We once chose a cliff for our tents;
This setup, it didn’t make sense;
The winds blew so strong,
The whole night went wrong,
We fixed it though, in our defense
– Obligatory limerick, because we are now establishing a pattern
A good night’s rest will do wonders. We all experienced that firsthand with what might have been the best sleep of the whole trip. The contrast was particularly stark with the agonies of the night before, so one can imagine our relief at a (mostly) wind-and-dust-free environment. It put us in such a good mood that we didn’t even mind the early start, though that also could have been due to the fact that we were trying to be early to the Serengeti. No explanation needed for why a bunch of ecology students might be excited for that.
Before we even entered the park proper, we were already seeing amazing sights: a tawny eagle, perched on the side of the road. It was comically large, at least in my view. Entering
Hippos! These guys are scarier than you would think
the park, we stopped at the gate to use restrooms and peruse the gift shop, where I made inadvisable purchases with my diminishing Tanzanian shillings. I still hold that the ketchup Pringles were worth it.
Driving deeper into the park, we popped our safari tops and set about looking for new and unusual critters. Notable spots early on were the brightly colored Agama lizards engaged in a head-bopping mating display; a lone Topi, which was a bovid we had yet to see; a pair of ostriches also occupied with getting it on (much to our collective college student amusement); and a fascinating pondside collection of hippos, nesting waterbirds, and banded mongooses trying to snag an egg to snack on.
At around 12:20 PM, it happened. What might be the most exciting encounter of the trip,
Warning: Gore
This is one of about 10000 photos. Still so cool
perhaps of my life, occurred. We noticed a congregation of vehicles crowding the road, and as we approached, we saw why. A massive pride of lions napping around a freshly killed cape buffalo, as two juvenile females took the first bites. The energy in the vehicle could only be described as electric; we were practically climbing over each other to get a good shot with our cameras (for the lucky few) or phones (for the plebes like me). We watched for the next half hour as the teens finished and their older peers came to partake. The smell was awful but worth it to see such an incredible interaction.
Once we had filled our camera rolls with pictures of our hungry felid friends, it was time for a quick lunch. We ate at a surprisingly lively picnic area, bustling with both animals and humans. It was here we met our first impala, as well as a family of banded mongooses and a surprise hyrax in a tree. Additionally, a varied aggregation of birds was fearlessly flying up to us, probably hoping to bum a quick snack. Luckily, they weren’t as aggressive as the kites of Ngorongoro Crater, and we were able to finish eating free from low-altitude airstrikes.
Our hyrax buddy, spotted at lunch break
Heading out, we continued to be met with an abundance of wildlife. Not only did we see more lions (though sadly not doing anything particularly interesting), but we also saw another hyena! Seeing my taxa always gives me a thrill, even though it’s just something I made a slideshow over. As we exited the park, I was highly satisfied with success of the day. Little did I know that I was about to have the shock of my life.
Dear reader, I won’t keep you in suspense. We saw an AFRICAN WILDCAT. That’s right, the incredibly rare and elusive small felid, the one I thought I had not a shot in hell of seeing; it just strolled across the road on our way back from the park. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. To say I was excited would be a disservice. Instead, I will just say that no amount of nature documentaries or visits to a zoo can ever replicate the feeling of seeing a wild animal in its natural habitat. This trip has given me the chance to do this with creatures I never thought possible. I will forever be grateful, and this experience is one I am certain will stay with me for the rest of my life.
A black-backed jackal seen on the same drive as the wildcat. Not as cool, but it’s the only picture I have 🙁
