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Where is Matiti now? A trip to Tanzania


Wild Dogger

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Hi, madaboutcheetah. I saw 3 brothers kill 2 mature wildebeest in same hunt. They didn't know which to eat first. This was May 2012. In November 2012 i saw 2 brothers kill wildebeest on big marsh. The 3 brothers are old and have moved to two trees area.

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madaboutcheetah

Thanks for the info, Simba .... Appreciate it!!!

 

Two Trees is not so far, correct?

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madaboutcheetah

Well, I was there for 7 nights so the same as this latest trip to the Mara in terms of time.

Always changing but over 7 days you should get a fair idea of a place

So Serengeti/Ndutu v Mara:

Lions - much the same

cheetahs - many more in the Serengeti

leopards - won't count those, always tricky

elephants - 1 in Serengeti: several different breeding herds, a few bulls in the Mara

wildebeest - migration in Serengeti so no contest but some small herds in the MNC

zebra - ditto but MNC had some good herds

gazelle - ditto re migration: saw reasonable numbers in MNC

Impala - a couple of very small, tiny herds near the Lake Eyasi escarpment only: plenty in the Mara

waterbucks - nil in Serengeti: plenty in Mara

Reedbucks - nil: a few

dikdiks - can't remember seeing any: quite a few

mongoose - white tail at night in Serengeti, one banded troop: quite a few banded at different times plus dwarf around camp

bat eared foxes - nil: one sighting in the Mara but grass was long

giraffe - Many in both

jackals - a couple of shy golden in Serengeti: plenty in Mara

hyaenas - a few in Serengeti: masses in Mara

ostriches - much the same in both

honey badger - distant sighting in Serengeti: none in Mara

eland - good herd in far south: plenty in Mara

topi - nil: plenty

hippo - nil: plenty

crocodile - nil: plenty

buffalo - nil: plenty

Not a complete list as I'd need to check my notes and photos.

 

I wasn't disappointed by the numbers of animals in Ndutu/South Serengeti, however, if you looked across the plains in the MNC there would be all sorts of different animals grazing together but I never saw that sort of variety in the south. Does it matter? Not really, you just wake up and find you miss something.

 

Don't get the same variety in plenty of places that I love visiting either so just an observation, not a criticism. :)

 

Really? I saw Bat Eared Foxes all over the place at Ndutu and very relaxed too ...... Also, plenty of Reedbuck around the marsh.

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Few kms from big marsh along two trees gulley. Have often seen male leopard along that track. Also good area for serval and wild cat.

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Hi twaffle. Depends on time of year and knowledge of area. There are 3 lion prides at Ndutu all within spitting distance of Lake Ndutu. I have seen lion, leopard, cheetah, caracal, serval and wildcat on regular basis. From Dec to April it is unlikely that one sees more than the migration. Too many cars. May or Nov recommended. Most prey species there including some interesting sub species (e.g. Robert's Grant's gazelle) . Visit Ndutu Lodge-small spotted genets and large spotted genets nearby. Striped hyaenas. Very few cars and the view from Matiti one could die for.

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Jambo madaboutcheetah.

Mara v Southern serengeti. Lions same. Duma on Macao and caracal plain sometimes number 30 plus. Chui ok at Ndutu but more often photographed in Mara ( habituated to cars and BBC.) Elephants at Ndutu sometimes in big groups. D.T. a really big tusker like eles in Manyara 30 years ago. Wildebeest and zebra as with Mara. Gazelle as with migration. Impala woodlands full and they do not migrate. Waterbuck non. Reedbuck many and unlucky not to see them. Dikdik everwhere. Fisi spotted and striped easily seen. Ratel all along lakeshore in early morning. Last time in Mara 30 or 40 cars ruined cheetah hunt. Only responding to your observations. Trip report- please try southern serengeti either May or Nov. Cheers.

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madaboutcheetah

Simba,

 

If it's okay with you, may I start a new thread with questions regarding Ndutu - would love to hear your thoughtful and very knowledgeable views ....... I don't want to hijack Thomas' trip report.

 

Regards

Hari

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Wild Dogger

29.01.2013

 

It has rained at night.

 

As usual we depart at 6.30. Saimon has bad news, the lodge forgot to pack our breakfast, which would mean we had to get back to lodge for breakfast.

I suggest, that we could go to his friend from the mobile camp. Maybe he could just give us some bread and bananas. So we do this and succeed. Nice guys.

 

We are still looking for that Leopard and cruise through the woodlands. Instead we find a big male lion on the plains who is chasing a lioness. He seems not to be happy with her.

 

gallery_5715_811_81141.jpg

 

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And then:

one wrong decision by Saimon and we are stuck.

We struggle to get out, but without help we won´t succeed.

 

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Luckily another car with nice people from the US arrive and they want to help us out. But: they make the same mistake and also get stuck.

 

gallery_5715_811_158796.jpg

 

In the distance we see some lions, but they are far away, no worries.

What we now experience is strange.

Although we are asking for help on the radio, non of the many others around in the area is helping. We see lots of cars looking for the lions, but we fell like we have an epidemic disease.

Once in a while there is someone coming and giving „helpful“ hints, but when it comes to maybe pulling us out they all refused.

We should have told at the radio, that a Cheetah with cubs was feeding on an African Rock Python. Then there would have been plenty of cars around.

I really disliked the behaviour of most of these drivers and their guests.

As we´ve been to Masai Mara some years ago, we wanted to help another car out, matter of honor, and got stuck ourselves. There was no point that time, that I would have done something else then help.

So, we are stuck for almost 2 hours, destroying our and the other cars rope (they are far too weak for these heavy vehicles).

At least, when it was time to go back to lunch at the lodges and camps, other cars came to help us out.

Strange, the one driver from the car, which was already stuck, was afraid we would leave without helping him out.

The other thing we heard, was, that a leopard with 2 cubs was seen :( , well when you don´t have luck, misfortune is not far away.

 

At least we go to the place were the leopard was hiding.

We don´t see anything, as she´s hiding in the hole of a dead tree. There´s much rumour around.

As we want to leave, we drive close to this tree and see the leopard with 2 tiny cubs, just a handful of cats, still blind, I guess.

 

Back at the lodge, after lunch, we hear that the leopard has relocated the cubs, might have been to much turmoil around.

 

We also spend the whole afternoon staring at that tree. When there´s movement in the grass, where she´s hiding the cubs, there´s a lot „Ahh´s and Ohh´s“ but at least all that happens is that she´s cjumping on that tree and preparing a nest for her cubs.

The number of big lenses seems to have increased within the last 2 days.

 

gallery_5715_811_92403.jpg

 

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I am not really happy with that sighting. I am afraid that we disturb her and put her and the cubs into danger.
But I am still curios to see that. And our travel companions haven´t seen a Leopard before.

 

Back at the lodge at dinner time, we hear that one guest of the Ndutu Safrai Lodge has taken pictures of this relocation and is showing them around in the lodge. Now, everybody is fixed to see that also.

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Magnificent lion portrait. How astonishing that no one was prepared to help, I don't imagine that ever happening in the Mara and I wonder why.

 

I have a philosophical opposition to people staying at a sighting with tiny cubs … much too stressful for the mother and dangerous for the cubs. I am glad that you felt uncomfortable and am sad that others don't have the same ethics.

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madaboutcheetah

Very strange .......

 

Here's a recent story - it has been storming pretty heavily at Ndutu this past week, and you know how boggy the black cotton soil can get! So on Monday evening, a passing storm flushed out an Aardvark from it's den (no, I wasn't there!!!) and cars chasing after him got stuck. They all got help from people who also ended up being stuck. Rescue had to be sent from Olakira to get clients' out.

Edited by madaboutcheetah
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Hi Wild Dogger. Good sense of humour and concern for wildlife. Shortailed leopard keeps trying but her range is near mobile campsites and is easily reached. Her tail has some 6-9 inches missing. She has very distinctive left eye spots. Swahealey has posted photos April 2011 and Nov 2012. BonitoApplebum 2013 also has excellent i.d. photos. You may be interested to know that the rangers have restricted access so that she may have better chance. Thank you for photos and advice re. shoe shops. Personally, i think that ethics come before photos. Cheers.

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Wild Dogger

Hi Wild Dogger. Good sense of humour and concern for wildlife. Shortailed leopard keeps trying but her range is near mobile campsites and is easily reached. Her tail has some 6-9 inches missing. She has very distinctive left eye spots. Swahealey has posted photos April 2011 and Nov 2012. BonitoApplebum 2013 also has excellent i.d. photos. You may be interested to know that the rangers have restricted access so that she may have better chance. Thank you for photos and advice re. shoe shops. Personally, i think that ethics come before photos. Cheers.

Simba,

I´ve heard by someone who came back from Ndutu maybe 2 weeks ago, that the rangers had closed the sighting for 24 hrs after a lot of turmoil.

Thomas

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Wild Dogger

30.01.2013

 

I must confess, that I am still curios to see these leopard cubs, although I know, that we better leave the leopard alone.

Okay, we go there again in the morning, hoping that she still hadn´t moved her cubs from the tree to the high grass on the ground.

But we are late. There are already some cars around and we decide to leave this „sighting“. There´s another people, who are staying in our lodge, at this sighting and it looks as if they are not willed to leave at all.

We cruise around to see what we can find.

Up in the tree there´s another nice Martial Eagle.

 

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All of a sudden Buffalos break through the bushes and run over the flood plains.

 

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A Giraffe is gently strolling in front of them.

 

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Where did these animals come from?

Amazing how fast they appear and after a few minutes they are gone again to who knows where.

Every once in a while we go to the leopard tree to see, if something has happened. Nothing.

At least we find the already missed Impalas!

 

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So we head back to the lodge.

Some wildebeests are crossing Lake Ndutu (just a little, safe crossing :P).

 

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In the afternoon we just cruise around.

Just outside the Lodge some Impalas are browsing, where have you been all the time?

 

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We look unsuccessful for Cheetahs on the plains.

Not a lot cars around. Everybody seems to be sieging the „Leopard tree“.

We find some African Hoopoes, one of my favorite birds

 

gallery_5715_811_158647.jpg

 

and a Blacksmith Lapwing.

 

gallery_5715_811_226221.jpg

 

At least we make our way to the Leopard again.

The people from our lodge are still there. It´s 4.30pm and they are there till 6.15 am. They should ask for a petrol payback, I suggested. The Leopard hasn´t shown up since then. There are maybe 20 cars surrounding that tree, all waiting for the leopard to come out and show the cubs.

 

After 30 minutes the shorttailed lady shows up, quickly climbs up that tree to check out the hide and disappears in the gras again. There´s a big clicking as maybe 20 photographers (me included) now have the exact same shot.

 

gallery_5715_811_15443.jpg

 

10 minutes later there´s another show of the cat accompanied by a shoot out.

 

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Then we have to leave, as it´s getting late to get back to camp.

 

On our way back we are stopped by rangers, who control the papers.

 

This will be our last night in Ndutu and we had an incredible time here.

Tomorrow we will make one last short game drive and then go to Seronera.

We invite Saimon for dinner. There he tells us, that we will possibly see many Leopards in Seronera.

I was not aware of the area being a hotspot for that cat. If we´d known that, we would not have spent so many hours staring at a tree and had left the shorttailed cat with her cubs „alone“.
In the end, I was bad prepared. :wacko:

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I'm really enjoying this TR - great detail on the Ndutu sightings.

 

Your photos are wonderful - I particularly liked the martial eagle, bat-eared foxes and the lion under the rainbow.

 

Looking forward to hearing about Seronera, oh and I can relate to your signature!

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Wild Dogger

 

oh and I can relate to your signature!

In Wild Dogger's case the ketchup has been continuously popping out with amazing consistency. Pangolin, Aardvark, lion hunt......just needs some leopard cubs now.

Yep, but I´ve already been shaking the bottle for a long, long time ;)

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Hi Thomas. I received text message from Ndutu this morning. Short tail leopard has lost her cubs. Very sad. To my knowledge this is the second time. Her next litter may be born in the dry season ( July-August ) and therefore less disturbance. Cheers.

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madaboutcheetah

Very sad ........

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Wild Dogger

Hi Thomas. I received text message from Ndutu this morning. Short tail leopard has lost her cubs. Very sad. To my knowledge this is the second time. Her next litter may be born in the dry season ( July-August ) and therefore less disturbance. Cheers.

I am a little shocked, to be honest.

And I feel a little guilty, too.

When we left Ndutu, we heard on the radio, that she relocated the cubs again, which was the second time in just 3 days. I am no expert, but I assume that this is not normal.

IMHO the rangers should have closed the area, where shorttail was end of January already and not as late as beginning of March.

Do you know, what exactly happened to them?

We all should think about, what we are doing.

I saw on the exif data of my camera, that I, and all others, was just 18m away from the cat.

And: the driver/guides should be aware what they are doing!

Thomas

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Yes. Game Warden suggested that these points be raised in subforum. But what joy is there in good photo when the consequences are horrendous. It is very sad to look at photos taken only 2 weeks ago knowing that they are now dead. I am not blameless but after 40 years of snapping wildlife i try to keep a respectful distance, look at situation (cubs, hunting, hiding etc. ). Subforum nuts. It is paramount in all trip reports together with shoe shops and humour. Today i have none.

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Thomas please feel no guilt. She seems to have lost her cubs long after you left. I spoke to Ngoro authorities in Nov. and was assured rangers would be more vigilant. That's Africa. This thread must stop because 1 member has already resigned. No guilt but together we can change things.

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Yes. Game Warden suggested that these points be raised in subforum. But what joy is there in good photo when the consequences are horrendous. It is very sad to look at photos taken only 2 weeks ago knowing that they are now dead. I am not blameless but after 40 years of snapping wildlife i try to keep a respectful distance, look at situation (cubs, hunting, hiding etc. ). Subforum nuts. It is paramount in all trip reports together with shoe shops and humour. Today i have none.

Here I agree with you completely and on any forum I visit (the pure photography ones are the worst) I always will remark on how certain photos were obtained (if it looks like rules might have been broken) and if small vulnerable cubs are involved I hate that guides and photographers think it ok to approach closely even when the mother is not present. Usually, I am howled down. :(

 

I think questioning ethics belongs on every trip report if necessary. Let's just keep it friendly and polite. I'm sure I do stuff which may have un intended consequences and I would rather someone told me. We once a year visitors have no chance of becoming behavioral experts for every situation.

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Wild Dogger

Before I continue with my trip report a few words about the issues discussed here and in Bonitas thread.

Please bear with me as English is not my mother tongue, this might all sound a bit chaotic and unstructured.

 

We all must be aware, that in the moment we step into a bushflight, we are affecting the wildlife.

The question is, how far are we willed to go.

I find it already strange to occupy the animals, the way it is done in East Africa.

In the Private Concessions in Botswana there is a 3 car per sighting rule, okay in most of the concessions there are not many more than that.

In South Luangwa National Park there is also a rule like that, I don´t know, if it is also 3, but I think it was 5.

On the other hand, the animals in East Africa are very much used to these crowds. They have totally lost their „fear“ about cars. In the Seronera we witnessed a leopard with 2 cubs strolling between the cars.

Before we went to Tanzania I talked to a german pro wildlife photographer. He knew, that I was keen about African Wild Dogs and wanted to know where best to go to find them.

Some days later he called me again and asked me about South Luangwa. One thing, I kept in mind of this conversation was, that he asked me if the animals were calm. I know that this was a verbal error, but it discribed the situation of a pro photographer very much. They have to produce.

I think, that this was the case with Short Tail also. I could bet that many of the photographers around the sighting were pros. There was an easy possibility to get shots of a Leopard and if lucky a shot of a leopard carrying a tiny little cub in the mouth. I would lie, if I would say, that I would not have liked to have a shot like that. I was already thinking, where I could probably sell a picture like that.

Now, I don´t want to blame any pro photographer, they have to make a living and it´s much better to take a picture than take a trophy. And by taking wildlife pictures they do a lot for wildlife protection.

 

It is also hard to explain people why it is dangerous for the cubs to disturb such a young family.

I failed in doing so with my wife, my brother and his girl friend, Saimon did not understand at all.

I told my wife yesterday about the loss of the cubs and she said: „Why is that the fault of the tourists?“

If it´s difficult to explain to frequent safari goers, even though she is not following these wildlife issues like I do, how can one explain to somebody who´s going for the first and maybe last time?

 

Yes, we are affecting wildlife, by doing, what we are doing. But if we did not go to these beautiful places, they would defintive be gone faster than they will in the end.

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Wild Dogger

31.01.2013

This is our last morning in Ndutu.

We will leave for the Seronera after breakfast.

My brothers girlfriend is totally happy, that she had seen the leopard yesterday and is enjoying the lodge life this morning.

 

On our way through the lovely Ndutu area we once again see lions.

 

gallery_5715_811_11783.jpg

 

It is certainly a common theme here in Ndutu, that we see predators feeding.

 

gallery_5715_811_168831.jpg

 

 

 

Although we don´t want to go to the Leopard, we pass this place as it is so prominent located at a road.

There are already lots of cars around but we procede.

 

There have been some rangers of NCA who told the drivers that they are only allowed to stay at the sighting for 20 minutes and then have to leave, which is a stupid idea imho as this would cause much more disturbance to the predator by cars leaving and coming back after a few minutes.

 

Our Nissan Jeep is not the most reliable car in these sleppery conditions and Saimon is very carefully choosing the roads we are taking. The car´s heavier than the mostly used Toyota Landcruisers.

 

There is a pair of beautiful Secretary birds in the tree´s crown.

 

gallery_5715_811_162555.jpg

 

After a while we come to another bloody scene:

 

gallery_5715_811_229194.jpg

 

the 2 well-known Cheetah brothers have taken down a Wildebeest. Saimon says, that they usually only take down big prey like Wildebeest and Zebra, wow, real warriors!

Lots of Hyena in the distance are slowly, slowly approaching the carcass to take it away from the cats.

Unfortunately we have to leave before twe can witness that.

 

It is raining and the sight is bad.

We have to go offroad back to the lodge, otherwise we would be late.

But:

 

Where is Matiti now?

 

Saimon is always joking and I am sure he knows his way and so we get back in time, have our breakfast and leave for the Serengeti.

Hopefully we get to see the Migration.

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It is also hard to explain people why it is dangerous for the cubs to disturb such a young family.

I failed in doing so with my wife, my brother and his girl friend, Saimon did not understand at all.

I told my wife yesterday about the loss of the cubs and she said: „Why is that the fault of the tourists?“

If it´s difficult to explain to frequent safari goers, even though she is not following these wildlife issues like I do, how can one explain to somebody who´s going for the first and maybe last time?

 

I think the issue with young cubs is not about scaring them it's about drawing attention to them- showing other predators where they are. The mother is trying to hide them from other predators- lions, hyenas etc that would kill the cubs. Having an entourage of 20 safari vehicles permanently following them around isn't going to help that.

 

Also, disturbing her might make her move the cubs, and that puts them at risk being out in the open.

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Game Warden

@@Wild Dogger, excellent points you make in post #53, and it's why I'm so keen that they are brought up in a new topic: there has been one before which got quite acrimonious, sadly, but it is important. Matt

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