Ruaha and Zanzibar - September / October 2014

[FlyTraveler]

You have captured Ruaha's stunning scenery so beautifully.

 

I also love watching the interaction of the elies. We spent more time than ever with them in Zim, and one can truly understand the emotional bond they have and how extremely smart and creative they are in obtaining food and water. And enjoying "elie " mud baths. Too many vehicles zip by them; but to sit and watch can be magical. Esp. with the little ones.

 

So now I want to return to Ruaha, Zim and Kenya. What to do. (sigh)

 

Thank you @@graceland ! Whatever you choose, you can not go wrong

[Marks]

Really vivid color and texture captured of that baboon. Also love the 2nd ele pic in post #123.

[TonyQ]

@@FlyTraveler

You can never have too many elephants interacting - especially when babies are involved!

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, morning game drive.

 

 

Still at the same elephants and baboons sighting, trying my luck on running baboons with elephants in the background:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Impalas and elephants:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

 

 

 

@@michael-ibk and @@FlyTraveler - I love Michael's humor too! I could not stop laughing when I read what he had to say about your territory marking details

 

 

My details are not interesting at all... A friend of mine has a really spicy story about his urge for serious territory marking in the middle of the night while on a camping safari (dome tent with no toilet) with bunch of hyenas right in front of the tent...

 

I want to hear THAT story too!!!

 

 

I guess this story makes me feel reluctant to sleep in a tent without a toilet in unfenced camp (campsite).

That is one major consideration I have to factor in if and when we do mobile camping (sooner than later, I hope)-an ensuite tent.

[Kitsafari]

Lovely shots of the riverbed with the impalas and then the buffalo crossing.

 

And that mid air flying adult and young baboons brought a smile to my face as I remember them skipping and jumping off in a hurry.

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, morning game drive.

 

 

Going again about two hours back for the scenery shots taken with my second camera. Later on I will continue with the same breeding herd of elephants, since there are some images showing a very cute interaction between mother and baby elephants.

 

 

 

 

 

These seem like White-headed Buffalo Weaver nests, are they? I forgot what Alphonce said about them and I am assuming this, because we saw some White-headed Buffalo Weavers in the area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Typical Ruaha baobab trees landscapes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mdonya dry riverbed:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we entered the area of Kilimatonge Hills:

 

 

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, morning game drive. Kilimatonge Hills.

 

 

A few more photos of the beautiful Kilimatonge Hills:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The reason for the mobile phone coverage in the park:

[graceland]

Our TANAPA ranger who accompanied us through Ruaha with Moli our guide was always checking his cell phone. I teased him about his girlfriend (which always put a smile on his face) and I wondered how they were all getting cell reception in the "middle of no-where!

 

You caught it well, @Flytraveler; I was told to climb a tree

which I did.

Alas, no answer.

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, morning game drive.

 

 

I'm a bit behind with my report, but have been kind of busy, in the meantime @Africaln started his fabulous Ruaha TR. Why God is always punishing me to compete with great trip reports?

So, we are still on the morning game drive on Oct. 01, hanging around Mwagusi dry riverbed and observing drinking elephants and baboons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, morning game drive.

 

 

This is what it means to be on the bottom of the food chain:

 

 

 

Baboons in a tree:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just realized that I have missed a nice elephants shot a few posts back, here it is:

Edited November 5, 2014 by FlyTraveler

[Marks]

That is indeed a nice shot, I'm glad you posted it.

 

Why God is always punishing me to compete with great trip reports?

 

Can't answer this, but as the reader it's certainly nothing to complain about!

[AfricIan]

I hope we're not competing @@FlyTraveler - two very different trips and I'm really enjoying looking at all the great photo's you've got. In fact I'm probably spending far too much time reading other folks reports, time I should really be spending on mine!!

[FlyTraveler]

I hope we're not competing @@FlyTraveler - two very different trips and I'm really enjoying looking at all the great photo's you've got. In fact I'm probably spending far too much time reading other folks reports, time I should really be spending on mine!!

 

That was just a joke @Africlan. I just wanted to express in a different way how much I am enjoying your trip report and photography. Cheers!

Edited November 7, 2014 by FlyTraveler

[AfricIan]

Don't worry @@FlyTraveler I hadn't thought for a minute that we were each trying to outdo each other to get "the best" TR - whatever that is! One of the real beauties of Safaritalk TRs is that they're all written by individuals with very different styles, emphasis & content, long may it stay that way.

[graceland]

Since I am spending the next several months living vicariously on ST; I am enjoying BOTH your reports.

 

So please everyone proceed

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, morning game drive.

 

 

Still have to do some catching-up with the scenery shots taken with the second camera until I get to the moment with the elephants in the Mwagusi dry riverbed.

 

 

Kilimatonge Hill:

 

 

 

Mwagusi dry riverbed:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crossing the riverbed:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the other side of the river:

 

[madaboutcheetah]

@flytraveller - Just catching up with this report ........... You had a super safari. Ruaha has everything - Stunning landscape; big game; birdlife and fabulous sunrise/sun sets .......... Thank You for this super report.

 

[FlyTraveler]

@flytraveller - Just catching up with this report ........... You had a super safari. Ruaha has everything - Stunning landscape; big game; birdlife and fabulous sunrise/sun sets .......... Thank You for this super report.

 

 

Thanks for the good words, Hari! I am just starting the report Now seriously - Ruaha is absolutely stunning, indeed. I am enjoying very much your Kenya TR, hardly managed to digest your Botswana Kwando concession report (time-wise) and you started the new one Keep them coming

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, morning game drive.

 

 

Going back to the breeding herd of elephants in the Mwagusi dry riverbed:

 

 

 

Soon we discovered the biggest pleasure for the eles - the mud pool, just on time before they started getting out of it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the mud bath:

 

 

[michael-ibk]

The dry riverbed with the palmtrees is incredibly picturesque! Seeing the Eles taking their mudbath must have been a wonderful sighting.

[TonyQ]

@@FlyTraveler

I think that mud bath looked very enjoyable for them (and it is for us!)

[Safaridude]

@@FlyTraveler

 

Trees, lovely trees... always under-appreciated. Thanks for highlighting them.

[FlyTraveler]

@@FlyTraveler

 

Trees, lovely trees... always under-appreciated. Thanks for highlighting them.

 

When you don't get enough predators you start highlighting trees, @@Safaridude. That was kind of a semi-joke, not that I don't love the trees and landscapes in general

[pault]

I also like the trees - and all the wider shots (whether they are intentionally wide or just of animals too far away to capture any other way does not matter - I like those wider shots). I was glad to ehar you say you still have some way to go in Ruaha,