Someone asked for a list of animals that we saw . . . camel, African elephant, Massi giraffe, water buffalo, impala, Kirk's Dik Dik (smallest impala) storks (100s of them resting at the tops of trees), hippos, great white pelicans, wildebeests, bush bucks, wart hogs, tortoise, waterbuck, common zebra, unstriped ground squirrel, superb starlings, red headed barbet, pied crows, termites and massive termite hills, blue monkey, black face velvet monkey, baboons (olive), striped skink, the rare black rhino, Grants gazelles, Thomson's gazelles, Cokes Hartabeest, cheetah, jackal, lions, hyenas, guinea fowl, flamingos, Egyptian goose. We also saw the Crown Crane which is the national bird of Uganda, and several other birds such as the blacksmith plover, black kite, an eagle (eating road kill - a hyena), vultures, and the kori busterd. At one point, a male kori busterd was in full plumage trying to attract the attention of a female. She kept moving away from him but he was persistent! In addition we saw cattle, sheep and goats being herded as well as cattle, sheep and goats wandering the streets, malnourished dogs, and thousands of loose chickens.
As for trees: baobab tree, flat topped acacia, whistling acacia, flame tree (red; the bloom resembles a burning candle), coconut palms, aloe trees, and yellow candle bush. The color of the blooms on plants, shrubs, and trees is vibrant, deep and rich.
Showing posts with label animals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animals. Show all posts
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The Circle of Life
At the Ngorogoro Crater, a World Heritage site, the number of cars allowed into the Crater is restricted to protect the environment and each car is only allowed to stay for 24 hours (including over night in a lodge or at a campsite). It is a remarkable thing to observe a cheetah, just the top of its head and ears visible in the tall grass, watch a group of impalas...and not move. In the distance are five lions, two males lying down and three females walking near them. If the cheetah attacks one of the impalas, it won't get to enjoy the kill; the lions will. Even though they didn't do the work, they will enjoy the dinner. I don't know what the rules are, but the animals seem to understand. For hours, we watched animals move together; walking , eating, resting, drinking ....if hungry (or perhaps frightened or injured), they will attack one another. But in the meantime, enemies coexist near one another. Just a part of the circle of life.
Many hours later, when we completed the loop of the floor of the crater, before we began to drive up the ascent road, the cheetah was still in the tall grass. Watching.
The road was beyond description: minimal maintenance means the drive is an adventure in itself. The descent/ascent takes more than an hour on a road that is barely wider than the vehicle we are in, with curves so tight that the term "hairpin turns" was redefined for me. (Made our trip up Mt. Washington almost look like a piece of cake!) But on the floor of the crater, the road is wide enough for two vehicles to pass and often, as the drivers pass one another, they share two bits of information: what animals they have observed and road conditions. In the quest to have a rare view of a black rhino (sometimes people will be there a week and not see one), Gerard n(our driver/guide) faced a deep mud hole and a decision. Go forward or go back. He brought our vehicle to a stop and contemplated the tire tracks, the water, the mud and I am not sure what else .... then he decided to go for it. We made it through, but not until the muddy water reached the top of the tires and the car pitched sharply right. I thought the car was going to land on its right side, but it didn't. A bit later, we saw the black rhino. Paying no attention to us, it crossed the road within 10 feet of our car. It was worth the mud!
It is difficult to post pictures (it takes a long time) but I am going to try to add a few. Someone asked what animals I saw and I will post the list next,
Many hours later, when we completed the loop of the floor of the crater, before we began to drive up the ascent road, the cheetah was still in the tall grass. Watching.
The road was beyond description: minimal maintenance means the drive is an adventure in itself. The descent/ascent takes more than an hour on a road that is barely wider than the vehicle we are in, with curves so tight that the term "hairpin turns" was redefined for me. (Made our trip up Mt. Washington almost look like a piece of cake!) But on the floor of the crater, the road is wide enough for two vehicles to pass and often, as the drivers pass one another, they share two bits of information: what animals they have observed and road conditions. In the quest to have a rare view of a black rhino (sometimes people will be there a week and not see one), Gerard n(our driver/guide) faced a deep mud hole and a decision. Go forward or go back. He brought our vehicle to a stop and contemplated the tire tracks, the water, the mud and I am not sure what else .... then he decided to go for it. We made it through, but not until the muddy water reached the top of the tires and the car pitched sharply right. I thought the car was going to land on its right side, but it didn't. A bit later, we saw the black rhino. Paying no attention to us, it crossed the road within 10 feet of our car. It was worth the mud!
It is difficult to post pictures (it takes a long time) but I am going to try to add a few. Someone asked what animals I saw and I will post the list next,
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