16th February 2013 saw Bob Kirkham and I take Paul's Taxis at 4:30 am to Leeds/Bradford Airport to fly (at 6 am) to Schiphol to get the Kilimanjaro flight (KL 569) at 10:15. Got on in the dark at 20:30ish and crawled through Visa / passport control. Godlisten met us and took us to the Arusha Coffee Lodge for the night.
I learnt the following in Kiswahili before we went and at the
Arusha Coffee Lodge - just to be prepared.
Wildebeest - Mbogo
Lion - Simba
Cheetah - Chui
Hippopotamus - Kiboko
Giraffe - Twiga
Snake - Nyoka
Baboon - Nyami
Elephant - Tembo
Man - Mwanaume
Woman - Mwanamke
Mosquito - Mbu
Yes - Nbiyo (sounded like Nleo!)
No - Hapana
Thank You - Asante (often followed by the reply Karibou)
Please - Mvua or Tsfadhali
Hello - Jambo
Met Godlisten after breakfast on the ...
... 17th February 2013 - we had a
long drive* to Tarangire National Park - the sixth largest national park in Tanzania & originates from the Tarangire river that crosses through the park, being the only source of water for wild animals during dry seasons.
We had to drive past some shanties - I must confess from the look only I thought maybe the Maasai huts are better?
The park lies a little distance to the south east of Lake Manyara and covers an area of approximately 1,100 square miles. The landscape and vegetation is incredibly diverse with a mix that is not found anywhere else in the northern safari circuit. The hilly landscape is dotted with vast numbers of Baobab trees, dense bush and high grasses. The park is famous for its huge number of elephants, Baobab trees and has a tree-climbing lion! [Below is not my photo!]. Other animals we saw included warthog, zebra and wildebeest, waterbuck, giraffe, and yellow baboons.
We stayed in
Oliver's Camp. At Oliver's Bob & Marcia (?), from San Francisco, gave us a tip on ordering wine - about the cost of the meal and tell the sommelier to try his best. The camp was set in a remote part of the wilderness area of Tarangire national park - its close to the Silale swamps, away from the more commonly visited northern section of the park. The relief manager was Carissa, (from Kenya) who spoke really good English - almost without an accent. It comprised of ten luxury fixed tents - each with solid wooden furniture, practical en-suite bathroom (and outside shower!) and a private veranda overlooking the pristine bush. Each tent has gauze netting and the rooms give the feel of being completely open to the elements, while the large chunky beds, writing desks and deck chairs give a quality feel while not losing that air of adventure.
The camp, (one of Tarangire’s most famous), is about three hour game drive from the park gate; situated in a quiet area that is great for game viewing but has very few other vehicles. The drinks and library tent offers a relaxing respite after open vehicle or on-foot adventures out in the surrounding bush. In the evenings the focal point of the camp is the stone fireplace, a perfect forum for relaxed conversation and animated reflection on the day's activities.
*It seemed long anyway, plus we had to wait about 30 minutes for Godlisten to get the relevant permissions / pay the fees etc. so we could game drive to Oliver's Camp. The trails seemed long, muddy and very bumpy in parts! We saw (over the three days) - in no particular order.
- Dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula) is a diurnal highly social animal that lives in extended family groups of two to thirty animals. There is a strict hierarchy among same-sexed animals within a group, headed by the dominant pair (normally the oldest group members). All group members cooperate in helping to rear the pups and in guarding the group from predators – they reach sexual maturity by one year of age but delay dispersal, with males usually emigrating, in the company of their brothers, at 2-3 years old. Dispersing males may join other established groups, either as subordinates or by ousting the resident males, or they may found new groups with unrelated dispersing females.
In contrast, females normally remain in their home group for life, queuing for the dominant position. They will, however, emigrate to found a new group if they lose their place in the hierarchy to a younger sister. The common dwarf mongoose is territorial, and each group uses an area of approximately 75/150 acres - depending on the type of habitat. They sleep at night in disused termite mounds, although they occasionally use piles of stones, hollow trees, etc. The mongeese mark their territory with anal gland and cheek gland secretions and latrines. Territories often overlap slightly, which can lead to confrontations between different groups, with the largest group tending to win. Dwarf mongooses tend to breed during the wet season, between October and April, raising up to three litters. Usually only the group's dominant female becomes pregnant, and she is responsible for 80% of the pups reared by the group. If conditions are good, subordinate females may also become pregnant, but their pups rarely survive. After the gestation period of 53 days, 4-6 young are born. They remain below for the first 2-3 weeks. Normally one or more members of the group stay behind to babysit while the group goes foraging. Subordinate females often produce milk to feed the dominant female's pups. At 4 weeks of age the pups begin accompanying the group. All group members help to provide them with prey items until they are around 10 weeks old. A mutualistic relationship has evolved between dwarf mongooses and hornbills, in which hornbills seek out the mongooses in order for the two species to forage together, and to warn each other of nearby raptors and other predators. The diet of the common dwarf mongoose consists of insects (mainly beetle larvae, termites, grasshoppers and crickets), spiders, scorpions, small lizards, snakes, small birds, and rodents, and is supplemented very occasionally with berries.
- Secretary Bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is a large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the open grasslands and savannah of the sub-Sahara. Although a member of the order
Accipitriformes, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, buzzards, vultures, and harriers, it is given its own family.
The name to derive from the crest of long quill-like feathers, lending the bird the appearance of a secretary with quill pens tucked behind his ear. A more recent hypothesis is that "secretary" is borrowed from a French corruption of the Arabic saqr-et-tair or "hunter-bird. The generic name "Sagittarius" is Latin for "archer," perhaps likening the Secretary Bird's "quills" to a quiver of arrows, and the specific epithet "serpentarius" recalls the bird's skill as a hunter of reptiles. Alternatively, the name could refer to the last two constellations in the Zodiac, Sagittarius and Serpentarius (now known as Ophiuchus).
- Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori) is a large bird native to Africa. It is a member of the bustard family. It may be the heaviest bird capable of flight. They follow fires or herds of foraging ungulates, in order to pick their various foods out of the short grasses. Its cryptically coloured, being mostly grey and brown in color, finely patterned with black and white colouring. The ventral plumage is more boldly coloured, with white, black and buff.
The crest on its head is blackish in coloration, with less black on the female's crest. A black collar at the base of the hind-neck extends onto the sides of the breast. The feathers around the neck are loose, giving the appearance of a thick neck. The belly is white and the tail has broad bands of brownish-gray and white coloration. The head is large and the yellow legs are relatively long. Females are similar in plumage but are much smaller, often weighing 2-3 times less than the male. The juvenile is similar in appearance to the female, but are browner with more spotting on the mantle.
- Grey Crown Bird (Balearica regulorum) - probably subspecies gibbericeps - the Gray Crested Crown). These cranes are omnivores, eating plants, seeds, grain, insects, frogs, worms, snakes, small fish and the eggs of aquatic animals. Stamping their feet as they walk, they flush out insects which are quickly caught and eaten.
The birds also associate with grazing herbivores, benefiting from the ability to grab prey items disturbed by antelopes and gazelles. They spend their entire day looking for food. At night, the crowned crane spends it time in the trees sleeping and resting.
- White Fronted Bee Eater (Merops bullockoides)
[the above is not my photo] is a species of bee-eater widely distributed in sub-equatorial areas of Africa. Possessing a distinctive white forehead, a square-tail and a bright red patch on their throat they nest in small colonies, digging holes in cliffs or earthen banks but can usually be seen in low trees waiting for passing insects from which they hunt either by making quick hawking flights or gliding down before hovering briefly to catch insects.
- White-bellied Go-away-bird (Corythaixoides leucogaster) A fruit eating bird. It is common, noisy and usually seen in small groups, often in the grounds of camps or lodges eating fruit and flowers from the trees and shrubs. This species averages 20 inches in length apparently. Its long, pointed grey and black tail with a white median band is distinctive and it has a white wing patch. The bill is black in male, pea-green in the female. Typical calls are a nasal 'haa-haa-haa', like bleating of a sheep, and a single or repeated 'gwa' - or 'g'away'... it flies from tree to tree in loose straggling groups, calling loudly! (It takes is name from the sound it makes - its call sounds like "Go Away"!).
Not my photo.
It's flight is weakish, though they are strong climbers and are able to move nimbly on branches. They have a unique foot arrangement, where the fourth toe can be brought around to the back of the foot where it almost touches the first toe, or brought around so that it is near the second and third. In spite of this flexibility the toe is actually usually held at right angles to the axis of the foot. The plumage of Go-away-birds and plantain-eaters is mainly grey and white
- Superb Starling (Lamprotornis superbus) Adults have black heads and iridescent blue-to-green back, upper breast, wings, and tail. The belly is red-orange, separated from the blue breast by a white bar. The under-tail coverts and the wing linings are white. Juveniles have duller plumage with no more than a suggestion of the white breast band. Their irises are brown, later grayish white, eventually the adult's cream colour.
It has a long and loud song consisting of trills and chatters. At midday it gives a softer song of repeated phrases. There are several harsh calls. This species feeds primarily on the ground, often below, or in the vicinity of, acacia trees. It is gregarious and is generally rather tame and unafraid of people.
- Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax) is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family
Accipitridae. It is a resident breeder which lays 1–3 eggs in a stick nest in a tree, crag or on the ground.
Throughout its range it favours open dry habitats, such as desert, semi-desert, steppes, or savannah, plains.
- Masai Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an even-toed ungulate (tallest living terrestrial) animal - the largest ruminant whose name refers to its camel-like appearance and the patches of colour on its coat. Its chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, horn-like ossicones and its distinctive coat patterns. It is typically 16–20 feet tall fully grown and has an average weight of 1,600 kg for males and 830 kg for females. The Masai Giraffe has jagged spots on its body. It also has a short tassel of hair on its tail. The bony outgrowths of the male's skull superficially provide the appearance of up to 5 ossicones. The dominant male's spots tend to be darker in colour than those of other members of its herd.
It inhabits savannas, grasslands, and open woodlands and its food source is usually acacia leaves, which they browse at heights most other herbivores cannot reach. Giraffes are preyed on by lions, and calves are also targeted by leopards, spotted hyenas and wild dogs.
- African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) ... the largest land animal, male African elephants can reach a height of 13 feet in height and weigh 7,000 kilograms. These animals have several distinctive features, including a long proboscis or trunk used for many purposes, particularly for grasping objects. Their incisors grow into tusks, which serve as tools for moving objects and digging and as weapons for fighting. The elephant's large ear-flaps help to control the temperature of its body. African elephants have larger ears and concave backs while Asian elephants have smaller ears and convex or level backs. Elephants are herbivorous and can be found in different habitats including savannahs, forests, deserts and marshes. They prefer to stay near water. They are considered to be keystone species due to their impact on their environments. Other animals tend to keep their distance, and predators such as lions, tigers, hyenas and wild dogs usually target only the young elephants (or "calves").
Females (or "cows") tend to live in family groups, which can consist of one female with her calves or several related females with offspring. The latter are led by the oldest cow, known as the matriarch. Elephants have a fission-fusion society in which multiple family groups come together to socialise. Males (or "bulls") leave their family groups when they reach puberty, and may live alone or with other males. Adult bulls mostly interact with family groups when looking for a mate and enter a state of increased testosterone and aggression known as musth, which helps them gain dominance and reproductive success. Calves are the centre of attention in their family groups and rely on their mothers for as long as three years. Elephants can live up to 70 years in the wild. They communicate by touch, sight, and sound; elephants use infra sound, and seismic communication over long distances. Elephant intelligence has been compared with that of primates and cetaceans. They appear to have self-awareness and show empathy for dying or dead individuals of their kind.
- Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus massaicus) is a wild member of the pig family that lives in grassland, savanna, and woodland in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past it was commonly treated as a subspecies of
P. aethiopicus, but today that scientific name is restricted to the Desert Warthog of northern Kenya, Somalia, and eastern Ethiopia. The common name comes from the four large, wart-like protrusions found on the head of the warthog, which serve as a fat reserve and are used for defense when males fight. The warthog is the only pig species that has adapted to grazing and savanna habitats. Its diet is omnivorous, composed of grasses, roots, berries and other fruits, bark, fungi, insects, eggs and carrion. The diet is seasonably variable, depending on availability of different food items.
During the wet seasons warthogs graze on short perennial grasses. During the dry seasons they subsist on bulbs, rhizomes and nutritious roots. Warthogs are powerful diggers, using both snout and feet. Whilst feeding, they often bend the front feet backwards and move around on the wrists. Calloused pads that protect the wrists during such movement form quite early in the development of the fetus. Although they can dig their own burrows, they commonly occupy abandoned burrows of aardvarks or other animals. The warthog commonly reverses into burrows, with the head facing the opening and ready to burst out if necessary. Warthogs will wallow in mud to cope with high temperatures and huddle together to cope with low temperatures. Although capable of fighting (males aggressively fight each other during mating season) the warthog's primary defense is to flee by means of fast sprinting.
- African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) A wading bird of the ibis family,
Threskiornithidae, the Sacred Ibis breeds in sub-Saharan Africa, southeastern Iraq, and formerly in Egypt, where it was venerated and often mummified as a symbol of the god Thoth. The African Sacred Ibis occurs in marshy wetlands and mud flats, both inland and on the coast. It will also visit cultivation and rubbish dumps. Not my photo.
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The bird nests in tree colonies, often with other large wading birds such as herons. It builds a stick nest often in a baobab and lays 2-3 eggs. It feeds on various fish, frogs, small mammals, reptiles and smaller birds as well as insects. It may also probe into the soil with its long bill for invertebrates such as earthworms.
- Impala (Aepyceros melampus) The impala is sexually dimorphic. It is around 30 and 37 inches tall and the average mass for a male impala is 40 to 75 kg, while females weigh about 30 to 50 kg. The coat is short and glossy, normally reddish-brown in colour - with lighter flanks and a white underbelly with a characteristic "M" marking on the rear. Only the male, referred to as the ram, have lyre-shaped horns, which can reach up to 18–36 inches in length. The female, referred to as the ewe, lacks horns - both has distinctive black and white stripes running down its rump and tail. The impala has scent glands covered in the fur of the back feet and sebaceous glands on the head. The impala, like other small- to medium-sized African antelope, has a special dental arrangement on the front lower jaw similar to the toothcomb seen in strepsirrhine primates, which is used during grooming to comb the fur and remove ectoparasites. Females and young form herds of up to 200 individuals. When food is plentiful, adult males will establish territories. Females pass through the territories with the best food resources. Territorial males round up any female herds that enter their grounds, and will chase away bachelor males that follow. They will even chase away recently weaned males. A male impala tries to prevent any female from leaving his territory. During the dry seasons, territories are abandoned, as herds must travel farther to find food. Large, mixed tranquil herds of females and males form. Young male impalas which have been made to leave their previous herd form bachelor herds of around 30 individuals.
Males that are able to dominate their herd are contenders for assuming control of a territory. The breeding season of the impala, also called the rut, begins toward the end of the wet season in May. The entire affair typically lasts about three weeks. While young are usually born after six to seven months,[ the mother has the ability to delay giving birth for an additional month if conditions are harsh. When giving birth, the female will isolate herself from the herd, despite numerous attempts by the male to keep her in his territory. The female will keep the fawn in an isolated spot for a few days or even leave it lying out in hiding for a few days, weeks, or more, before returning to the herd. There, the fawn will join a nursery group and will go to its mother only to nurse or when predators are near. Fawns are suckled for four to six months. Males which mature are forced out of the group and will join bachelor herds. When frightened or startled, the whole herd starts leaping about to confuse their predator. They can jump distances of more than 33 feet and 9 foot into the air, and can reach running speeds in a zig-zag of about 37 mph on average to escape its predators. When escaping from predators, it can release a scent from glands on its heels, which can help it stay with the group. This is done by performing a high kick of its hind legs. The impala is an ecotone species living in light woodland with little undergrowth and grassland of low to medium height. It has an irregular distribution due to dependence on relatively flat lands with good soil drainage and water. While it stays near water in the dry season, it can go weeks without drinking if enough green fodder is available. The impala is an adaptable forager. It usually switches between grazing and browsing depending on the season. During wet seasons when grasses are fresh, it grazes. During dry seasons, it browses foliage, shoots, forbs, and seeds. It may switch between grazing and browsing depending on the habitat. Leopards, cheetahs, lions and wild dogs prey on the impala.
- Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) This member of the chelonian family is a grazing species of tortoise that favours semi-arid, thorny to grassland habitats, although some leopard tortoises have been found in rainier areas. In both very hot and very cold weather they may dwell in abandoned fox, jackal, or anteater holes. Leopard tortoises do not dig other than to make nests in which to lay eggs. Not surprisingly, given its propensity for grassland habitats, it grazes extensively upon mixed grasses. It also favours succulents and thistles. The African Leopard Tortoise typically lives 80 to 100 years, seldom sexually mature until it is between the ages of 12 and 15 years. Leopard tortoises are herbivorous.
They are more defensive than offensive, retracting feet and head into their shell for protection. This often results in a hissing sound, probably due to the squeezing of air from the lungs as the limbs and head are retracted. Like most tortoises, they can retract their head and feet into their shell in defense when threatened. Also like all tortoises and turtles, their mouth is a "beak". The rear legs are very trunk-like, the front legs are almost paddle shaped and "pigeon-toed" with a row of small "nails". They can move very fast on these legs, and maneuver over rocky terrain easily They can also climb and go underwater for up to 10 minutes. Younger animals have a surprising ability to climb, as their toenails provide a very secure grip on wood and rough stone surfaces.
- Cape Buffalo called mbogo in Kiswahili (Syncerus caffer)is only distantly related to other larger bovines. Owing to its unpredictable nature, which makes it highly dangerous to humans, its never been domesticated, unlike its Asian counterpart the Water Buffalo. It is a very robust species. Its shoulder height can range from 3.3 to 5.6 foot and its head-and-body length can range from 5.6 to 11 feet. Compared with other large bovids, it has a long but stocky body and short but thickset legs, resulting in a relatively short standing height. The tail can range from 28 to 43 inches long. Savannah-type buffaloes weigh 500 to 910 kg, with males normally larger than females, reaching the upper weight range. Its head is carried low; its top is located below the backline. The front hooves of the buffalo are wider than the rear, which is associated with the need to support the weight of the front part of the body, which is heavier and more powerful than the back. Savannah-type buffaloes have black or dark brown coats with age. Old bulls have whitish circles around their eyes. Females tend to have more reddish coats. Forest-type buffaloes are reddish brown in colour with horns that curve back and slightly up. Calves of both types have red coats. The horns of African buffalo are very peculiar. A characteristic feature of them is the adult bull’s horns have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield referred to as a “boss’, which can not always be penetrated even by a rifle bullet. From the base, the horns diverge, then bend down, and then smoothly curve upwards and outwards. The distance between the ends of the horns of large bulls is more than a metre. The young buffalo horn boss forms fully only upon reaching the age of five to six years. In cows, the horns are, on average, 10–20% smaller, and the boss is less prominent. Herd size is highly variable. The core of the herds are related females, and their offspring, in an almost linear dominance hierarchy. The basic herds are surrounded by sub-herds of subordinate males, high-ranking males and females and old or invalid animals.
The young males keep their distance from the dominant bull, who is recognizable by the thickness of his horns. During the dry season, males will split from the herd and form bachelor groups. Two types of bachelor herds occur: ones made of males aged four to seven years and those of males 12 years or older. During the wet season, the younger bulls rejoin a herd to mate with the females. They stay with them throughout the season to protect the calves. Some older bulls cease to rejoin the herd, as they can no longer compete with the younger, more aggressive males. Males have a linear dominance hierarchy based on age and size. Since a buffalo is safer when a herd is larger, dominant bulls may rely on subordinate bulls and sometimes tolerate their copulation. Buffaloes mate and give birth only during the rainy seasons. Birth peak takes place early in the season, while mating peaks later. A bull will closely guard a cow that comes into heat, while keeping other bulls at bay. This is difficult, as cows are quite evasive and attract many males to the scene. By the time a cow is in full estrus, only the most dominant bull in the herd/sub-herd is there. Cows first calve at five years of age, after a gestation period of 11.5 months. Newborn calves remain hidden in vegetation for the first few weeks while being nursed occasionally by the mother before joining the main herd. Calves are held in the centre of the herd for safety. The maternal bond between mother and calf lasts longer than in most bovids. Adult bulls will spar in play, dominance interactions or actual fights. A bull will approach another, lowing, with his horns down and wait for the other bull to do the same thing. When sparring, the bulls twist their horns from side to side. If the sparring is for play, the bull may rub its opponent’s face and body during the sparring session. Actual fights are violent but rare and brief. Calves may also spar in play, but adult females rarely spar at all.
- Common Masai Ostrich (Struthio camelus massaicus) averaged 115 kilograms in males and 100 kilograms in females. Ostriches are diurnal, but may be active on moonlit nights. They are most active early and late in the day. The male ostrich territory is between 0.77 and 7.7 sq miles. With their acute eyesight and hearing, Ostriches can sense predators such as lions from far away. When being pursued by a predator, they have been known to reach speeds in excess of 43 mph and can maintain a steady speed of 31 mph, which makes the ostrich the world's fastest two-legged animal. When lying down and hiding from predators, the birds lay their heads and necks flat on the ground, making them appear like a mound of earth from a distance, aided by the heat haze in their hot, dry habitat. When threatened, ostriches run away, but they can cause serious injury and death with kicks from their powerful legs. Their legs can only kick forward. Contrary to popular belief, ostriches do not bury their heads in sand. This myth likely began with Pliny the Elder. They mainly feed on seeds, shrubs, grass, fruit and flowers; occasionally they also eat insects such as locusts. Lacking teeth, they swallow pebbles that act as gastroliths to grind food in the gizzard. When eating, they will fill their gullet with food, which is in turn passed down their esophagus in the form of a ball called a bolus.
The bolus may be as much as 210 ml. After passing through the neck (there is no crop) the food enters the gizzard and is worked on by the aforementioned pebbles. The gizzard can hold as much as 1,300 grams, of which up to 45% may be sand and pebbles. Ostriches can go without drinking for several days, using metabolic water and moisture in ingested plants, but they enjoy liquid water and frequently take baths where it is available. They can survive losing up to 25% of their body weight through dehydration. Ostriches become sexually mature when they are 2 to 4 years old; females mature about six months earlier than males. As with other birds, an individual may reproduce several times over its lifetime. The mating season begins in March or April and ends sometime before September. Territorial males typically boom in defence of their territory and harem of two to seven hens; the successful male may then mate with several females in the area, but will only form a pair bond with a 'major' female. The cock performs with his wings, alternating wing beats, until he attracts a mate. They will go to the mating area and he will maintain privacy by driving away all intruders. They graze until their behaviour is synchronized, then the feeding becomes secondary and the process takes on a ritualistic appearance. The cock will then excitedly flap alternate wings again, and start poking on the ground with his bill. He will then violently flap his wings to symbolically clear out a nest in the soil. Then, while the hen runs a circle around him with lowered wings, he will wind his head in a spiral motion. She will drop to the ground and he will mount for copulation. The female ostrich lays her fertilised eggs in a single communal nest, a simple pit, 12–24 inches deep and 10 foot wide, scraped in the ground by the male. The dominant female lays her eggs first, and when it is time to cover them for incubation she discards extra eggs from the weaker females, leaving about 20 in most cases. A female ostrich can distinguish her own eggs from the others in a communal nest. The eggs are glossy cream-coloured, with thick shells marked by small pits and are incubated by the females by day and by the males by night. This uses the colouration of the two sexes to escape detection of the nest, as the drab female blends in with the sand, while the black male is nearly undetectable in the night. The incubation period is 35 to 45 days, which is rather short compared to other ratites. This is believed to be the case due to the high rate of predation. Typically, the male defends the hatchlings and teaches them to feed, although males and females cooperate in rearing chicks. Fewer than 10% of nests survive the 9 week period of laying and incubation, and of the surviving chicks, only 15% of those survive to 1 year of age. However, among those ostriches who survive to adulthood, the species is one of the longest-living bird species.
- Tree Squirrel - more properly Smith's Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus cepapi). The Tree Squirrel is named because of its association with woodland, and its use of trees as resting places. They vary in colour throughout their distributional range, and are diurnal. A conspicuous feature of their behaviour when under threat is 'mobbing': all the members of the colony make harsh clicking sounds while they flick their tails, building up momentum and gradually getting louder. In some areas they are solitary, or are found in small family groups: a lone tree squirrel relies on its wits when in danger and always keeps a branch or the trunk of a tree between it and the enemy. This species regularly forages on the ground, looking for roots, grasses, leaf-buds, berries and insects such as ants. It's always alert, and when alarmed, it will run away with great speed, making for the nearest tree where it will lie motionless, flattened against a branch.
Not my photo. The young (usually 1 to 3) are born in a tree hollow lined with leaves and grass. The young remain until they are strong enough to brave the outside world, which is usually about three weeks. Tree Squirrels are diligent in their grooming and a mother tree squirrel will hold her offspring down with her forelegs while grooming the little animal with licks, nibbles and the use of her claws. Food brought back to the nest is reserved for the parents only, and the young have to learn to find solid food for themselves from the time they are weaned. Primarily vegetarian, but like most rodents will take insect prey. Tree squirrels use their forefeet to manipulate food items when feeding. They scatter-hoard seeds next to tree trunks or grass tufts, thereby facilitating tree regeneration.
- Lion ... in fact it was a Lioness ...(Panthera leo)is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera and a member of the family Felidae.
With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger. Wild lions currently exist in sub-Saharan Africa while other types of lions have disappeared from North Africa and Southwest Asia in historic times. Until the late Pleistocene, about 10,000 years ago, the lion was the most widespread large land mammal - after humans. The lion is a vulnerable species, having seen a major population decline of 30–50%, and are untenable outside designated reserves and national parks. Although the cause of the decline is not fully understood, habitat loss and conflicts with humans are currently the greatest causes of concern. Lions live for 10–14 years in the wild, while in captivity they can live longer than 20 years. In the wild, males seldom live longer than 10 years, as injuries sustained from continual fighting with rival males greatly reduce their longevity. They typically inhabit savanna and grassland, although they may take to bush and forest.
We saw quite a few and I took loads of photos including this close up shot of a male (see above) - probably about 10 years old and looking properly fed-up. Lions are unusually social compared to other cats. A pride of lions consists of related females and offspring and a small number of adult males. Groups of female lions typically hunt together, preying mostly on large ungulates. Lions are apex and keystone predators, although they scavenge as opportunity allows. While lions do not typically hunt humans, some have been known to do so. Sleeping mainly during the day, lions are primarily nocturnal, although bordering on crepuscular in nature.
- Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus)is a large wading bird in the stork family
Ciconiidae. It breeds in Africa south of the Sahara, in both wet and arid habitats. It is sometimes called the "Undertaker Bird" due to its shape from behind: cloak-like wings and back, skinny white legs, and sometimes a large white mass of "hair." Its a massive bird: large specimens are thought to reach a height of 60 inches and a weight of 9 kg, a wingspan of 12 ft. Typical weight is 4.5–8 kg, unusually as low as 4 kg, and length is 47 to 51 inches. Females are smaller than males. Bill length can range from 10.4 to 14 inches. Unlike most storks, the three Leptoptilos species fly with the neck retracted like a heron. It has a huge bill, a pink gular sac at its throat, a neck ruff, and black legs and wings. The sexes are alike, but the young bird is browner and has a smaller bill. Full maturity is not reached for up to four years. Like most storks, the marabou is gregarious and a colonial breeder. In the African dry season (when food is more readily available as the pools shrink) it builds a tree nest in which two or three eggs are laid. It also resembles other storks in that it is not very vocal, but indulges in bill-rattling courtship displays.
The Marabou Stork is a frequent scavenger, and the naked head and neck are adaptations to this livelihood, as it is with the vultures with which the stork often feeds. In both cases, a feathered head would become rapidly clotted with blood and other substances when the bird's head was inside a large corpse, and the bare head is easier to keep clean. This large and powerful bird eats mainly carrion, scraps and faeces but will opportunistically eat almost any animal matter it can swallow. It occasionally eats other birds including quelea nestlings, pigeons, doves, pelican and cormorant chicks, and even flamingos. During the breeding season, adults scale back on carrion and take mostly small, live prey since nestlings need this kind of food to survive. Common prey at this time may consist of fish, frogs, insects, eggs, small mammals and reptiles such as crocodile hatchlings and eggs. Though known to eat putrid and seemingly inedible foods, these storks may sometimes wash food in water to remove soil. When feeding on carrion, marabou frequently follow vultures, which are better equipped with hooked bills for tearing through carrion meat and may wait for the vultures to cast aside a piece, steal a piece of meat directly from the vulture or wait until the vultures are done. As with vultures, Marabou Storks perform an important natural function by cleaning areas via their ingestion of carrion and waste.
- African Pied Wagtail (Motacilla aguimp)Sprightly and skittish, the pied wagtail is constantly in motion, from its jerky walk to its constantly wagging tail. Individuals are often seen dashing across verges on the hunt for insects, as comfortable in urban wastes as they are alongside streams and reed beds.
A wagtail of towns and other human settlements. It is generally found associated with water, seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, rivers, and intermittent freshwater marshes. Very active birds will perch in trees. Pied wagtails are petite birds with a sharp pointed beak ideal for jabbing at insects.
- Common Reedbuck, sometimes called Southern Reedbuck (Redunca arundinum)a diurnal antelope - has an average mass of 58 kg and a body length of about 53–66 inches. The coat is silky and almost woolly.[7] The colour of its coat ranges between light- and greyish-brown, and may be lighter on the neck and chest. A small, black, bare glandular patch can be noticed at the base of each ear. White fur covers the underparts and the areas near the lips and chin. The tail is white underside, and appears short and bushy. They measure an average of 33 inches at the shoulder. Females lack horns. Males bear forward-curving horns, about 14–18 inches long, with the base having a distinct band of pale, rubbery tissue. They live in pairs or alone. Sometimes, they form herds consisting of about 20 members. They prefer to lie in grass or reed beds in the heat of the day and feed during sunrise and sunset, or sometimes even at night. Old reedbucks are permanently territorial, with territories around 35-60 hectares, and generally live with a single female, preventing contact with rival males. Females and young males perform an 'appeasement dance' for older males. During the dance, the bucks run around speedily and take considerably long jumps, with the tail curled up and scented air being released from a pocket in the groin at every bounce, making a popping sound. Within this territory, it is active all the time in summer, but it is nocturnal in the wet season. It regularly uses paths to reach good sites to rest, graze, and drink water.
Average lifetime home ranges have been estimated as 123 ha for females and 74 ha for males. Their main predators include lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, pythons, and crocodiles. They can camouflage themselves in the grasslands due to their coats, which are almost the same color. If startled or attacked, they stand still, then either hide or flee with an odd rocking-horse movement, and cautiously look back to ensure the danger is gone, generally. They use vocalizations like a shrill whistle through their nostrils and a clicking noise to alert others about danger. As a herbivore, the reedbuck mainly feeds on grasses. It also eats herbs and reeds. It never enters into water, though it inhabits places with water sources. It needs to drink water every few days to several times a day during the dry season. It breeds almost all the time of the year, although most matings occur during the hot and wet season. Females reach sexual maturity when they are two years old, when they leave their parent’s territory. Males, which reach maturity at a slightly older age, may remain with the family group until their third year. A single young is born per birth after a gestation period of seven to eight months, and remains amongst the dense and tall grass cover in which it was born for the next two months. The female does not stay with her young, but instead visits it for just 10 to 30 minutes each day to nurse it. They inhabit moist grasslands with tall grass, reeds, sufficient cover, and water nearby, such as floodplains, pastures, woodlands, and valleys.
- Tanzanian or Ruaha Red-Billed Hornbill (Tockus ruahae ruahae) has a black stripe on the back of its head. The nominate subspecies shown on this photo has reddish ocular skin and dark eyes. This conspicuous bird has mainly whitish underparts and head, and grey upper parts. It has a long tail and a long and curved red bill which lacks a casque. Sexes are similar, but the female has a smaller bill. It is a large bird, at 42 cm long, but is one of the smaller hornbills. It advertises its presence with its noisy accelerating tok-tok-tok-toktoktok call.
During incubation, the female lays three to six white eggs in a tree hole, which is blocked off with a plaster of mud, droppings and fruit pulp. There is only one narrow aperture, just big enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks. When the chicks and the female are too big to fit in the nest, the mother breaks out and rebuilds the wall, then both parents feed the chicks. This species is omnivorous, taking insects, fruit and seeds. It feeds mainly on the ground and will form flocks outside the breeding season.
- African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer)quite common near freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and rivers, although they can sometimes be found near the coast at the mouths of rivers or lagoons. As their name implies, African Fish Eagles are indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa, ranging over most of continental Africa south of the Sahara Desert. The African Fish Eagle is a large bird, and the female, at 3.2-3.6 kilograms is larger than the male, at 2-2.5 kg. This is typical of sexual dimorphism in birds of prey. Males usually have a wingspan of about 6 feet, while females have wingspans of 8 feet. The body length is 25–30 inches. The adult is very distinctive in appearance with a mostly brown body and large, powerful, black wings. The head, breast, and tail of African Fish Eagles are snow white, with the exception of the featherless face, which is yellow. Breeding season for African Fish Eagles is during the dry season, when water levels are low. African Fish Eagles are believed to be monogamous - in other words, they mate for life.
Pairs will often maintain two or more nests, which they will frequently re-use. Because nests are re-used and built upon over the years the nests can grow to be quite large, some reaching 2m (six feet) across and 1.2 m (4 feet) deep. The nests are placed in a large tree and built mostly of sticks and other pieces of wood. The female lays 1 to 3 eggs, which are primarily white with a few reddish speckles. Incubation is mostly done by the female, but the male will incubate when the female leaves to hunt. Incubation lasts for 42 to 45 days before the chicks hatch. The eggs will often hatch a few days apart, and the eldest chick will usually kill any younger chicks; this tactic is known as siblicide and is also found in other birds of prey. Fledging lasts for 70 to 75 days, and after about 8 weeks the chick is capable of feeding itself and will usually begin to venture outside of the nest 2 weeks later. It feeds mainly on fish, which, upon spotting a potential prey item from a perch in a tree, it will swoop down upon and snatch the prey from the water with its large clawed talons. Like other sea eagles, the African Fish Eagle has structures on its toes called spiricules that allows it to grasp fish and other slippery prey. The eagle will then fly back to its perch to eat its catch.
- Cicada is an insect of the order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha, in the superfamily Cicadoidea, with large eyes wide apart on the head and usually transparent, well-veined wings. There are about 2,500 species of cicada around the world, and many of them remain unclassified. [Not my photo]. Heard lots of these but didn't see any! Males have two semi-circular plates called Opercular at the base of the abdomen just behind the hind legs - these cover his sound producing organ and through the contraction and expansion of muscles on the abdomen the timbals, or drums, are made to vibrates and so sound is produced. The folded membranes on each side of the cavity - the abdomen - simply acts as sounding boards to increase amplification!
Cicadas live in temperate-to-tropical climates where they are among the most-widely recognized of all insects, mainly due to their large size and unique sound. Cicadas are related to leafhoppers and spittlebugs.
- Arabian Coffee (Coffea arabica)C. arabica takes about seven years to mature fully, and does best with about 40–59 inches of rain, evenly distributed throughout the year. It is usually cultivated between 1,300 and 1,500 metres altitude. The plant can tolerate low temperatures,
but not frost, and does best with temperatures around 20 °C (68 °F). Two to four years after planting, C. arabica produces small, white, highly fragrant flowers. The sweet fragrance resembles the sweet smell of jasmine flowers. Flowers opening on sunny days results in the greatest numbers of berries. This can be a curse, however, as coffee plants tend to produce too many berries; this can lead to an inferior harvest and even damage yield in the following years, as the plant will favour the ripening of berries to the detriment of its own health. On well-kept plantations, over-flowering is prevented by pruning the tree. The flowers only last a few days, leaving behind only the thick dark green leaves.
The berries then begin to appear. These are as dark green as the foliage, until they begin to ripen, at first to yellow and then light red and finally darkening to a glossy deep red. At this point they are called 'cherries' and are ready for picking. The berries are oblong and about 0.5 inch long. Inferior coffee results from picking them too early or too late, so many are picked by hand to be able to better select them, as they do not all ripen at the same time. They are sometimes shaken off the tree onto mats, which means ripe and unripe berries are collected together. The trees are difficult to cultivate and each tree can produce from 0.5 to 5.0 kg of dried beans, depending on the tree's individual character and the climate that season. The real prize of this cash crop are the beans inside. Each berry holds two locules containing the beans. The coffee beans are actually two seeds within the fruit; there is sometimes a third seed or one seed, a peaberry in the fruit at tips of the branches. These seeds are covered in two membranes; the outer one is called the "parchment coat" and the inner one is called the "silver skin".
- Thorntree, Whistling Thorn or Wattle (Acacia sp.)Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny and the leaves are compound pinnate in general. The small flowers have five very small petals, almost hidden by the long stamens, and are arranged in dense globular or cylindrical clusters; they are yellow or cream-colored in most species, whitish in some, even purple
(Acacia purpureapetala) or red (Acacia leprosa Scarlet Blaze).
Acacia flowers can be distinguished from those of a large related genus, Albizia, by their stamens which are not joined at the base. Also, unlike individual Mimosa flowers, those of Acacia have more than 10 stamens. The plants often bear spines, especially those species growing in arid regions. These sometimes represent branches which have become short, hard and pungent, or sometimes leaf-stipules. Acacia erioloba is the camelthorn of Africa. Acacia seeds can be difficult to germinate.
- Miombo is the Swahili word for
Brachystegia, a genus of tree comprising a large number of species. Miombo woodland is classified in the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrub lands biome (in the World Wildlife Fund scheme). The biome includes four woodland savanna ecoregions (listed below) characterized by the predominant presence of Miombo species, with a range of climates from humid to semi-arid, and tropical to subtropical or even temperate.The predominant tree is miombo (
Brachystegia spp.), along with
Baikiaea woodland. Despite the low rainfall and relatively nutrient-poor soil the woodland is home to many species. The miombo and other vegetation in and around the region have historically a variety of food and cover for several miombo specialist endemic bird and lizard species as well as more widespread mammals.
- Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus) which prefers open woodland and savanna usually found alone or in pairs, it perches conspicuously at the tops of trees, poles or other high vantage points from where it can spot insects, lizards, scorpions, snails, small birds and rodents moving about at ground level.
Nesting takes place in a natural hole in a tree where a clutch of 2–4 eggs is laid, and incubated by both parents, who are extremely aggressive in defence of their nest, taking on raptors and other birds. During the breeding season the male will rise to great heights, descending in swoops and dives, while uttering harsh, discordant cries. The sexes are alike in coloration.
- Baobab tree (Adansonia digitata)The trees usually grow as solitary individuals, and are large and distinctive trees on the savannah, in the scrub, and near settled areas, with some large individuals living to well over a thousand years of age.[2] The tree bears very large, heavy, white flowers.
The showy flowers are pendulous with a very large number of stamens. They carry a carrion scent and researchers have shown that they appear to be primarily pollinated by fruit bats of the subfamily
Pteropodinae. The fruits are filled with pulp that dries, hardens, and falls to pieces which look like chunks of powdery, dry bread. The baobab is a traditional food plant in Africa, but is little-known elsewhere.
- Sausage Tree (Kigelia africana) is a tree growing up to 20 metres tall. The bark is grey and smooth at first, peeling on older trees. The wood is pale brown or yellowish, undifferentiated and not prone to cracking - its evergreen where rainfall occurs throughout the year, but deciduous where there is a long dry season. The leaves are opposite or in whorls of three, 30–50 cm long, pinnate, with six to ten oval leaflets up to 20 cm long and 6 cm broad; the terminal leaflet can be either present or absent. The flowers (and later the fruit) hang down from branches on long flexible stems (2-6 metres long). Flowers are produced in panicles; they are bell-shaped (similar to those of the African Tulip Tree but darker and more waxy), orange to reddish or purplish green, and about 10 cm wide.
Individual flowers do not hang down but are oriented horizontally. Some birds are attracted to these flowers and the strong stems of each flower make ideal footholds. Their scent is most notable at night indicating their reliance on pollination by bats, which visit them for pollen and nectar. The fruit is a woody berry from 30–100 cm long and up to 18 cm broad; it weighs between 5–10 kg, and hang down on long, rope-like peduncles. The fruit pulp is fibrous and pulpy, and contains numerous seeds. It is eaten by several species of mammals, including Baboons, Bushpigs, Savannah Elephants, Giraffes, Hippopotamuses, monkeys, and porcupines. The seeds are dispersed in their dung. The seeds are also eaten by parrots, and the foliage by elephants and the Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) - a woodland antelope we didn't see.
- Fever Tree (Acacia xanthophloea Benth) The trees grow to a height of 15–25 metres. The characteristic bark is smooth, powdery and greenish-yellow in colour. It is one of the few trees where photosynthesis takes place in the bark. Straight, white spines grow from the branch nodes in pairs. The leaves are twice compound, with small leaflets. The flowers are produced in scented pale cream spherical inflorescences, clustered at the nodes and towards the ends of the branches. Fever trees are fast-growing and short-lived. They have a tendency to occur as single-aged stands, and are subject to stand-level diebacks that have been variously attributed to elephants, water tables, and synchronous senescence.
The name xanthophloea is derived from Greek and means "yellow bark". The common name, Fever tree, comes from its tendency to grow in swampy areas: early European settlers in the region noted that malarial fever was contracted in areas with these trees. It is now understood that malarial fever is spread by mosquitoes living in the swampy areas that often support this tree species, and not by the tree species itself. These trees are immortalized by Rudyard Kipling in one of his Just So Stories, The Elephant's Child, wherein he repeatedly refers to "the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees."
18th February 2013 set off at 09:10 seemed a lot shorter to get out of Oliver's "driveway" and once out we found loads of elephants - one herd with a tiny, little one (less than a year old!). Then lots of Hornbills, Cattle Egrets, Eagles, Plovers, etc, then Impalas everywhere. Loads more Elephants, then Giraffes and tore off fast by jeep to see Lioness with 3 cubs but missed them. Then we went to Silia place for a picnic for lunch at 13:30 - then at 14:15 we headed home seeing some lioness close up .... We had a beer back at Oliver's and a shower ahead of the night drive. I have only entered the new to us animals below ...
- Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) Three feet or so it is a large, dark eagle. Generally dark brown with white scapular markings and pale golden-cream nape. Grey base to tail.
Juvenile brown fading to pale buff with dark flight feathers. Shows flat wings in flight. Holds wings in flattened "V" shape. Voice Repeated barking Only on passage usually in winter, birds are found in the Middle East, east Africa south to Tanzania. This species has a small global population, and is likely to be undergoing continuing declines, primarily as a result of habitat loss and degradation, adult mortality through persecution and collision with power-lines, nest robbing and prey depletion.
- Africa Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) resembles the Bald Eagle in appearance, the African Fish Eagle is a large bird, and the female, at 7 to 8 lbs is larger than the male, - only 4.4-5.5 lbs - a typical of sexual dimorphism. Males usually have a wingspan of about 6 feet), while females have wingspans of 8 feet or so. The body length is usually 25–30 inches and the adult is very distinctive in appearance with a mostly brown body and large, powerful, black wings.
The head, breast, and tail of African Fish Eagles are snow white, with the exception of the featherless face, which is yellow. The eyes are dark brown in colour. The hook-shaped beak, ideal for a carnivorous lifestyle, is yellow with a black tip. The plumage of the juvenile is brown in colour, and the eyes are paler compared to the adult. The feet have rough soles and are equipped with powerful talons in order to enable the eagle to grasp slippery aquatic prey. While this species mainly subsists on fish, it is opportunistic and may take a wider variety of prey such as waterbirds. Its distinctive cry is, for many, evocative of the spirit or essence of Africa. The call, shriller when uttered by males, is a weee-ah, hyo-hyo or a heee-ah, heeah-heeah.
- Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori)
- Yellow Baboon (Papio cynocephalus)The yellow baboon inhabits savannas and light forests in the eastern Africa, from Kenya and Tanzania to Zimbabwe and Botswana. It is diurnal, terrestrial, and lives in complex, mixed-gender social groups of eight to 200 individuals per troop. It is omnivorous with a preference for fruits, but it also eats other plant parts, as well as insects. The three subspecies of the yellow baboon are Papio cynocephalus cynocephalus (typical yellow baboon); Papio cynocephalus ibeanus (Ibean baboon) and Papio cynocephalus kindae (Kinda baboon). I have no idea what we saw).
Baboons are highly opportunistic eaters and will eat almost any food they come across. Yellow baboons use at least 10 different vocalizations to communicate. When traveling as a group, males will lead, females and the young stay safe in the middle, and less-dominant males bring up the rear. Baboons are important in their natural environment, not only serving as food for larger predators, but also aiding in seed dispersal due to their messy foraging habits. They are also efficient predators of smaller animals and their young, keeping some animals' populations in check.
- Blacksmith Lapwing or Plover (Vanellus armatus) occurs through central Tanzania to southern and southwestern Africa. The vernacular name derives from the repeated metallic 'tink, tink, tink' alarm outcall, which suggests a blacksmith's hammer striking an anvil. They are very boldly patterned in black, grey and white, possibly warning colours to predators. It is one of five lapwing species (two African, one Asian and two Neotropical) that share the characteristics of a carpal (wing) spur, red eye and a bold pied plumage. The bare parts are black.
Females average larger and heavier but the sexes are generally alike. They occur in association with wetlands of all sizes. Even very small damp areas caused by a spilling water trough can attract them. Like the Crowned Lapwing, this species may leave Zambia and Zimbabwe in years of high rainfall and return in dry years. It avoids mountains of any type. The species reacts aggressively to other lapwings or African Jacanas that may enter its wetland habitat. It breeds in spring, but its choice of nesting site and timing may be opportunistic. The young separate gradually from their parents and do not return to natal areas afterwards. They feed on aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates.
- Masai Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
- Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) is a white bird adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season. It nests in colonies, usually near bodies of water and often with other wading birds. The nest is a platform of sticks in trees or shrubs. They exploit drier and open habitats more than other heron species. Their feeding habitats include seasonally inundated grasslands, pastures, farmlands and wetlands. They often accompany cattle or other large mammals, catching insect and small vertebrate prey disturbed by these animals. Some populations of the Cattle Egret are migratory and others show post-breeding dispersal.
The adult Cattle Egret has few predators, but birds or mammals may raid its nests, and chicks may be lost to starvation, calcium deficiency or disturbance from other large birds. This species maintains a special relationship with cattle, which extends to other large grazing mammals. The cattle egret removes ticks and flies from cattle and consumes them. This benefits both species, but it has been implicated in the spread of tick-borne animal diseases.
- Ruppell's Griffon Vulture (Gyps rueppellii) is a large vulture that occurs throughout the Sahel region of central Africa. The current population of 30,000 is in decline due to loss of habitat and other pressures - it is named in honour of Eduard Rüppell, a 19th-century German explorer, collector, and zoologist. Rüppell's Vulture is considered to be the highest-flying bird. These are large vultures, noticeably out-sizing the closely related White-backed Vulture, with which they often co-occur in the wild. Adults are 33 to 41 inches long, with a wingspan of 7.4 to 8.5 feet, and a weight that ranges from 6.4 to 9 kg. Both sexes are alike - mottled brown or black overall with a whitish-brown underbelly and thin, dirty-white fluff covering the head and neck. The base of the neck has a white collar, the eye is yellow or amber, the crop patch deep chocolate-brown. Silent as a rule, they become vocal at the nest and when at a carcass, squealing a great deal. They are highly social, roosting, nesting, and gathering to feed in large flocks.
They can travel fast at speed, cruising at up to 22 mph, and will fly as far as 90+ miles from a nest site to find food. They commonly fly at altitudes ranging up to 20,000 feet. The birds have a specialized variant of the
haemoglobin alphaD subunit - this protein has a high affinity for oxygen, which allows the species to take up oxygen efficiently despite the low partial pressure in the upper troposphere. They roost on inaccessible rock ledges if these are available, or in trees, usually Acacia. When thermal updrafts start to develop enough lift, about two hours after sunrise, Rüppell's Vultures leave the roost and begin to patrol over the plains, using their exceptionally keen eyesight to find large animal carcasses, or carnivores which have made a kill. They will wait, several days if necessary, until a carnivore leaves a carcass. They have been known to take live prey on occasion, but this is rare. Rüppell's Vultures have several adaptations to their diet and are specialized feeders even among the Old World vultures of Africa. They have an especially powerful build and, after the most attractive soft parts of a carcass have been consumed, they will continue with the hide, and even the bones, gorging themselves until they can barely fly.
Night Drive The Masai helper, Supert, did the night drive.
- Serval (Leptailurus serval)DNA studies have shown that the serval is closely related to the African golden cat and the caraca (or the desert lynx) and is a medium-sized cat, measuring 23 to 36 inches in head-body length, with a relatively short, 28 to 18 inches tail, and a shoulder height of about 21 to 26 inches. Weight ranges from about 7 to 12 kg in females, and from 9 to 18 kg in males. It is a strong yet slender animal, with long legs and a fairly short tail. Due to its leg length, it is relatively one of the tallest cats. The head is small in relation to the body, and the tall, oval ears are set close together. The pattern of the fur is variable. Usually, the serval is boldly spotted black on tawny, with two or four stripes from the top of the head down the neck and back, transitioning into spots. The "servaline" form has much smaller, freckled spots, and was once thought to be separate species. (The following is not my photo)
The backs of the ears are black with a distinctive white bar. In addition, melanistic servals are quite common in some parts of the range, giving a similar appearance to the "black panther" (melanistic leopard). The serval is nocturnal, and so hunts mostly at night, unless disturbed by human activity or the presence of larger nocturnal predators. Although the serval is specialised for catching rodents, it is an opportunistic predator whose diet also includes birds, hares, hyraxes, reptiles, insects, fish, and frogs. The serval eats very quickly, sometimes too quickly, causing it to gag and regurgitate due to clogging in the throat. Small prey are devoured whole. With larger prey, small bones are consumed, but organs and intestines are avoided along with fur, feathers, beaks, feet or hooves. The serval utilises an effective plucking technique in which it repeatedly tosses captured birds in the air while simultaneously thrashing its head from side-to-side, removing mouthfuls of feathers, which it discards. As part of its adaptations for hunting in the savannas, the serval boasts long legs for jumping, which also help it achieve a top speed of 50 mph, and has large ears with acute hearing. Its long legs and neck allow the serval to see over tall grasses, while its ears are used to detect prey, even those burrowing underground. Servals have been known to dig into burrows in search of underground prey, and to leap 7 to 10 ft into the air to grab birds in flight. While hunting, the serval may pause for up to 15 minutes at a time to listen with eyes closed. The Serval's pounce is a distinctive and precise vertical 'hop', which may be an adaptation for capturing flushed birds. It is able to leap up to 12 ft horizontally from a stationary position, landing precisely on target with sufficient force to stun or kill its prey upon impact. The serval is an efficient killer, catching prey on an average of 50% of attempts, compared to an average of 38% for leopards and 30% for lions. The serval is extremely intelligent, and demonstrate remarkable problem-solving ability, making it notorious for getting into mischief, as well as easily outwitting its prey, and eluding other predators. The serval will often play with its captured prey for several minutes before consuming it. In most situations, the serval will ferociously defend its food against attempted theft by others. Males can be more aggressive than females.
- Dik-dik - probably a Kirk's Dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii) is a small antelope in the
Genus Madoqua that lives in the bush-lands of eastern and southern Africa. Dik-diks stand about 12–16 inches at the shoulder, are 20–28 inches long, weigh 3–6 kg and can live for up to 10 years. Dik-diks are named for the alarm calls of the females. In addition to the females' alarm call, both the male and female make a shrill, whistling sound. These calls may alert other animals to predators. Female dik-diks are somewhat larger than males. The males have horns, which are small about 3 inches, slanted backwards and longitudinally grooved. The hair on the crown forms an upright tuft that sometimes partially conceals the short, ribbed horns of the male.
The upper body is grey-brown, while the lower parts of the body, including the legs, belly, crest, and flanks, are tan. A bare black spot below the inside corner of each eye contains a pre-orbital gland that produces a dark, sticky secretion. Dik-diks insert grass stems and twigs into the gland to scent-mark their territories. To prevent overheating, dik-diks have elongated snouts with bellows-like muscles through which blood is pumped. Airflow and subsequent evaporation cools this blood before it is recirculated to the body. However, this panting is only implemented in extreme conditions — Dik-diks can tolerate air temperatures of up to 40°C.
- Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) is a grassland antelope from the genus Alcelaphus. Adults stand just over 3.3 feet at the shoulder. Males weigh from 125 to 255 kg, while females weigh from 100 to 185 kg. The coat color varies between subspecies, from the dully, sandy coat of the western hartebeest to the dark-blackish overall of the Swayne's hartebeest. Horns are found in both sexes and grow 18–28 inches long, the shape varying greatly between subspecies.
Hartebeest live between 11 and 20 years in the wild. They are social animals that form herds of 20 to 300 individuals, generally calm in nature, the it can be ferocious when provoked. Their diet consists mainly of Hyparrhenia grasses and small amounts of legumes. Reproduction varies seasonally, and depends on both the subspecies and the population during mating. Hartebeest are sexually mature at one to two years of age. After a gestation period of eight months, one offspring is born. The hartebeest inhabits savannas, woodlands, and open plains. Hartebeest meat is highly regarded, so it is a popular African game animal.
- Thomson's Gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii) is one of the best-known gazelle - named after explorer Joseph Thomson and sometimes referred to as a "tommie". It is considered by some to be a subspecies of the red-fronted gazelle and was formerly considered a member of the genus Gazella within the subgenus Eudorcas, before Eudorcas was elevated to genus status. Thomson's gazelles can be found in numbers exceeding 500 thousand in Africa and are recognized as the most common type of gazelle in East Africa. Thomson's gazelles are 20 to 28 inches tall and weigh 15 to 25 kg (females), 20 to 30 kg males. They have light brown coats with white underparts and distinctive black stripes on the sides. Their horns are long and pointed with slight curvature. The white patch on their rumps extends to underneath the tail, but no further. Grant's gazelles are sometimes mistaken for Thomson's gazelles. Although some Grant's do have the black stripe running across their sides, the white on their rumps always extends above the tail. During the wet season, a time when grass is abundant, adult male gazelles will graze extensively. They spread out more and establish breeding territories. Younger males usually spend their time in bachelor groups, and are prevented from entering the territories. Females form migratory groups that enter the males' territories, mostly the ones with the highest-quality resources.- As the female groups pass though and forage, the territorial males may try to herd them, and are usually successful in preventing single females from leaving, but not whole groups. Sub-adult males usually establish dominance though actual combat, while adults are more likely to do rituals. If a bachelor male should be passing through a territorial male's region, the male will chase the offender out of his territory.
When patrolling his territory, a male may use his horns to gore the grass, soil, or a bush. Males will also mark grass stems with their pre-orbital glands, which emit a dark secretion. Territories of different males may share a boundary. When territorial males meet at the border of their territories, they engage in mock fights in which they rush towards each other as if they are about to clash, but without touching. After this, they graze in a frontal position, then in parallel and them in reserve, and move away from each other while constantly grazing. These rituals have no victor, but merely maintain the boundaries of the territories. Territorial males usually will not enter another male's territory. If a male is chasing an escaping female, he will stop the chase if she runs into another territory, but the neighboring male will continue the chase. A male gazelle will follow a female and sniff her urine to find out if she is in estrus, a process known as the Flehmen response. If so, he will continue to court and mount her. Females will leave the herd to give birth to single fawns after a five- to six-month gestation period. They give birth twice yearly. When birthing, a female gazelle crunches as the newborn fawn drops to the ground, tearing the umbilical cord. The mother then licks the fawn clean of amniotic fluid and tissues. In addition, licking possibly also serves to stimulate the fawn’s blood circulation, or to "label" it so its mother can recognize it by scent. In the first six hours of the fawn’s life, it moves and rests with its mother, but eventually spends more time away from its mother or hides in the grass. The mother stays in the vicinity of the fawn and returns to nurse it daily. Mother and fawn may spend an hour together before the fawn goes and lies back down to wait for the next nursing. Mother gazelles may associate with other gazelle mothers, but the fawns do not gather into "kindergartens". Mothers will defend their young against jackals and baboons, but not against larger predators. Sometimes, a female can fend off a male baboon by headbutting him with her horns to defend her fawn. As the fawn approaches two months of age, it spends more time with its mother and less time hiding. Eventually, it stops hiding. Around this time, the fawn starts eating solid food, but continues to nurse its mother. The pair will also join a herd. Young female gazelles may associate with their mothers as yearlings. Young males may also follow their mothers, but as they reach adolescence, they are noticed by territorial males, so cannot follow their mothers into territories. The mother may follow and stay with him, but eventually stops following him when he is driven away; the male will then join a bachelor group.
- Blackbacked Jackal (Canis mesomelas) ... also known as the silver-backed or red jackalAlthough the most lightly built of jackals, it is the most aggressive, having been observed to singly kill animals many times its own size, and its intra-pack relationships are more quarrelsome. It is listed by the IUCN as least concern, due to its widespread range and adaptability, although it is still persecuted as a livestock predator and rabies vector. The fossil record indicates the species is the oldest extant member of the genus Canis. Jackals usually den in holes made by other species, though they will occasionally dig their own; females will dig tunnels 1–2 metres in depth with a 1-metre-wide entrance. Black-backed jackals are monogamous and territorial animals, whose social organisation greatly resembles that of golden jackals. However, unlike the latter species, the assistance of elder offspring in helping raise the pups of their parents has a greater bearing on pup survival rates. During the mating season, they become increasingly more vocal and territorial, with dominant animals preventing same-sex subordinates from mating through constant harassment.
photo by Hans Hillewaert
Mating occurs from late May to August, with a 60 day gestation period. Pups are born from July to October. Summer births are thought to be timed to coincide with population peaks of vlei rats and four-striped grass mice, while winter births are timed for ungulate calving seasons. Litters usually consist of three to six pups. For the first three weeks of their lives, the pups are kept under constant surveillance by their mother, while the father and elder offspring provide food. They typically leave the den after three weeks, and become independent at six to eight months. Pups have drab coloured coats, which only reach full intensity at the age of two years. Unlike golden jackals, which have comparatively amicable intra-pack relationships, black-backed jackal pups become increasingly quarrelsome as they age, and establish more rigid dominance hierarchies. Dominant cubs will appropriate food, and become independent at an earlier age. Black-backed jackals are omnivores, which feed on invertebrates, such as Beetles, Grasshoppers, Crickets, Termites, Millipedes, Spiders and Scorpions. They will also feed on mammals, such as rodents, hares and young antelopes up to the size of topi calves. They will also feed on carrion, lizards, and snakes. A pair of black-backed jackals in the Kalahari desert was observed to kill and devour a Kori Bustard and, on a separate occasion, a Black Mamba via prolonged harassment of the snake and crushing of the snake's head. Black-backed Jackals will occasionally feed on fruits and berries. In coastal areas, they will feed on beached marine mammals, seals, fish and mussels. A single jackal is capable of killing a healthy adult Impala (individual infirm). Adult Dik-dik and Thomson's Gazelles seem to be the upper limit of their killing capacity, though they will target larger species if they are sick, with one pair having been observed to harass a crippled bull Rhinoceros. They typically kill tall prey by biting at the legs and loins, and will frequently go for the throat.[6] In Serengeti woodlands, they feed heavily on African Grass Rats. In East Africa, during the dry season, they hunt the young of Gazelles, Impalas, Topi, Tsessebe and Warthogs. They will prey on small carnivores, such as mongooses, polecats and wild cats. Eagles are the primary threat to pups; bateleur eagles will carry off pups up to the age of 10 weeks, while the larger martial eagles will even target sub-adults. Spotted Hyenas and Golden Jackals will also kill unprotected pups. Leopards are the main threat.
- Verrceaux's Eagle Owl (Bubo lacteus) - also known as the Milky Eagle Owl or Giant Eagle Owl is a very large and powerful owl about two feet in length and an average wingspan of 55 inches - weighing around 4 lb for males, and almost 6lbs for females! In appearance, they are distinguished by a whitish oval disk face with a black border and their pink eyelids. Their eyes are orange in color and they have two fluffy ear-tufts. Overall, they are a fairly uniform brownish-gray, with light vermiculations above and white spots on the shoulder. They are paler on the underside. The song is a deep 'gwok, gwok, gwonk-gwokwokwok gwokwokwok gwonk' and the alarm calls are often a sonorous 'whok' but variable grunting notes - raspy screams also seems to indicate alarm. They inhabit mainly semi-desert or dry savanna with scattered trees and thorny vegetation.
They range into riverine woods adjacent to savanna and are nocturnal birds, roosting in shady trees. They hunt predominantly in early evening taking young monkeys, hedgehogs, hares, mongeese, squirrels, fruit bats and various rats and mice as well as even birds - weavers and waxbills to large herons and bustards and can include guinea-fowl, ducks, and even nestling vultures. Breeding takes place from March to September and the monogamous pair defends their territory by their song and sometimes (though rarely) through duets. Usually breeding occurs every year but, when food densities are low, may occur only ever 2 or 3 years. The new young weigh about 2 oz and almost right away have apparent pink eyelids. The first egg to hatch is the first to be fed, and if food is not plentiful only, the second chick often starves to death. If food is abundant, both owlets will be fed and may survive. The female broods the chicks consistently for 20 days. The fledglings are hidden and rather inactive for around 3 months, only starting to catch their own prey at around 5 months. Some young may remain with their parents for up to 2 years. Sexual maturity is reached at 3 to 4 years of age.
- Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis) is s a species of rhinoceros, native to eastern and central Africa including Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Angola. Although the rhinoceros is referred to as black, its colors vary from brown to grey. (The other African rhinoceros is the white rhinoceros - Ceratotherium simum. The word "white" in the name "white rhinoceros" is a misinterpretation of the Afrikaans word
wyd, itself derived from the Dutch word
wijd for wide, referring to its square upper lip, as opposed to the pointed or hooked lip of the black rhinoceros. These species are now sometimes referred to as the square-lipped (for white) or hook-lipped (for black) rhinoceros. The species overall is classified as critically endangered. Although they are typically solitary animals, with the exception of coming together to mate, mothers and calves will sometimes congregate in small groups for short periods of time.
Males are not as sociable as females, although they will sometimes allow the presence of other rhinos. They are not very territorial and often intersect other rhino territories. Home ranges vary depending on season and the availability of food and water. Generally they have smaller home ranges and larger density in habitats that have plenty of food and water available, and vice versa if resources are not readily available. In the Serengeti home ranges can be up to 50 square miles. Black rhinos have also been observed to have a certain area they tend to visit and rest frequently called "houses" which are usually on a high ground level. The black rhino has a reputation for being extremely aggressive, and charges readily at perceived threats and fight each other, and they have the highest rates of mortal combat recorded for any mammal: about 50% of males and 30% of females die from combat-related injuries. Adult rhinos normally have no natural predators, thanks to their imposing size as well as their thick skin and deadly horns. They follow the same trails that elephants use to get from foraging areas to water holes. They also use smaller trails when they are browsing. They are very fast and can get up to speeds of 35 m.p.h. running on their toes. They are herbivorous browsers and eat leafy plants, branches, shoots, thorny wood bushes, and fruit. Their diet can reduce the amount of woody plants, which may benefit grazers who eat grass, but not competing browsers. The rhino has been known to eat up to 220 species of plants. It can live up to 5 days without water during drought. Black rhinos live in primarily grasslands, savannas, and tropical bushland habitats.
- Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)
- Leopard (Panthera pardus) is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar and compared to the other members the leopard has relatively short legs and a long body with a large skull. It is similar in appearance to the jaguar, but is smaller and more slightly built.
Not my photo ...
Its fur is marked with rosettes similar to those of the jaguar, but the leopard's rosettes are smaller and more densely packed, and do not usually have central spots as the jaguars do. Both leopards and jaguars that are melanistic are known as black panthers.
- Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
- Lizards
Didn’t see
Side-striped Jackal (Canis adustus)
Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)
Eland (Taurotragus oryx)
Impala (Aepyceros melampus)
Roosevelt Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger)
Lichtenstein's Hartebeest (Sigmoceros lichtensteinii)
Burchell's Zebra (Equus burchell
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