Our intent is to zero in on the migration herd popularized on Wild Kingdom by Marlin Perkins back in the 60's. But before we get going, our guide/driver informs us that they are definitely in the area but are grazing rather than migrating so we will likely not see them progressing in an orderly fashion but there will still be lots to see. We drove mostly "off road" today so most of the time we were travelling under 20 km/hr. to properly avoid bumps and dens from wart hogs and hyenas.
But the highlights of the day were centred around lions making fresh kills and the birthing of 100's of wildebeest. We mustn't forget that this is the wild and "kill or be killed' is part of the circle of life. It turns out to be a rough day for the wildebeest.
Score: Lions 4, Wildebeest 0
The lions end up providing most of the close up and personal photo shots. We come across a pride of 5 lions made up of two juvenile males and three females who have just completed a recent kill. They're massive and you literally sense their incredible strength. They have just killed an adult wildebeest and it's baby likely hours or days old. They are eating the baby and have neatly stored the mother wildebeest under a tree to eat later in the day. (Don't get wimpy on me). The scavenger birds (vultures, buzzards, Maribu storks) and hyenas keep their distance and won't be able to move in until the lions permanently leave the kill site. Not more than 400 metres away is a herd of wildebeest that may be aware that there has been a kill but no idea where. The lions go about their eating in a very relaxed fashion and 4 tour jeeps surround them as they lazily finish their meal ignoring us totally before falling asleep. A male and female lion affectionately lick each others faces after eating and the irony of the situation is not lost on us. Twice more we come upon lion prides, one of which is finishing off a fresh kill and the other pride is basking in the sun along the water's edge of the gorge basin.
The other significant source of feasting on wildebeest this day comes from the scavengers on the Serengeti and there are plenty. They include vultures, buzzards, jackals, hyenas and Maribu storks. Their source of food is primarily wildebeest dying or weakened from old age, thirst and/or disease. You can easily spot them on the open plain where groups of them will surround a kill with wings flapping, hissing and fighting. They ravage the corpse during this melee and you know that they will "pick the bones clean" with the exception of the tuff of the hair that was part of the wildebeest's tail. Disgusting. It is not a pretty sight and these birds of prey are both ugly and evil looking which is likely why they are portrayed so often as scary in novels and movies.
We don't get to see hyenas feasting on any prey but we do see them frequently in groups of 1 or 2 at a time. We were surprised at how big the Spotted Hyena was (weighing up to 180 lbs.) compared to Brown Hyena approximately 100 lbs. Unlike lions who always look spotless, the hyenas are always dirty and look like they just awoke from a big binge! We also see a lone, newly born hardebeest who has lost its herd and is chasing after a herd of Elands in hopes of finding its mother. The Elands ignore the baby and when we asked the guide if the mother hardebeest will go find its infant, he politely says she is stupid and will not likely while the baby will likely fall victim to a scavenger this day or shortly after. This upsets Diane.
But there waa a positive side to the activity relating to the wildebeest this day. Birthing. First off, although they have not amassed for the big migration, wildebeest are everywhere. We do several 360 degree observations during the day and wildebeest were in abundance as far as the horizon and in all directions. I cannot even start to estimate how many we see but it is literally in the 10's of thousands. Similarly, the number of newborns we saw were countless. You could tell they were less than a day old from their colouring and their umbilical cords still attached. The guide told us that they need to be standing on their own within 10 minutes or they will be left behind. They stick to their mother's side like glue for food and protection. There is definitely a separation of herds made up of pregnant and birthing mothers together and separate herds with no babies and purely males.
The day has been full and diverse and I am feeling the effects of the "off road" journey so it is back to the camp. I am pleased to say that the "cocktail hour" is alive and well and after a quick shower, we sit on our porch and reflect on another great day.
Tonight we were treated to beef Stroganoff and Olduvai camp has a full house, not something we had seen at our other stops. We think it is a result of location, accommodations and the gentle environment of the tribal people. As mentioned earlier, our hosts come from the Sukuma tribe who were warring with the Maasai tribe less than 3 decades ago but you would never have known. Apparently the Maasai believed that all cattle on Earth belong to them and they would attack neighbouring camps and steal their herds. They obviously have gotten past that and the tribes are very cooperative and respectful towards each other. The top man at the camp is Shuiz (pronounced "shoes") a member of the Sukuma tribe who talks very slowly and purposefully. A gentle soul, he doesn't change his demeanour at any time and he can't do enough for you. In fact, when he hears that we will be sending an email birthday greeting to a friend in Canada (none other than Donna) he surprises us with a hand-made envelope containing a gift for us to give her. And the Maasai are no less endearing. Always greeting you "Jambo, Jambo" they suddenly appear out of nowhere to accompany you back to your tent safely after dinner. Three of them are "night watchmen" and keep the camp safe during the dark hours.
Tomorrow we will be living Olduvai for Ngrongoro (gor-un-gor-o) Crater in search of rhinos.
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