Steppes In Africa; A Disney-inspired Safari-R is for: Rest Stop with Regal Animals and the Rest of the Day, May 9, 2025 (9/7)

[irene_dsc]

Amazing photos - you really did see a great assortment of wildlife! (And taking mental notes that May is probably the best time for a Tanzanian safari - no clue if I'll ever manage to do one, but I think I would take that same set of trade-offs)

As for Circle of Life, just yesterday, we saw what I believe was a Cooper's Hawk eating something feathered in our suburban backyard. We have seen them soaring or perching / stalking many times before, but this is the first time I've seen one viciously pecking at something in the grass. It was a bit disconcerting but also fascinating at the same time.

 

[pkondz]

As for Circle of Life, just yesterday, we saw what I believe was a Cooper's Hawk eating something feathered in our suburban backyard. We have seen them soaring or perching / stalking many times before, but this is the first time I've seen one viciously pecking at something in the grass. It was a bit disconcerting but also fascinating at the same time.

This from my place just the other day.



Osprey. Never seen that either.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I was in some ways sad to have missed what must be an incredible spectacle, but off-season had some great advantages: Lower prices, fewer people leading to more personal attention, and a greener landscape.

Those are good advantages. You've been able to see and do more, too, when there weren't others to slow you down.

I love when you see things that the guides haven't seen before, like that pair of lions together.

 

[missjackiemcg]

The up close pictures of the alpha/beta lions were magnificent!! Truly. I got goosebumps from the one that looks like he has such a menacing stare.

 

[Steppesister]

R is for: Rest Stop with Regal Animals and the Rest of the Full-Day Safari​

The last chapter was filled with an array of amazing animal sightings and wonderful adventures. The afternoon would hold so many, many more. But first, I had forgotten to share in the last chapter about that one lady who was not very thrilled with an animal encounter during the night. Apparently, she was a bit of a nervous Nelly and had called David twice to come chase animals away from near her tent. To my knowledge, there has never been an animal that actually entered a guest tent aside from baboons looking for food. I wondered how she was reacting to the often very close-up encounters out in the bush.

The early morning chill had worn off and the day gave way to late morning. We’d long since shed the warmth of our lap blankets, but the binoculars and cameras were still getting a workout. Hassan knew exactly where to drive to get more spottings for us starting with a new animal I’d not seen yet- The Topi. This wonderful large antelope species is easily identifiable and affectionately known as the “one who wears black pants with yellow socks”. Topi hang out in groups of 2-10 females with offspring, while males must have “claimed” territory before being allowed to mate.

(Coffee klatch)​

This brings the antelope species count to an incredible 9! Unbelievable, no?! Eland, Waterbuck, Red Duiker, Wildebeest, Thompsons and Grants Gazelle, Coke’s Hartebeest, Okapi, and Topi.

(A giant Common Eland)​

At the next kopje we came across yet another pride of female lions basking in the afternoon sun. They are spectacular animals that never got boring to come across and watch for a spell.

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Not far off, a male also took up residence for his catnap on the warm rocks where he seemed to ignore the females and their sweet little cubs.

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A flash of red and blue caught my eye on the rocks- a Mwanza flat-headed Rock Agama. It is hysterically nick-named the “Spider Man Agama” for its distinctive color. I was ecstatic at finding another small reptile as this had been a major goal for me on this safari!! We’d have a couple more sightings before the trip was over, but the first is always a thrill.

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There were other lizards we spotted this day, but none quite as spectacular as "Spidey".

(Another Agama- there are over 200 species of lizards in Tanzania)
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Not an animal, but I thought this blooming agave was quite stunning in its own right:

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More Hyrax!

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Hassan had chosen a spot for our al fresco lunch; one he’d been coming to for years. It’s green and shady with a nice, wide-open view of the vast Serengeti savannah. Animals are never too far off but as he pulled the truck to a stop, he shouted, “Oh my God! I’ve been coming her for 10 years and there have never been any elephants here!” A herd of elephants grazed a short way off but appeared to be headed towards another tree nearby, so he didn’t seem overly bothered. The table was pulled out and set up, then the tablecloth, the dinnerware, and finally the containers of delicious dishes for our lunch. Each of us grabbed a soda bottle and we all enjoyed chatting and resting, happy to have some time out of the bouncing, always-jostling truck.

Elephants are curious, highly intelligent creatures, and we soon became aware that the herd was slowly being led by the matriarch towards the shady trees where we’d set up lunch. They may seem slow, but elephants are, in actuality, incredibly quick. They can cover massive distances in a deceivingly short time. Hassan kept a very wary eye on them as we continued to settle in for lunch. We’d all just taken our seats and started to dig in when he suddenly says, “Time to get up; we have to eat in the truck, Guys.”

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The whole herd, babies, moms and all, had decided the lush greenery under the shade of tree was perfect for their own lunch and wise safari-travelers give the wild animals space when they ask for it. We each grabbed our loaded plate and drink with silverware and found a place to finish our lunch while watching the mesmerizing spectacle of a herd of elephants who’d invited themselves to our picnic.

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Lunch itself was absolutely fantastic! There was a very good couscous salad, some meat kefta patties, fresh, cold roasted veggies, bread, and if memory serves, some whole fresh fruits. I think there were also some cake pieces for dessert. Meanwhile, the elephants grazed on the fresh green plants and grasses glancing up at us now and then, content with the co-eating nature of our arrangement.

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Hassan packed everything away and we were off on the second half of our full-day adventuring.

There were still so many animals on my list that I had really hoped to see but knew the chances of getting to were very slim…..



Like this Leopard Tortoise!!

It wasn’t too long after lunch that Hassan exclaimed, “Your dream’s come true, Liesa! You’d told me you wanted to find rarer animals like reptiles and small cats, and today’s your lucky day!”

This drop-dead gorgeous tortoise was out enjoying the afternoon and Hassan stopped the truck and gave us a mini lecture on this elusive species. They are not endangered, but are, apparently, not commonly seen on safari- perhaps because a lot of folks aren’t actively seeking them out either. I was personally pretty thrilled with this encounter, and it was one of my favorites of the whole trip.

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There were, of course, many birds and other animals along the way, but another highlight I wanted to share was yet another cheetah family that was just precious to observe for a while. A mother cheetah with not one or two, but a whole trio of cubs was out and about putting up with the shenanigans of her toddlers as patiently as any young mom might.

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The grizzled young ones frolicked and scrambled over and under each other and their frazzled mom, but she was patient as she led them along in the direction she instinctively felt she should go. (Please excuse my obnoxiously excessive amount of photos.)

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Continued in next post...

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[Steppesister]

A Bird-Viewing Intermission:

(Saddle-billed stork, previously seen on this trip, but still super cool!)



(Greater Kestrel)



(Cape Teals)



(Pied Avocet)



(Lesser Flamingo)



(Black-winged Stilt)



(Ruppel's Vulture)


(Blue-necked Mousebird)


(Northern White-Crowned Shrike


(Nubian Woodpecker)


(Lapped-faced Vulture)

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Other species of birds that I couldn't get photos of: Grey-breasted Guineafowl, Black-shouldered Kite, Hoopoe's Tail-Weaver making 28 species for the day!!!

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Somewhere along the way we came across some zebra, which seem to be ubiquitous on the African plains. And where there are zebras, there are almost certainly going to be at least a few wildebeests. While I’d missed the cacophonous spectacle of The Great Migration, there were scattered herds that could be seen racing across the expanses of grassland. I could only imagine what a thousand of these beasts in the same place might look like.

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And now for a romantical interlude…

It’s a fact of nature, hanky-panky happens. Boom-chick-bow-wow!!! Yes, we were the savannah voyeurs, and no, he wasn’t successful. But I’m sure he wanted to be. I think I heard her whisper, “Not now, Honey, there are people around!”.

(For the record, she was far too young, so this dude was pretty mis-guided.)​

And where there is hoochie-coochie, there are bound to be babies. The Cutie-o'-Meter hit a billion.

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This old, crotchety elephant told an altogether different story than “cute”. This lone, gigantic bull was in a state called “MUSTH”, a Persian word meaning "intoxicated". The Wiki article gives an excellent overview of this occasionally dangerous time for anyone or anything who happens to get on their bad side if provoked. He reeked of urine and musk and was filthy in general. Urine streamed down his hind legs which is unusual in the elephant realm.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musth​

Basically, it is a time where they become hyper-sexual in nature and very aggressive. They produce and secrete a hormone called "temporin" from their temporal glands and at the same time produce up to 60 times more testosterone than at any other “normal time” for them. A strange and very interesting phenomenon in the elephant world and something I was incredibly lucky to have gotten to see firsthand in the wild. Hassan was VERY cautious with this encounter, noticed right away what we were seeing, gave him a wide berth, and said it’d be best to just move on as they are unpredictable and aggressive while in this state.

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The day was now growing quite late and as we made our way back to our lovely camp we came across the male lion brothers taking a nap nearly on the road. This was the closest I’d get to live, wild lions without glass in between us. They hardly even opened their eyes yet was no less thrilling to be that nearby. Just look at them!!!

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Before the day was over, we had even MORE cheetah interactions. Seeing any at all is a HUGE treat as they are definitely NOT seen by all safari-goers.

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And just like that, the day sunk into night, but not without another most glorious sunset. Safari sunsets are legendary and now you can see why. We lingered.


Quite a long time, in fact.

How could one not?

(Quite possibly one of my top 10 favorite photos of the trip)



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Pulling up to camp, a warm, glowing fire, as inviting as the sunset had been, was burning. It was surrounded by 10 or so chairs, all filled with happy lodge guests eagerly talking about their day’s adventures. “David”, our Maasai Guard, escorted me to the tent where I dumped my stuff, and then back to the après-safari party. The Sundowners (post-safari cocktails with conversation) flowed, I myself had chosen yet another gin and tonic to sip, and our hosts had delivered a perfect little appetizer of potato fritters with a sweet chili dip. Mmmm, so perfect!

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Dinner was called and we were escorted to the large dining tent. It was full that night and we all enjoyed each other’s company over a delightful (and delicious!) meal. And although I don’t know what exactly it was, I can say that because they were all very good. At one point, Morris, the camp manager, came out to address an issue with one of the guests. They, an elderly Asian mom and her son, were upset because, from what I could gather, a mouse was on their bed when they checked in. I laughed and rolled my eyes a bit. This is an adventure IN NATURE, PEOPLE! While every effort is made to provide a luxury experience, it is IN NATURE! I’m sure the bedding can be easily changed if they felt it needed to be, but you should definitely understand going into a safari experience that you will be living amongst animals and sharing their space.

Anyway, we ended the meal with a lovely coffee-chocolate dessert with passion fruit sauce and I was escorted back to my tent for a perfect night’s sleep with crickets chirping a happy lullaby to me.

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[Steppesister]

Whoa!

See?!

Can’t believe how close they got!

You are definitely IN the middle of the wild!

Totally not what I thought a Safari experience would be.

No, I think a lot of folks have a notion of what they think going to Africa in any capacity might be. And I'm sure some experiences are not like what I had, but luxury can be found there.

Come to think of it, neither do I. That must be why I found it so interesting.

Perhaps. Fun to find things out of the pre-conceived box.

Not as many lions in eastern Europe, though.

No, but plenty of landscapes.

A what-what?!?

I'll introduce those to you in the coming chapters... cute. as. heck!!