Ngorongoro

There was a lot of driving today as we continued to make our way through the Serengeti, and we were in our big yellow truck, so it wasn't the most comfortable ride. Nonetheless, it was a nice drive due to the landscapes that were ever changing and always beautiful. At first, there were rolling hills and thick vegetation. This was mostly the landscape yesterday, but it continued through the start of today. But after many hours of driving and no luck finding a leopard, we progressed to a much more open landscape. A landscape that is very typical to what one may expect from Seregeti - long and flat grasslands with few random trees dotting the landscape as though organised by a higher being. This is where we stopped for a break and went through an education centre to learn more about the history of the Serengeti. The geologic history was the most exciting as it explained how an ancient volcano (now the Ngorogoro Crater) erupted and coated the landscape in volcanic ash, leaving nothing but a huge crater in the ground where the enourmas volcano once stood. When the volcanic ash mixed with the seasonal rains that East Africa is known for, it created a cement like substance that spanned hundreds of kilometres. Millions of years of erosion and soil displacement onto this layer of hard rock ensured that the landscape was once again capable of maintaining life. Yet the thin layer of soil that is now present could not support large trees from forming as there was insufficient space to develop an effective root system. As we continued we saw how this took effect, the closer we got to Ngorogoro Crater, the more sporadic the trees were, until, eventually, they completely disappeared and we did not see one for hours upon hours. Yet somehow, in this seemingly grassed desert, we would emerge to see thousands of wildebeest unfased by the seemingly lifeless landscape it is occupying. Yet, of course, this makes sense. The grasslands meant you could see for kilometre upon kilometre as far as your eyes would allow you until the curvature of the earth caused the grasslands to drop out of sight. Perfect for spotting predators. Occasionally, mountains lined the horizon, only adding to the surreal effect, as you could barely fathom how far away they must be situated. Taking a photo was redundant as the camera could not capture the extents with which the horizon seemed to continue endlessly. The same went for the herds of thousands of buffalo, wildebeest, and zebra. Taking a photo wouldn't capture the millions of tiny dots that lined the horizon. The clarity simply wasn't there. A sight that just has to be witnessed and experienced rather than simply photographed. Beautiful oasis did exist throughout the landscape, and they are known as kopies. Kopies are protrusions of granite rock that pushed through the earth's mantle many million years ago, before life on earth even existed. These oases and their capacity to disrupt the layer of volcanic rock that normally inhibits tree growth means that life can flourish. This means that these little pockets of vegetation become homes to packs for lions, monkeys, or birds. Getting a good photo of one of these is difficult, especially in a bumpy truck, but you get the idea from the photos. Ride as we approached the Naabi hill, we found the presence of big cats. First, a cheetah, then a large pride of lions, right alongside the road. Allowing us to get as good of a shot you can get in Serengeti. A cub occupied the group and was incredibly playful, the adults, less so. There presence likely is to follow the prey as they utilise the safety of endless grasslands. In quite a contradiction to what I had said previously, somehow the vegetation became thicker again as we got closer to Ngorogoro Crater, so I would say this is the habitat that the big cats tend to occupy. As the closest woodland would be days of walking from the direction that we had come from. We had a quick stop at a lookout before continuing. Once we began to leave Naabi hill, the quantity of animals exploded. Suddenly, millions of Zebras, wildebeest and buffalo, appeared in a daunting and awe-inspiring show of Serengeti numerosity and importance. This is something i should have expected but didn't. Making it all the more stunning when I did see the illusion of the horizon moving and shifting and warping as the herds of animals meant it was impossible to see the littlest bit of land toward the horizon. Just millions of animals moving slowly like a flowing river. As we continued, the landscape became very different but exciting as it transitioned back into woodlands. Many Maasai tribes inhabited the area, and it was interesting to drive past them on our way to camp. This was our longest day in the truck, and in the end, we clocked over 13 hours inside. Though this time, it was much more exciting as we were in the middle of the Serengeti, by the end, we were scratching at the door to get out. We were once again camping in the middle of the national park, but this time the Ngorogor Crater National Park. This did mean that there was nothing to stop the animals from walking right up to our tents. We made dinner as quickly as possible as it was quite late and headed to bed to catch some Zs.

I have included a bunch of facts that we learned from the education centre, as well as Joe, our guide who has decades of experience in these national parks. They are not necessary to read but some of them are quite interesting.
Wildlife in East Africa

- Ngorongoro Crater was taller than Kilimanjaro, then erupted
- 4 threats to wildlife: heavy rains, diseases (domestic to wildlife eg tuberculosis), fire (controlled burning is a mitigation), poachers (40,000 killed a year - Poaching less of an issue these days with exception and Kruger in SA and Zimbabwe)
- 1/4 wildebeest die on the river crossing, 250,000 every year. 8,000 born a day during Jan and Feb
- Wildebeest have a 3 week mating period and females are only fertile for one day
- Elephant tusks: aphrodisiac - poached for Chinese herbal medicine, same material as fingernails.
- South Africa have started de horning rhinos to discourage the unecessary killing of them. Poachers kill by various methods, including positioning waterholes
- Elephants have no sweat glands - instead have big ears to cool themselves whereas crocs have their mouth open to breathe & lions pant
- Hippo can cut ten foot croc in half and are the most dangerous animals in Africa, despite being herbivores
- Crocs can last a year between feeds. They are impossible to relocate & don’t die from natural causes / old age, only disease and other crocs. Can live up to 100 years
- Some animals delay pregnancy (sometimes up to 3 months) if not raining when due for birthRead more