Serengeti National Park

Endless plains, Acacia Trees, home of the annual Wildebeest migration: no other land evokes the heart and soul of wild and untouched Africa than the Serengeti. Its vast size supports the annual migration of one and a half million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of Zebras - the largest migration of land mammals on Earth. There is a total of more than 3 million grazers and herbivores; Elephants, Giraffes, all kinds of Antelopes, Bucks, Elands and Gazelles; Monkeys and Baboons, Cheetahs, Tree Leopards, Lions, Jackals, Wild Dogs, and Hyenas.



The Serengeti has the biggest collection of plains animals anywhere in the world. You will see scenes of grazing nearly everywhere you go. A typical view from the window of your safari vehicle or while standing up from the inside of your safari vehicle might be a harem of Impalas while a herd of Thomsons Gazelles pass by. Littering the background will be Zebras, Wildebeest, and a few Cape Buffalo. If the area is wooded there will be Giraffes and Elephants.



The Kopjes (pronounced copies) are large rocks gathered about in little piles ranging in size from about the size of a house to a small apartment complex each. They seem to stick up out of the plains for no apparent reason. They are scattered around the southern and eastern areas where the land is mostly short grasses and open plains. The land here is raised up slightly and you can get great wide open views of the plains to the north and west.



You won't be the only one taking advantage of the view. You'll likely see lions lying on the rocks during the hot hours of the day. From here they rest and watch the plains before them. The rocks give them a great vantage point from which to scope out potential prey.



You'll also find some interesting bird life inhabiting the Kopjes such as Sunbirds and Nightjars. Besides the Lions, other mammals you might see are Mongoose, Hyraxes, and the rock leaping Klipspringer. If you are lucky you might catch a glimpse of the diminutive and skittish Dik Dik - an antelope type creature that's about as big as a Labrador Retriever. If you are really lucky you might see a Rhino. There is also the intriguing bright red and blue Agama Lizard.



Heading northwest through the center of the park you'll pass through the Seronera Valley and a large area of long grass plains. As in practically every where in the Serengeti you'll see lots of harems and bachelorhoods of Impala congregating near the roads.



The park rangers have conveniently set up several concrete bridges that partially block up several of the streams that run through the Serengeti. Several of them are in this area. The cement serves as a simple and reliable bridge for the safari vehicles to pass and also creates wading pools.



Hanging around these little streams and wading pools are Hippos and Crocodiles. For getting a good view of the Hippos its best to go in the morning or evening. They are typically more active at those cooler times of the day and are more likely to be found out of the water. From the safety of your Land Rove while stopped near one of these streams, make sure to take a moment out of observing the many hippos and look along the banks and on top of the rocks that dot the stream. Look carefully and you'll be surprised how many Crocodiles there are. They usually move very little and blend in surprisingly well.



If the annual wildebeest migration is passing through this area, your guide will certainly take you to all the streams in hopes of witnessing a river crossing. Click on the "Slideshow" link at the top of this page to see a few Wildebeest river crossing pictures from my last trip.



A very interesting creature you'll likely see along the river banks is the Marabou Stork. This strange looking scavenger with cartoon-like long spindly legs, a huge beak, and human like eyes, can be found along the streams scavenging and eating frogs.



Any time you come across a Lion's kill you will find lots of flying scavengers nearby waiting for an opportunity to swoop in and take what they can. If there is a tree nearby they will crowd in its branches waiting for the competition to clear out. If the area is barren of trees you'll find them circling high overhead. In fact, this is often one of the best ways your driver will be able to find a Lion kill. He will search the skies looking for circles of vultures and buzzards. When the predator has finished with a kill, you'll always find swarms of buzzards and vultures frantically pecking away at the remains.



One place you won't find the Buzzards or other scavengers at a kill is when the the prey was hunted by a Tree Leopard. Tree Leopards have learned to quickly drag their prey into the branches of small trees. Since Hyenas can't climb, and Vultures and Buzzards can't balance on the small branches, the kill remains safe. This allows the Tree Leopard to relax and eat his meal at his leisure.



Believe it or not one of the surprising treats you'll find in the Serengeti is to see a roaming pack of Hyenas. They have oddly shaped bodies - short back legs and narrow hindquarters followed by tall front legs and broad shoulders- which makes their gait interesting to watch. They usually hunt in small packs so if you see one there are probably more around. They have interesting brown spotting and yes, they really do laugh.



Overall, a safari trip to Tanzania is not complete without at least a few days stop in the Serengeti. You wouldn't want to spend any less. If you don't go on your first trip you'll certainly want come back and see what you missed.