gash in the side of him between the end of his belly and his leg.  He must have fallen victim to an attack by one of the big cats, but it was not enough to bring him down.  The future doesn’t look bright for this guy, he’ll more than likely be taken out in the coming days.

A victim of the migration with little time left...

There is more to watch on the plains, including watch those who are watching others.  We find a group of three cheetahs that are in this small sunken area with a trickle of a stream winding through.  These cheetahs are positioned in the middle of the migration pathway watching all that is happening.  While we are there, they are surrounded by a large number of curious zebras that seem to be teasing or taunting the cheetahs.  Charlie says that the cheetahs will not attack an adult zebra, they’re just too large an animal for a cheetah to bring down.  The cheetahs will, however, take out a juvenile zebra and will be forever watchful of any opportunity. 

Wildebeest leg anyone?

It has been a successful morning hunt and time to get some relief from the mid-day sun.  Even though clouds are coming in, cloudy skies on the open plains is still a challenge for even the strongest sun block.  Our trip back to camp brings us past many happy hyenas that are taking full advantage of the muddy areas created by tire tracks.  We pass by several groups, one of which was feasting on a muddy, delicious wildebeest leg, hmm good.

Agama Lizard

Our final afternoon hunt followed on the heel’s of an intense lunchtime thunderstorm. Just before the storm the air got strangely hot, so much so that several comments were made.  Then and most surprisingly, the sky unzipped and an amazing and hugely powerful thunderstorm hit covering the area quickly with rain.  And with similar speed to its arrival, it left.

A steady drizzle in the afternoon provided the right conditions for hippo viewing.  We found a crash of hippos (also referred to as a herd, dale, or bloat) soaking in the rain at the lakeshore.  These aquatic beasts were not too active, except if you call yawning an aerobic sport. 

did someone say lunch?

We went out in search of and with high hopes to find leopards and other exciting game.  We were going south along the lake areas in and out of areas where the acacia trees were slanted perfectly for easy climbing access.  These acacias offered plenty of opportunity for spotting leopards that like to position themselves up in trees surveying the area for tasty morsels.  Fourteen eyes were focused at every perch, but to no avail.

Disappointment, but that is part of life in the plains of east Africa, you get what it wants to give and enjoy the feast.