Steppes In Africa; A Disney-inspired Safari- L is for: Life in the Crater- Large and Little- Ngorongoro Crater, Pt. 4 (7/13)

[zanzibar138]

What an incredible day, and it's still only just beginning! You've already seen lions (including a male), rhino, a hyena, zebras, flamingos... Starting to feel slightly ripped off with my African safari experience lol!

While still a problem in some areas, actual hunting and poaching has slowed WAY down.

Good to know.

Ngorongoro is one place where covered, hardtop trucks are required due to the steep descent of the road and slick conditions.

Also good to know, thank you!

The next huge find, WAY off in the distance, was a pair of black rhinos.

Amazing.

I had set out with high hopes that I’d be one of the luckiest of first guests to spot one of the White Rhinos that had just been introduced to the Crater on March 4th.

What a great shot!

Obviously I haven't quoted them all, but you got some fantastic photos that day. I hope you are planning to do something with them!

Did you know that Tiffins restaurant in Animal Kingdom is named for the stackable, metal storage/serving containers that you’d find on a safari?

I did not know that. And never experienced that on our safaris either.

Opening the box, eager to see what might be inside, I found a boiled egg, a ham and cheese sandwich, a roll, jam, a crepe, some yogurt, a juice box, and an ample serving of fruit.

Looks delicious!

Obviously, a “Great Migration” doesn’t happen here in the crater, but there are wildebeest living their best life with plentiful, year-round grass without the hassle of a couple of treacherous croc-infested river crossings.

They certainly look like they are living their best lives

A Mountain Buzzard. Isn’t the pattern on his or her wings gorgeous?!

Beautiful!

A Rufous-naped Lark (and ELEPHANT POOP, see how much is "leftover"?)

So you did get your elephant poop photo after all!

This is the best I could do- magnificent, no?

Just seeing a beautiful male lion, even from a distance, would have been such an incredible experience. You did well with the photo, but the main thing is the memory.

AND FLAMINGOS!!!

Hooray!

I'll leave off here with just a few landscapes to show you just how beautiful this place is, especially in the rainy season when everything is in bloom.

Just stunning

 

[Wood Nymph]

Emanuel was super excited to see them, and I think we all enjoyed just watching them for a bit.

If the guide is excited, then you know it is special.

Zebras bob or pump their heads as a form of social communication, often to initiate interactions like grooming or moving together.

That is a curious behavior. It is cool to see it in your video.

While we were stopped watching the zebras another magnificent bird took flight from the grass: A Mountain Buzzard. Isn’t the pattern on his or her wings gorgeous?!

That is a gorgeous shot of the Mountain Buzzard.

Emanuel excitedly announced that he spotted a very large male lion with a huge mane. He was nonchalantly sauntering across the meadow but was quite far away.

That would be a rare sighting since lions sleep so much of the day.

AND FLAMINGOS!!! Recall, I was sad that I didn’t see any at all at Small Momella Lake in Arusha National Park, but lo and behold loads of them, both Greater and Lesser were here in the lakes of the crater.

Flamingos at a lake is much nicer than at a small, smelly park.

I'll leave off here with just a few landscapes to show you just how beautiful this place is, especially in the rainy season when everything is in bloom.

The interior of the crater is very stunning. Do most of the animals remain in the crater their entire lives?

 

[missjackiemcg]

I present the one of the only Baobab trees I saw this entire trip.

That's so beautiful and perfectly placed on the correct side of the truck.

That sky!! It looks like watercolors!

What a cool action shot! Also, how awesome that you were able to see the lions climbing trees after missing out on the other location. All of those pictures were so amazing to look at.

Did you know that Tiffins restaurant in Animal Kingdom is named for the stackable, metal storage/serving containers that you’d find on a safari?

I learned that on my Wild Africa Trek! They actually serve the snacks/lunch on the tour in those little stacked metal dishes--such a practical presentation and way for them to transport the food out to the savanna.

I love that!!! I've never seen our zoo zebras do much of anything but stand around. I love this playfulness.

 

[pkondz]

K is for: Keep on Driving!

Somehow missed this update!
Luckily, some others had commented and I wondered what they were talking about.

actual hunting and poaching has slowed WAY down.

I'm not surprised. I remember poaching was in the news quite a bit. Then it just... stopped. I assumed it was because the practice had been... well, probably not stopped, but curbed.

Most folks are realizing that the economy is much better served by safari tourism than elephant tusks.

I mean... it's simple mathematics.
You kill one elephant and you make (I found this on Google) about $4,000. ($2,000 per tusk) You can only get that once from the elephant. Or... you let the animal live, you have a tourist pay... say after all the other expenses, maybe it costs $100 or even $10 to look at one elephant. But you have (again from Google) two million tourists coming to see animals in Tanzania. Heck... if the cost per tourist is even $0.10... to see an elephant... that's $200,000! Every year!

Or.

Wipe out the elephants for their tusks and make (based on Tanzania elephant population of 60,000 (again from Google)) $240,000 once.

It also shows the "paved" road and how it's all done in hewn rock pavers.

Whoa!

Ngorongoro is one place where covered, hardtop trucks are required due to the steep descent of the road and slick conditions.

Makes sense. I've always thought a roll-over in a convertible had to be way worse than in a sedan.

a pair of black rhinos.

Cool!

Sorry for the blurry photos, they too were quite far away from us.

I would guess they're back to back to watch for predators? Although I'm not sure if rhinos even have predators.

White Rhinos that had just been introduced to the Crater on March 4th. 18 were released with 18 more to be released over the next year.

That many!

They had disappeared completely for the last 50 years from the crater and are now being given another chance to survive there.

I wonder why they disappeared? Poaching? How long ago was this?

The Northern Fiscal Shrike

I bet you shrieked when you saw the Shrike

the Brown Snake Eagle

You and your snakes.


Wait...

a cute little hyena was taking a sunbath

Did you hear it "laugh"?? I've always wondered about that.

Did you know that Tiffins restaurant in Animal Kingdom is named for the stackable, metal storage/serving containers that you’d find on a safari?

I did know that!

I found a boiled egg, a ham and cheese sandwich, a roll, jam, a crepe, some yogurt, a juice box, and an ample serving of fruit.

Sounds delicious!

Such a cool shot!

Others decided to have a gallop off to somewhere, whether it was spooked by another animal, or they had better things to do, off they went.

Probably for a board meeting.
No... probably running from a board meeting, so they could horse around.

Emanuel shared that they pump their heads to confuse predators

I wonder how that helps? Huh!

A Mountain Buzzard. Isn’t the pattern on his or her wings gorgeous?!

Yes!

It had become a routine that someone would see a bird, we'd stop and I'd shoot a few photos, then Freddie or Emanuel would pull out their phone and show me a photo of what they thought it was and play the song (sometimes the guides would also play the bird song audio on their phone to get the bird to look at us too), or they would whip out their bird book and look it up there.

You must've been in seventh heaven.

Nice shot!

(and ELEPHANT POOP, see how much is "leftover"?)

I'll pass on the leftovers... thanks.

Nice

Kori Bustard

Sounds like a Scot swearing.

Gorgeous!

This is the best I could do- magnificent, no?

Magnificent, yes!

AND FLAMINGOS!!! Recall, I was sad that I didn’t see any at all at Small Momella Lake in Arusha National Park

show you just how beautiful this place is, especially in the rainy season when everything is in bloom.

Breathtaking!

Indeed. Most probably think hot, dry, dusty...

Yep!

Yeah, but the best photos are just after dawn and they know that.

I do not think so no. I'll get to that when we drive out.

I think it was in the high 50's/low 60's in the early AM.

So... Canadian T-shirt weather.

No way! These things are super unpredictable and can be very cranky. You are NOT allowed to touch or attempt to touch the animals.

Just a little pet?

No, and I'll get to that too in future chapters.

At every turn. It was exhilarating to learn so much. I'd learned some on the Disney safaris too, but this was like lightyears more information. The guides were constantly teaching and explaining.

Sounds amazing.

You're on a roll. Like a dung beetle.

 

[NSDisneyGirl]

I am absolutely loving following along this trip report! Thank you so much for sharing!

 

[Steppesister]

L is for: Life in the Crater- Large and Little- Ngorongoro Crater, Pt. 4
May 7, 2025

​

The time between breakfast and lunch was spent making a large circuit around the interior of the crater. The guides have certain places they know will have a good chance of animal sightings and one by one Emanuel and Freddie hit them all. As I’ve shared, I took a massive amount of photos this day, and it was difficult to choose which ones would make the cut to share with you. They also seem to be all jumbled up and I honestly am not sure anymore which order we saw those I’m going to share.

At each stop, Emanuel and Freddie taught me a bit more about the animals we were seeing, and I’ll try and add a bit of commentary as I go along. Otherwise, I will let the photos themselves do the talking. So, this chapter will be a lot less wordy.

What I can say, up front, is that the landscape itself was indescribably beautiful. The colors were a riot of yellow and purple flowers, bright greens of the marshes and oranges and pinks in the distance all surrounded by the darker green crater rim walls. There were blue lakes and brighter blue skies all punctuated by the flashes of color of the animals themselves. I hope you enjoy seeing these magnificent animals in such an exquisite color palette as much as I did!

(Cape Buffalo with Red-billed Oxpecker)

​

HIPPO POOL #1

​

The flamingoes shared the water with the hippos.

(Greater Flamingo)




(Red-knobbed Coot)



(Common Eland- the largest antelope species in Tanzania)

​

Elephants were abundant in several locations throughout the crater. These were hanging out in a marshy area making for a striking background and unusual setting for seeing these gentle giants.

(Look at that background!)


​

Several bird species could be found just nearby, as well as a variety of other critters.

(Black-headed heron)


(Pied Avocet)




(Cape Teal)


(Yellow-billed stork)



(Egyptian Goose- Emanuel shared that the goose does not get its name because it came from Egypt, but rather because of the patch around its eye. If you look on hieroglyphic art, you'll see the eyeliner both men and women wore and this goose has a similar marking.)​

A bit further on we came to another big lake. This one was big enough that the wind that had become quite strong was kicking up white caps. Several safari jeeps were here and taking turns driving out on a small spit to the water's edge. This was because there was a fairly big bloat of hippos huddled together and bobbing in and out of the water.

HIPPO POOL #2!

​

But that wasn't the main attraction! There was a mother with a baby who was in and out of the water as well.

(Awww, snuggle time!)


(If you've ever had a toddler, you know exactly what this feels like every minute they are awake.)






Get out! The baby even yawned for us!!


​

There is a definite etiquette that is followed on safari and the guides know when it is time to give other trucks their turn at sightings, so we said good-bye to the mommy and baby hippo and drove on. There were many, many more animals to be seen, like this, our first jackal!

And a last few before I have to move on to the next post:


(Anteater Chat)



(Fischer's Sparrow Lark)



(An artsy-fartsy take on a photo that I'd over-exposed)



(White-backed vultures)




​

 

[Steppesister]

Continued from previous post....

If you tell by the vast amount of photos, you can probably deduce that there are animals at every turn. The density is truly mind-blowing.

From the big lake where the baby hippo was, we started to head towards the large, main designated picnic area for lunch, but along the way, we saw skads more animals. Let me assure you seeing the 40 billionth Cape Buffalo never got boring.

But this little group was a little different than the others we'd seen so far: This crusty, obviously older and more "worn" group of HUGE buffalo are known as "Dagga Boys". This is the colloquial term meaning Mud Boys and refer to the aged out males who cannot fight to maintain dominance any longer in the herd. They are forced out and now live in smaller, unprotected groups away from the rest of their kind. They roll in the mud to protect their skin from sun, remove ticks, cool off, etc... all buffalo do this. But Dagga Boys are often muddier because they spend vast amounts of time at marshy, wet areas because softer, newer grass grows there and their aging, fragile teeth can eat that more successfully. Now... they may seem slow and decrepit, but they are in actuality the most volatile, cranky, and unpredictable of all the savannah animals. They can over-react very quickly to any perceived threat and charge for very little reason. Drivers tend to steer clear and give them a wide berth on drives.

​

I'm going to put all of the birds we saw between here and during lunch (except a couple) in a separate post so you can skip if not interested. So moving on!

Here a lone wildebeest stands under a tree. Over the course of the next days on safari, I'd see several instances of this and learned that this can be due to a variety of factors, some more troubling than others. In this case, it may simply be due to this being a male who is trying to establish dominance in a bit of territory. Other cases of this are a bit sadder. Sometimes, a herd moves on from a sick, weak, or injured animal leaving it behind to become prey. That's unlikely here, given the small, enclosed area with a herd usually not too far off. However, being alone does render him without the protection of the larger herd group.

​

A large herd of elephant was quietly grazing at our next stop. They are so peaceful to watch munching away on the plants!

(Ever seen elephants in a field of flowers?!)

​

I love this next picture because it shows the variety of animals that can be found at one watering hole. In the mix: Zebra, Eland, and Grant's Gazelle.

​

Soon, we arrived at the large picnic area where we used the very clean restroom before finding an empty table away from the main cluster of folks already there.

Freddie and Emanuel set up our spread, replete with a table cloth, a simple metal set up with cutlery, and a fantastic meal that had been neatly packaged in tiffins.
As they set up, they pointed out this gorgeous African Harrier Hawk:

​

Beggars are never far away!

​

Nor are predators!

​

While they set up, I snapped a few photos of nearby things of interest, like this coffee truck. For the record, I did not pull the trigger on this, as I had a nice cup of tea with my lunch.

​

LUNCH TIME! Grilled chicken skewers, rice pilaf, fresh apples, cupcakes (didn't eat one), and little ham and cheese sandwiches. I had a cup of hot tea, but not without a story. When Emanuel had gotten it all ready and set it down in front of me, he warned me to be careful because the table was uneven. It wasn't 5 seconds before the whole thing tipped over, but not because I wasn't careful! A puff of wind came up and blew it over, but there was no small amount of joking around play blaming me.

(My lunch view!)

​

One of my lunch companions!

(Speke's Yellow Weaver)

​

While the men cleaned up and packed everything away, I took a little walk over to the water's edge where there was yet another bloat of hippo. There was a bit of informational signage about the water cycle and ecology, but the main attraction, that I had all to myself as since arriving everyone else had finished up and moved out, was the hippos! I was lucky enough to get a dream shot of a widely yarning behemoth!

(Hippo tussle!)



​

Because there has been some curiosity, here is a short bit on hippo "yawning" behavior:

"Perhaps the most recognizable mouth-related behavior is the aggressive yawn. This isn’t a sign of fatigue or boredom. Instead, it’s a deliberate and powerful display intended to intimidate. When a hippo feels its territory is threatened, or when males are vying for dominance, they’ll open their mouths incredibly wide, revealing their impressive teeth. The size of these teeth, especially the canines, is a direct indicator of the hippo’s strength and potential for inflicting damage. This visual threat is often accompanied by loud grunts, snorts, and aggressive splashing in the water, further emphasizing the hippo’s dominance."

​

The next post is the remainder of the birds from the 2nd half of the morning. Feel free to skip.

Next up, the last few hours in the crater and dinner back at the luxurious Plantation Lodge.

 

[Steppesister]

More of the day's birds!

(White-browed Coucal)




(African Sacred Ibis)




(The Secretary Bird- the derpiest of birds. It absolutely refused to put his super fun head feathers up, as did the next many I saw, but better pix coming of the very iconic Secretary!)



(Rosy-breasted Longclaw)

​

OK, here's a funny story!!! I saw something black flickering off to the side of the road, off a bit, maybe 30 yards or so and exclaimed, "I think I see a lion's tail flicking!". Emanuel stopped and then proceeded to laugh and tell me, no, those are Jackson's Widowbirds doing their mating rituals!

​

These are the most crazy beautiful birds, and I desperately wish I'd gotten a much closer look at them, but it was hilarious to watch dozens of these male birds with giant long tails, darting straight up into the air and landing back down onto the bushes below. This whole area must've been filled with nests. We stayed stopped there for some minutes watching this spectacle before moving on.

(Jackson's Widowbird)




(Rufous-tailed Weaver)




(Speke's Weaver)



(African Harrier Hawk)




(Speckled Pigeon)



(Wire-tailed Swallow)





(Ostrich)


​

 

[zanzibar138]

I hope you enjoy seeing these magnificent animals in such an exquisite color palette as much as I did!

Probably not quite as much as you did

Get out! The baby even yawned for us!!

OMG how cute!

Now... they may seem slow and decrepit, but they are in actuality the most volatile, cranky, and unpredictable of all the savannah animals.

Based on some of the grumpy old men I know, I would believe that

Grilled chicken skewers, rice pilaf, fresh apples, cupcakes (didn't eat one), and little ham and cheese sandwiches.

Yum!

The next post is the remainder of the birds from the 2nd half of the morning.

More great shots!

 

[Steppesister]

What an incredible day, and it's still only just beginning! You've already seen lions (including a male), rhino, a hyena, zebras, flamingos... Starting to feel slightly ripped off with my African safari experience lol!

Every game drive is so so different! There will some coming up where we had to drive for quite some time to see animals. But the landscape always made up for that.

What a great shot!

Obviously I haven't quoted them all, but you got some fantastic photos that day. I hope you are planning to do something with them!

My photography definitely improves over the days I was there. I think I both needed some practice to get in the hang of it again and the locations and guides just kept getting better and better!

I did not know that. And never experienced that on our safaris either

There ya go!

They certainly look like they are living their best lives

They certainly were! I year-round food I'm sure helps them to thrive.

So you did get your elephant poop photo after all!

I did, I did!!! LOL! See how much plant stuff is left in there?!

Just seeing a beautiful male lion, even from a distance, would have been such an incredible experience. You did well with the photo, but the main thing is the memory.

It is, but stick around... I think you'll be interested in the (much) better photos I get.

 

[Steppesister]

If the guide is excited, then you know it is special.

That is true, but I do have a super funny story about exactly that coming up soon.

That is a curious behavior. It is cool to see it in your video.

I thought it was pretty interesting too. I've never heard of or seen that before. I have another reason they do this that was explained to me that I'll share in another update.

That is a gorgeous shot of the Mountain Buzzard.

Super duper lucky!

That would be a rare sighting since lions sleep so much of the day.

For sure!!! But in several more instances, I got very, very lucky!

Flamingos at a lake is much nicer than at a small, smelly park.

Indeed! I loved seeing all the animals in their natural habitat and watching their behaviors there.

The interior of the crater is very stunning. Do most of the animals remain in the crater their entire lives?

Yes, they do. The guides said that really only the buffalo and an occasional elephant will wander out on the road, but everyone else stays pretty much put.

 

[Steppesister]

That's so beautiful and perfectly placed on the correct side of the truck.

It was, but there is one coming up towards the end of the TR that is more what you'd expect from a Baobab.

That sky!! It looks like watercolors!

If you liked that, I am pretty sure you'll like the ones in the most recent chapters. The layers of colors are outstanding!

What a cool action shot! Also, how awesome that you were able to see the lions climbing trees after missing out on the other location. All of those pictures were so amazing to look at.

I was so lucky to have caught that. Right moment of pointing that camera!

I learned that on my Wild Africa Trek! They actually serve the snacks/lunch on the tour in those little stacked metal dishes--such a practical presentation and way for them to transport the food out to the savanna.

I did the Savor the Savannah one too and same. It was a LOVELY tour and the food was SOOOOOOO good!

I love that!!! I've never seen our zoo zebras do much of anything but stand around. I love this playfulness.

For reals. They are super lazy on the Disney savannah for the most part. Life's too easy there! LOL!

 

[Steppesister]

Somehow missed this update!
Luckily, some others had commented and I wondered what they were talking about.

And now there's more to see too!

I'm not surprised. I remember poaching was in the news quite a bit. Then it just... stopped. I assumed it was because the practice had been... well, probably not stopped, but curbed.

Yes, with tons of government and other international pressures it's been cut way back. Plus, heavy fines and jail time.

I mean... it's simple mathematics.
You kill one elephant and you make (I found this on Google) about $4,000. ($2,000 per tusk) You can only get that once from the elephant. Or... you let the animal live, you have a tourist pay... say after all the other expenses, maybe it costs $100 or even $10 to look at one elephant. But you have (again from Google) two million tourists coming to see animals in Tanzania. Heck... if the cost per tourist is even $0.10... to see an elephant... that's $200,000! Every year!

Or.

Wipe out the elephants for their tusks and make (based on Tanzania elephant population of 60,000 (again from Google)) $240,000 once.

I'm glad someone did the math on this. I think though, it has taken quite some time for the villagers who are very poor to see even a little of the safari industry cash/profits. An economy as vast as this I'm sure took time to get more and more people involved with jobs that augment it from drivers, to cooks and camp staff, and even the fruit and food growers to wait it out while the numbers of visitors grew.

Makes sense. I've always thought a roll-over in a convertible had to be way worse than in a sedan.

Mhmmm. But... no seatbelts either. So....

I would guess they're back to back to watch for predators? Although I'm not sure if rhinos even have predators.

I honestly don't know. I think you're right. Probably no predators at all, but it was a curious stance.

I wonder why they disappeared? Poaching? How long ago was this?

I'm sure it was poaching. Safari income/economy took quite some time to develop.

I bet you shrieked when you saw the Shrike

You and your snakes.


Wait...

I'm sure the snake populations shudder when the eagles are around.

Did you hear it "laugh"?? I've always wondered about that.

Nope, they definitely don't "laugh". More on this coming up....

Probably for a board meeting.
No... probably running from a board meeting, so they could horse around.

LOL! Stripey horseys.

I wonder how that helps? Huh!

I honestly don't know. Maybe predators think they are running or?

So... Canadian T-shirt weather.

Yes, sort of like that.

Just a little pet?

Well, sure. If you want a little hand.

 

[Steppesister]

I am absolutely loving following along this trip report! Thank you so much for sharing!

I'm so happy you're here and enjoying it all. I've got so much more to share, so stay tuned!

 

[Steppesister]

Probably not quite as much as you did

I confess, it was sooooo pretty IRL!

OMG how cute!

Such a lucky shot!

Based on some of the grumpy old men I know, I would believe that

Hehe!! Exactly!

AND GET OFF MY LAWN!!

More great shots!

Thanks! One more chapter for Ngorongoro and then onto the Serengeti!

 

[Wood Nymph]

I am amazed at how many birds and animals were living in the crater. This should be a "must do" for anyone who wants to go on safari.

I can't figure out why the hippo opened his mouth so very wide.

 

[irene_dsc]

So many amazing photos! I don't know why you keep telling us to skip the bird photos - I love those, too!

 

[Steppesister]

I am amazed at how many birds and animals were living in the crater. This should be a "must do" for anyone who wants to go on safari.

I can't figure out why the hippo opened his mouth so very wide.

It was just incredible how much wildlife was packed in there!! Crazy! I think this is truly a premiere location to see tons in a short time. It'll be fun to see the comparisons once I get out onto the much bigger area of the Serengeti.


This was actually explained to me and I've did some research on this before leaving as well. I will add some text to my chapter since you asked!

Understanding Hippo Communication​

​

Perhaps the most recognizable mouth-related behavior is the aggressive yawn. This isn’t a sign of fatigue or boredom. Instead, it’s a deliberate and powerful display intended to intimidate. When a hippo feels its territory is threatened, or when males are vying for dominance, they’ll open their mouths incredibly wide, revealing their impressive teeth. The size of these teeth, especially the canines, is a direct indicator of the hippo’s strength and potential for inflicting damage. This visual threat is often accompanied by loud grunts, snorts, and aggressive splashing in the water, further emphasizing the hippo’s dominance.

 

[Steppesister]

So many amazing photos! I don't know why you keep telling us to skip the bird photos - I love those, too!

I'm so happy you're enjoying them!! Even the bird ones. There was such a huge variety there. Here at my home here in Kentucky, we get mayyyyyybe like 10-15 species that feed off the feeder. So it was such a cool treat to enjoy the colors and shapes over there of our feathered friends!

 

[pkondz]

The guides have certain places they know will have a good chance of animal sightings and one by one Emanuel and Freddie hit them all.

OMG! They hit All the animals? Is this normal? Why do you want to hit animals with a car? Is this a form of hunting? WHAT IS GOING ON?!?!?!?

I took a massive amount of photos this day

Not surprised at all. There are so many animals!

So, this chapter will be a lot less wordy.

I'm kidding!!

Look at all the birds!
I think symbiotic relationships are cool. Like... sharks and wrasses for instance.

That hippo looks like he's just cruising through: "Ho, hum. Another day at the office."

Nice shot of them grouped together like that.

(Red-knobbed Coot)

I can relate. I'm an old coot.

(Common Eland- the largest antelope species in Tanzania)

Huh!

(Look at that background!)

It just goes on forever!

(Pied Avocet)

mmmm... pie...

(Egyptian Goose- Emanuel shared that the goose does not get its name because it came from Egypt, but rather because of the patch around its eye. If you look on hieroglyphic art, you'll see the eyeliner both men and women wore and this goose has a similar marking.)

I see it.

Awwwww...

(If you've ever had a toddler, you know exactly what this feels like every minute they are awake.)

YES!!!

oooooohhhhh... so ferocious!

our first jackal!

Looks just like a dog you might have as a pet.

(Anteater Chat)

Is that a typo or is it actually called a Chat? I've never heard of that!

(An artsy-fartsy take on a photo that I'd over-exposed)

I like it.

(White-backed vultures)

So that's where they went after they closed down Splash Mountain.

Baby zebra! Errr.... zebra pony?

The density is truly mind-blowing.

So I see!

But Dagga Boys are often muddier because they spend vast amounts of time at marshy, wet areas because softer, newer grass grows there and their aging, fragile teeth can eat that more successfully.

That's actually really interesting. Huh!

They can over-react very quickly to any perceived threat and charge for very little reason. Drivers tend to steer clear and give them a wide berth on drives.

Great shot! And look at those massive horns!!

Sometimes, a herd moves on from a sick, weak, or injured animal leaving it behind to become prey.

Circle of life.

At least they're not being actively pushed over a ledge, a la Disney.

Took me a minute to figure out it's two and not three elephants. Cool shot.

Terrific shot!

(Ever seen elephants in a field of flowers?!)

I have now. (And yet another terrific shot)

Best shot yet!

In the mix: Zebra, Eland, and Grant's Gazelle

Huh. Lots all together.
Funny... people of mixed nationalities seem to have trouble coexisting (at times) but these animals seem to manage it.

Just how big was that?!?!? And how close were you to it?!?!?!?!

While they set up, I snapped a few photos of nearby things of interest, like this coffee truck. For the record, I did not pull the trigger on this, as I had a nice cup of tea with my lunch.

No coffee????

Were you feeling okay?

Grilled chicken skewers, rice pilaf, fresh apples, cupcakes (didn't eat one), and little ham and cheese sandwiches.

So. Much. Food.

A puff of wind came up and blew it over, but there was no small amount of joking around play blaming me.

Such bright colours! Pretty!

Good action shot.

Whoaaaaa...

Perhaps the most recognizable mouth-related behavior is the aggressive yawn. This isn’t a sign of fatigue or boredom. Instead, it’s a deliberate and powerful display intended to intimidate.

I didn't know that, but I figured it would be something like that.

(White-browed Coucal)

Coucal... another name I've never heard of.

"I think I see a lion's tail flicking!". Emanuel stopped and then proceeded to laugh and tell me, no, those are Jackson's Widowbirds doing their mating rituals!

it was hilarious to watch dozens of these male birds with giant long tails, darting straight up into the air and landing back down onto the bushes below.

Why hilarious? They'd fly around and dive bomb? Or...

Wow! Great bird shot!

(Ostrich)

Cool!!
And you just threw that in there like it was no big thing!