During the last several days, we have seen probably the most spectacular wildlife in the world. We began the safari part of our trip at Tarangari National Park. Dave and Euni Simonson’s family owns the lodge where we stayed. We then visited Ngorongoro Crater and ended up here in the Southern Serengeti area. The national park here covers 6,000 square miles. On our safari trips we have seen elephants, giraffes, gazelles, lions, water bucks, cape buffalo, hippos, baboons, monkeys, zebras and thousands of wildebeest in the middle of their annual migration. We saw two very rare black rhinos in the Ngorongoro Crater. The Crater is about 10 miles wide and 12 miles long and was formed millions of years ago when the land sunk below a huge volcano in that area. The Crater area is like a real life self contained zoo that is home to thousands of mammals and birds. We experienced some other rare sightings today here in Serengeti. We saw a honey badger and saw three very young Cheetahs suckling their mother. Later today, we also saw a Cheetah with six small cubs (very unusual). This afternoon, we witnessed an event that even topped our other Cheetah experiences. We watched as three large male cheetahs (brothers) chased down two young males and their young sister who appeared to be in heat. The older males ran off the younger males and held the young female hostage for a prolonged period of time. This unforgettable scene attracted a number of other characters including five jackals and a couple of hyenas. Even Doc McAllister admitted he had never witnessed such an event in his many visits to Africa. I attribute the success of our wildlife trips to good guides and good fortune. We will leave Africa with a great appreciation for their wildlife and hopefully a few photos to help us preserve our memories for years to come. Gary Nichols ************************************************************************************ The varied bird life of East Africa is an added treat to the safari-goer. When no dramatic mammals are in sight, the birds are--from the huge ostrich to the tiny iridescent bee-eater. The huge predator eagles (we have identified seven species of eagles) are often seen soaring over the plains and the “ walking species” of bustards, guinea fowl and spur fowl are always in evidence. The lilac-breasted roller displays especially vibrant colors. Many vultures add dramatic evidence of the ”clean up crew” on lion kills. The varied niche of the birds in the ecosystem is a study unto its own. Wonderful bird life is an added treat. --Jack
