Trip to Selous and Ruaha , Adansonia paranoia !

[Kitsafari]

the dik diks still manage to look so cute when they fight, but the fight itself looks serious.

[Big Andy]

Love the hair style when the dik dik fight, and the photography is still superb, please keep it coming.

[madaboutcheetah]

Brilliant!!!! - Such wonderful images........

[Soukous]

lovely leopard sightings. great setting and light. v jealous.

[Rwenzori]

I read that it could be as low as 15,000 now ;-(

Unfortunately it went out to be true.

 

I found this on the Udzungwa elephant project profile on Facebook:

 

"The result of the September/October 2013 Selous aerial census has been announced by the Tanzanian government: there are an estimated 13,084 elephants left. This is down from 39,000 in 2009, and 50-55,000 in 2007. In other words, about 80% of Selous' elephants have been killed in the last six years, to the ivory trade. This is an unprecedented decline, but sadly comes as no great surprise to those of us who have been on the ground over recent years.

We have to work even harder to turn this catastrophe around. Let us at least hope that these disastrous figures can be a powerful weapon to galvanise the change that elephants so badly need."

 

 

This of course also means that many elephants that I saw in Mikumi NP in 2011 are now dead. They will take decades to recover to the pre-crisis level.

 

Just two years ago Mikumi was still plenty of elephants, it was a safe haven for wildlife, and now it is a bushland full of bones and dust.

Edited December 10, 2013 by Rwenzori

[Rwenzori]

Just 2 years ago WWF released a report where they estimated 50,000 elephants in Selous ecosystem

 

http://wwf.panda.org/?205666/JOINT-STATEMENT-ON-THE-STATUS-OF-ELEPHANT-POPULATION-IN-SELOUS-NIASSA-ECOSYSTEM

 

How could it be so inaccurate?

 

I have not seen yet the original report from Save the Elephants, it could be that the figure here reported is the lower limit of the confidence interval, but it would be a catastrophic decline anyway.

 

The inaction of the last years was an extraordinary example of what I mean for "short-sighted policy". How much bad publicity is Tanzania going to face in the western press in the following years.

 

We have to do anything to save elephants from these killing fields.

Edited December 10, 2013 by Rwenzori

[TonyQ]

@@africawild

Great pictures of the dik dik fight

Very sad to hear about the elephant decline when seeing your beautiful pictures of them

[africawild]

I've never seen a dik dik fight, how wonderful.

This was also a first time for us and indeed was a wonderful moment , it was better than the lions or the leopards .

[africawild]

the dik diks still manage to look so cute when they fight, but the fight itself looks serious.

It was serious , there was a female around for whom to fight for !!!

 

Paco

[africawild]

Just 2 years ago WWF released a report where they estimated 50,000 elephants in Selous ecosystem

 

http://wwf.panda.org/?205666/JOINT-STATEMENT-ON-THE-STATUS-OF-ELEPHANT-POPULATION-IN-SELOUS-NIASSA-ECOSYSTEM

 

How could it be so inaccurate?

 

I have not seen yet the original report from Save the Elephants, it could be that the figure here reported is the lower limit of the confidence interval, but it would be a catastrophic decline anyway.

 

The inaction of the last years was an extraordinary example of what I mean for "short-sighted policy". How much bad publicity is Tanzania going to face in the western press in the following years.

 

We have to do anything to save elephants from these killing fields.I

 

 

If the aerial survey numbers are correct the situation is devastating , really sad news . Around 40.000 elephants killed in six years is almost 7000 per year , that means that if things don´t change , in 2 years there will be no elephants in Selous , hard to believe !!!

 

It is sure that someone don´t have the numbers right , but what we know is the problem exist and it is terrible !!

 

Paco

[Dam2810]

thank you Rwenzori, I would have preferred to be wrong ;-( It s terrible and very sad. Hope the Tz government will wake up but It s difficult to be optimist given their recent track record. Makes you wonder how many elephants are left in Tanzania if there are only 13000 left in Selous.

Edited December 10, 2013 by Dam2810

[Atravelynn]

Now I understand the Adansonia. Even a ghost Adansonia. You have captured the many personalities of the baobab with and without animals. The baboon and warthog interaction is an unusual shot. Love the oxpecker at the giraffe mouth. Wonderful catch on the dik dik fight. It's important to the male dik diks, but almost comical because of their tiny size. Whew on the luggage.

Edited December 11, 2013 by Atravelynn

[Tdgraves]

love the mohican dik diks fighting and the leopard in the baobab - superb!

[SafariChick]

@@africawild Just stunning photos and the words are pretty darn good too! Thank you so much for sharing. More, please!

[johnkok]

Just got on to your TR. You have a great eye for images. It shows - whether it is an aerial shot or one of a lizard poking its head out for the corner of a frame. You really made good use of your gear.

And the shots of the dik dik fight are to die for. What an amazing and envy-inducing encounter. Definitely putting it on a list of sightings to long for.

Thanks for putting together this wonderful TR. It must have taken an immense amount of effort to process, edit and curate. Beautifully presented. Thanks again for sharing it.

[africawild]

Thank you again !

 

I will try to finish the report , just 3 days to go .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruaha is a heaven for lions We saw them every day , but our 3th full day was going to be special .Only in the morning drive we saw 21 individuals of 4 different prides.

 

Our intention for the day was to try to find cheetah but we were not going to be lucky . Ruaha is also good for cheetah but our guide said they have´t seen any in the past week .

 

Going back to the lions , we waked up with them roaring close to camp and Jimmy said we could go to look for them in the direction of the roaring.

After only 5 minutes driving we bumped into a male and female on a fresh baby giraffe kill . Curiously the night before when we were arriving in camp we saw a baby giraffe in the area and i said just joking " be careful with the lions during the night " , my worlds seemed like a premonition !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The female was a few meters away from the male that was feeding on the kill , right on top of it .

 

 

 

 

Suddenly , we heard more lions roaring in the distance and then the male started to roar fiercely . Jimmy said there were tracks of other lions all over and he guessed those lions made the kill out of their territory and "our " male stilled the killed from them and now he was roaring to make sure those lions did not come back . That moment with the male roaring while protecting the kill and then the female also starting to roar was fantastic and just to ourselves !!

 

 

I really thought the guide was maybe guessing a bit too much ?? But just 10 minutes driving ahead we came upon 3 powerful females walking towards the Mwagusi River . We could clearly see some blood in their heads and necks .

We followed them until they arrived at the river and went down to drink . I think the guide knew what was he talking about !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While they were drinking we could heard more roaring and the 3 lionesses started to head in that direction

 

 

 

 

 

Just a few meter ahead another lioness emerge from the high dry grass , started to walk towards the 3 and then they started the typical greetings and grooming display.

 

 

 

 

 

Then we decided to drive towards the old airstrip area were Jimmy had a great sight of a cheetah with cubs the previous week . After lots of elephants , giraffes and impalas in incredible landscape we headed towards the Great Ruaha River to find a spot for breakfast .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But it was lion morning and guess what ? 11 lions were sleeping at the spot Jimmy was going to , so no breakfast there !!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went for breakfast and after came back to see the lions again but they were not doing much. At this point a vehicle arrived to take a look at the lions , it was the first vehicle we had seen so far , a morning to remember !!!

 

 

 

 

 

Then i had an odd problem with the camera while i was trying to get some flying impalas . During one of the bursts aperture got to 0 and i got a few shots completely black. Of course the best shot with the highest jump was one of them !! The light was very bad anyway so no big deal .

 

 

 

 

 

An small elephant family with a really small baby were walking towards the road , it was very nice to see them cross in front of us , !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then crossed the river and looked for cheetah around the Flycatcher Camp area but no luck , only 2 more sleeping lions from another pride to finish the " lion morning "

 

 

Paco

 

 

[graceland]

Thanks for continuing your journey with us....Ruaha is probably still the next spot for us next year with Moli (Kichaka Expeditions) -though I am dying to walk in Zim after all the reports.

 

The Lions in Ruaha are amazing ,aren't they. I saw many (without my camera, a negative about walking) and those Impala - unbelievable....the first time I actually saw so many in action - literally ballerinas in the air!

 

Hate for your safari to end I am enjoying it so much!

 

Happy Holidays!

[pault]

It is really good to catch up with your report after coming back from my own trip... and I am happy we still have some days to go. The story and photos get better and better.

 

 

Thoughts I had on reading the last two pages:

 

I want to go to Ruaha again.

 

Excellent efforts to make sleeping lions interesting.

 

Brilliant dik-dik fight shots. This is the first time I have been jealous reading a trip report (usually I only enjoy, even with wild dogger's juvenile Aardvaark, but this time I am actually jealous). I have wanted to see a dik dik fight in for years and you got a great one - and in the open!!!!. I will keep hoping for your luck, and then when I get it I will pray for your skill in catching it too.

 

I absolutely believe you that the highest and the best impala flight shot ever is underneath that black frame! Your lens seems to have got disconnected- is that right? If so, lucky you were using the camera and so noticed, or it might have fallen off too. It can happen..

 

And the baobab trees are so nice.... especially with the group of kudu in front.

 

I really want to go to Ruaha again.

 

Great!

[Kitsafari]

@@africawild what a lion-fest you had! all of them looked well fed. ruaha looks very dry - is it because it is the dry season?

 

that is a fantastic shot of a flying impala!

Edited December 23, 2013 by Kitsafari

[Soukous]

wonderful Paco

love the shot of the lion with the baobab in glorious light and no matter how many time I see it I am still fascinated by lions taking down giraffe.

[pault]

Sorry... @@africawild.... the lions comment refers to much further than two pages back. I guess I read much more than I thought!! Only active lions on the last two pages (although for sure soon to sleep).

[africawild]

@@africawild what a lion-fest you had! all of them looked well fed. ruaha looks very dry - is it because it is the dry season?

 

that is a fantastic shot of a flying impala!

Yes Kitsafari , we were in Ruaha first week of November , end of dry season . Everything was very dry but animals still had many drinking spots in both the Ruaha and the Mwagusi.

 

It looks however that they did have very good rain 5 days ago and the Mwagusi River , a dry sandy river when we were there , started to flow , which is great !!!!

 

https://www.facebook.com/mwagusi.safari.camp?fref=ts

 

 

Paco

[africawild]

Thank you all again !!

 

The afternoon drive was a bit uneventful , we had one more sleeping lion´s sight close to camp and farther down we saw a baby impala ( just born ) crossing the dry riverbed while her mother was fighting with a jackal to protect the baby . After running in the opposite direction of the baby , the female impala attracted the jackal that followed her and the predator lost the clue of were the little one was . Very brave mother that was able to safe her baby !!!

 

Unfortunately everything happened in the river bed and we had plenty of trees and branches obstructing the view so no pictures of the event !!!

 

 

Just this shot of the new born impala crossing the river bed

 

 

 

 

Then some more wildlife in the afternoon warm light

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And again another glorious sunset, this time surrounded by palms and baobabs !!

 

 

 

 

 

Next day was going to be our last full day in Ruaha before the end of the trip. It was going to be a great adventure as we had planned to drive to a very little visited and remote area to look for sables and wild dogs but that would be the next chapter .

 

 

Paco

Edited December 23, 2013 by africawild

[Soukous]

Paco, I love Baobabs and your photos are wonderful, makes me want to be there now.

[Big_Dog]

Fantastic lion photos - and what an interesting if albeit a bit sad kill.
Wonderful Baobab sunsets too! Very much a symbol of Africa.