Trips

Wed., 8/16/2017 – Serengeti National Park
       From 8 AM to 4 PM we drove around Serengeti National Park looking at animals and birds.  The unusual things we saw today included a Euphorbia Candelabra tree in bud.  The green, round bunches of berries will turn a rosy pink.  At the river there was a Reedbuck that got stuck belly deep in the mud when he tried to cross.  If he couldn’t get out he would become dinner for the lioness waiting nearby in the grass.  We saw several Thomson's gazelles that were black with mud half way up their sides but who had been able to get out of the mud.
       We are keeping count of the cats we have seen.  Today we added 21 more lions and three more leopards.  Witress says his record for OAT trips is 67 lions.  We are hoping to set the new record.  Marge got a wonderful picture of a large leopard jumping down from his tree perch.          

Euphorbia Candelabrum	Cape Buffalo and Elephant skulls
Crocodile	Hippos and Crocodiles
Topi and Thomson's Gazelles	Leopard
Termite nests and Thomson's Gazelles	Kopjes - rock outcrops
Caught in the mud and probably a "goner"	Lioness
Lion	The lion on the left was waiting in the grass, hoping that the Thomson's Gazelles at the river would make a mistake so she could enjoy a free lunch.
Mud covered Thomson's Gazelle	Thomson's Gazelles
Sleepy Lion	Lion - having a bad dream?
Hippos	Impala
Around the river	Zebras - the patterns of their stripes are so interesting
Lion	Lion
Lion	Lion - he is BIG
Hyena	Hyena
Leopard descending from the tree	Our OAT safari vehicle
Thurs., 8/17/2017 – Serengeti        Today’s game drive was only 7 ½ hours.  We talked Witress into getting us back by 3:30 and he did.  We drove the same route in the park but today we saw a group of wildebeests.  The majority of the wildebeests migrated a month ago. Our driver, Josef, said these animals would be sick, old, or injured and they did not or could not migrate and would end up as food for the lions.        The seven more lions we saw have created the new OAT lion record for Witress of 72.  Most of these in the Serengeti have been resting in the shade of a bush or tree in plain sight.         We saw one leopard at the base of a tree with his disemboweled impala up in a crotch of the tree.  They make a kill by biting the neck, open them up and eat the internal organs, and then drag the remains to a tree to finish off at their leisure.  Yummy!         It rained here and there last night.  We saw lots of lightning.  It was nice that some of the dust had settled and the leaves were washed off.  We drive with our roof lifted up so we can stand in the vehicle and watch the animals or take pictures.  No one is allowed out of the jeep in the park.  Our drivers are very good at moving into position for the best view and then moving on so someone else can move in for a view.
The Land	Yellow-billed Hornbill
Sausage tree	Hippos
Hippos	Hippos with baby
Big yawn	Dikdik
Animal viewing	Thomson's Gazelles
Leopard kill	Leopard guarding the kill
Momma and baby	Resting Lions

       A storm blew in from the east and we had just zipped up our tent and got up to the lodge at 6:10 when the heavens opened up.  Witress did not come to his 6:30 meeting so we all sat in the lounge and socialized and watched the monsoon rain and lightning.  It let up around 8 PM so we could be escorted back to our tents after dinner without getting soaked.  At all of these camps, guards walk around all night to keep animals, like lions, elephants, and hyenas, from attacking us.  Some guards carry a stick, some a bow and arrows, and our escort tonight had a rifle.

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