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Following the Herds - Mkomazi, Tarangire, Serengeti and Manyara Ranch Conservancy - February 2015


Safaridude

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Tarangire National Park

 

I have never smoked, but now I think I know what it’s like to be a smoker trying to quit smoking – while working at a tobacco shop. I am at Oliver’s Camp in Tarangire for meetings. There is wild game out there, and I am in meetings. An elephant trumpets… meetings. The korongos near Oliver’s are supposedly thick with leopard… meetings. Gosh, I need a cigarette

 

We do go out for a couple of short, very late afternoon game drives following the meetings. One very early morning, we sneak out for a short game run before the meetings. Okay, okay, I really should stop making fun of these meetings. They are serious, necessary conservation meetings, and hopefully, they will bear fruit.

 

Tsetses are bad this time of year in Tarangire, and we set out each time for the open plains (notably, the famous Silale Swamp) where there are fewer tsetses. I spend so little time on game activities during the two days; so much has already been written about Tarangire. I will simply share some photos here.

 

Note: Oliver’s Camp is outstanding in every way.

 

 

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Grant's gazelle

 

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Oldonyo Sambu

 

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Cattle egret sequence

 

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Buffalo herd at Silale Swamp

 

 

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A lioness approaching the buffalo herd

 

 

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Lesser kudu at dusk

 

 

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Maasai giraffe

Edited by Safaridude
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Reduced to the Essentials

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A Complex Tale in One Image

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Why Tis Good to Escape from Meetings...

~ @Safaridude:

 

You're spoiling us — these are too fine, too iconic, too incendiary to our safari-loving imaginations.

That early evening light through your lens kicks out digital Old Masters with a Zen chaser.

If I hadn't already booked another safari for next month, your Tarangire images would make me antsy to go again...or take up smoking.

Thank you for these.

Tom K.

Edited by Tom Kellie
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February 16

 

 

In all, a breathtaking morning – but marred by bad behavior of tourist vehicles. At the moment the mother cheetah successfully pounces on the gazelle, people in the vehicle next to us let out a raucous cheer in celebration, disturbing the purity of the moment. Vehicles then begin surrounding the cheetah. As the cubs begin to attack the Tommie fawn, all the vehicles converge on the cubs now, and the mother cheetah follows. 13 vehicles in all surround the cubs, the fawn and the mother cheetah. The circle made by the vehicles is too constrictive. The drivers yell at each other God knows what. In the mean time, the adult Tommie that was taken down by the mother cheetah miraculously gets to its feet and begins wobbling away! The mother cheetah, however, is unable to see her zombie prey escape because she is screened in by the vehicles. The cheetah family is relegated to the much smaller kill. Bad tourist behavior prevents this cheetah family from feeding properly this morning.

 

~ @@Safaridude:

 

Any comment will be banal in light of the photography and commentary quality.

Will ‘WOW!’ do? All of it's terrific, with the cheetah kill sequence and related comments being of special interest.

To date, the only places I've ever seen other vehicles in any number have been Masai Mara and Samburu.

Visitor and guide behavior in Masai Mara was mixed, in Samburu, about 80% fine.

I'm sorry that the cheetah kill was thrown out of kilter by actions which need not have happened.

One wonders if there are safaris for first-time visitors where the guides and any attending staff overlook explaining the basic courtesies and restraints necessary when arriving as guests in the animal's habitat?

Tom K.

 

Unfortunately, you're right - guests need to be schooled in proper safari tourism etiquette, but they are not. I wrote about this in March Travel News Kenya, about a real incident on my last day in the Mara that was totally spoiled by a bunch of safari vehicles whose drivers/guides know better, but obviously they went along with the guests' program. The drivers & guides are hoping for tips -- if they have passengers who promise financial reward... oh, if you get us close to (fill in the blank), we will give you good tip... well, not every guide/driver will say no, BECAUSE if guests complain to lodge management, that could jeopardize their jobs, but also because healthy tips are really important. I'm not defending them, just stating a fact. It's a HUGE problem and that's why I wrote How To Be A Good Safari Tourist. I think that every lodge should have an informal orientation for guests and spell out some rules re the wildlife - it could take place over sundowners their first evening or whatever the first meal is at the camp or lodge. If everyone gets on the same page, we'll all be a lot happier out there - and the wildlife will be less disturbed too!

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@@Safaridude

 

Your photos are stunning. I envy you your long lenses. The giraffe sticking out its tongue is priceless. Thank you!!!!!

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Hi @@Lala, I am late to the welcome, SO a southern hey there and welcome to ST....

 

Sorry I missed your previous posts! And I also live in Virginia, so maybe we should chat more....in person!!

 

I did see you booked your first Kenya trip with African Territories; I , did as well back in 2010 and keep up with Tamsin and her fab. group! Whatever they plan for you will be REAL Africa! I was fortunate to meet her brother, Richard and amazing sis in law, Annie this past Feb. on my last visit to Serian..they were visiting and we had a great time.

 

So...where are you off to in Kenya on this go round. If you end up at Serian, give Roisen, Wifi and company HUGE hugs from me! Oh and James, best guide ever.

 

and lets' hope the guests/guides cooperate and BEHAVE :)

 

BTW, I envy the photos from long lens as well; but I realize it is not in my nature...so I stick to point and shoot. I am just a tourist :unsure:

Edited by graceland
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@@Safaridude It looks like you found some time between meetings to get some excellent shots. The "Oldonyo Sambu" image is framed very well.

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@@graceland

 

Hi - I have no idea if I'll end up anywhere near Serian. I'm going on the Turkana Bus and I have a few days before and a few days after. Getting away - wanted to stay through the end of May, but had to get back (under threat!) to write the story about an annual event for a publication that refuses to find someone to take over this gig... sigh

 

Right now, slogging away trying to finish up two more stories for the equine version of people mag before I leave for Kentucky - not packed and I need to be in place to leave at 5 am Tuesday, plus I'm taking work with me that I must complete before end of April... It's just TOO CRAZY in my head right now.

 

OH @ everyone!!! If you haven't seen this great video set to Toto's Africa - please please check it out on FB: https://www.facebook.com/wildlifeatheart/videos/531343593638023/

brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it, but I also love love love this song!!!

Edited by Lala
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Amongst many dazzling pictures @@Safaridude has shared with us, to me, these two represent the primal, quinessential images of the Serengeti, simple, yet so pure as to draw us in.

The Acacia tree and lionesses framed in the shots are themselves tiny dots in the immensity of the plain. Beyond, the magnificent savannah of the Serengeti stretches into the horizon.

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Sounds worse than smoking @@Safaridude. Meetings!!!!

 

Love Mkomazi shots - very, very photogenic place (as is Tasvo West of course; what a beautiful bit of Africa).

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Manyara Ranch Conservancy

 

Kenyan tour operators trumpet the Chyulu Hills in Kenya as Hemingway’s “Green Hills of Africa”. This is highway robbery, really. Other than being sometimes green and always hills, the Chyulu Hills have nothing to do with Green Hills of Africa: Hemingway never set foot in Kenya in the book. He was actually somewhere just north of Lake Manyara in Tanzania hunting for kudu, and the green hills he refers to are in all likelihood Mt. Losimingori and the surrounding ridges.

 

Fast forward exactly 80 years since the release of Green Hills of Africa, and Losimingori and its immediate surrounds loom large in the conservation context. This area is a narrow corridor for animals moving between Lake Natron and the greater Tarangire ecosystem. In the past 20 years or so, this corridor, due to human encroachment, has been whittled down to what can only be described now as a bottleneck, only a kilometer wide at its narrowest point just west of Losimingori – like an artery of a would-be cardiac arrest victim.

 

Manyara Ranch Conservancy, just southwest of Losimingori, lies within this Natron – Tarangire corridor. The African Wildlife Foundation secured what was a government-owned cattle ranch and turned it into a wildlife conservancy several years ago. Not particularly a “pretty” property, one must say (lacking the spectacular scenery typical of Northern Tanzania), but Manyara Ranch is a critical piece of land for conservation and harbors surprisingly robust wildlife.

 

Large numbers of wildebeests and zebras come through this 35,000-acre ranch while moving to and fro Natron and Tarangire. Bull elephants stay year-around at the ranch, sometimes joined by breeding herds. Giraffe, impala, eland, waterbuck, Grant’s gazelle, Thomson’s gazelle and buffalo are all common. There are two lion prides at Manyara Ranch, and one afternoon we find a collared female and her cubs. Leopards and cheetahs are apparently not uncommon here, while wild dogs, which used to frequent the ranch, have not been seen in some time.

 

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Thomson's gazelle. This race east of the Rift Valley is duller in color and has only a faint spot above the nose.

 

 

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Bull elephant

 

 

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Necking sequence

 

 

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Pangani longclaw

 

 

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Lioness and cubs

 

 

Greater kudu was what Hemingway was looking to hunt in Green Hills of Africa – in which case he received bad advice from somebody because there were/are very few greater kudus in northern Tanzania (Hemingway later succeeded in his quest when he traveled to the south of the country). The valleys below Losimingori, including Manyara Ranch, on the other hand, are crawling with lesser kudu. Basically discarded as a “lesser” creature in the book, the lesser kudu is an extraordinary animal that is easily encountered here.

 

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Lesser kudu

 

 

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Manyara Ranch is one of the few places in Tanzania where one can participate in a proper, after-dinner night drive. The place is hopping with springhares, and one of the nights we stumble upon a couple of striped hyenas around their den. Horseback riding and walking complete the activities offered. For those looking for these activities not offered in national parks, Manyara Ranch is an interesting stopover on the northern safari circuit.

 

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Eurasian roller seen on a night drive

 

 

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Spotted eagle owl

 

 

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The camp is raising an orphaned impala

 

 

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Hanging out at brunch time

 

 

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Secretary bird

 

 

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Vervet monkey

 

 

As we leave the ranch for Arusha, there are signs of livestock incursions on the edge of the property. Too many people and livestock out there… where are they going to go when pinched? A wildlife conservancy with grass and water, of course. A swift left turn at the gate and we are immediately on a tarmac road with cars and motorcycles whizzing by: Massai men on motorcycles going to the bustling Makuyuni, a town which hardly existed not long ago. There is humanity, cows, goats, vehicles and motorcycles everywhere. It is a wonder that the Natron-Tarangire animal movements still occur at all. It is my fervent hope that, come hell or high water, Manyara Ranch survives and flourishes.

 

 

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May these migrating wildebeests always find Manyara Ranch a safe passage.

Edited by Safaridude
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Post-script: Changes

 

 

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The western side of Mt. Losimingori – barely functioning as a wildlife corridor now.

 

 

So, my cousin had the time of her life. Her enthusiasm was infectious. Every little thing she saw… she saw in absolute wonderment. As we repack our stuff in our Arusha day room before our flight home, she is still wearing a perma-smile.

 

What I would give for the state of impregnable bliss at the end of a safari…

 

I am still thinking about the shrinking corridor below Losimingori. You see, unlike my cousin, I have historical reference points. This year marks the 20th anniversary of my very first trip to Tanzania – when open space was within a stone’s throw from Arusha (heck, Arusha was open space), when there weren’t even enough vehicles in Serengeti to surround a cheetah, when the term, “corridor bottleneck” wasn’t even in the vernacular of conservation in Tanzania. Changes were happening then, but Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes are really happening now – hyperbolic changes.

 

Pretty soon now you’re gonna get older

Time may change me

But I can’t trace time

I said that time may change me

But I can’t trace time

 

- David Bowie

Edited by Safaridude
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@@Safaridude,

 

 

Change or no, Lake Manyara looks lovely; I liked the lions and cubs, necking giraffes, lesser kudu, and of course along the way, all the scenery.

 

Terrific you took your cousin.. I just can imagine the smile!

 

We all had one as we rode along with you and your report :)

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Peter Connan

Thank you

Say I too

 

Really anjoyed the report, despite the slightly bitter aftertaste brought about by our continued destruction of the environment.

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A melancholy end but a fantastic, informative TR nonetheless. Manyara Ranch seems to be serving an important function.

 

Lovely lesser kudu.

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michael-ibk

Fantastic report as always, thank you, greatly enjoyed. One of these days you should publish a book with all your reports collected.

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Post-script: Changes

 

 

gallery_6003_1251_654332.jpg

The western side of Mt. Losimingori – barely functioning as a wildlife corridor now.

 

 

So, my cousin had the time of her life. Her enthusiasm was infectious. Every little thing she saw… she saw in absolute wonderment. As we repack our stuff in our Arusha day room before our flight home, she is still wearing a perma-smile.

 

What I would give for the state of impregnable bliss at the end of a safari…

 

 

I am still thinking about the shrinking corridor below Losimingori. You see, unlike my cousin, I have historical reference points. This year marks the 20th anniversary of my very first trip to Tanzania – when open space was within a stone’s throw from Arusha (heck, Arusha was open space), when there weren’t even enough vehicles in Serengeti to surround a cheetah, when the term, “corridor bottleneck” wasn’t even in the vernacular of conservation in Tanzania. Changes were happening then, but Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes are really happening now – hyperbolic changes.

 

Pretty soon now you’re gonna get older

Time may change me

But I can’t trace time

I said that time may change me

But I can’t trace time

 

- David Bowie

As I read your postscript, I felt a pang in my heart - a pang of guilt for what humans have wrought, a pang of sadness that it seems to be spiralling out of our control, a pang of remorse that not more humans were aware earlier of how we were and are wiping out the natural earth, a pang of anguish that I can do no more than watch it die slowly within my generation.

 

Thank you for sharing the beauty of Tanzania and yes, Oliver's was fabulous - our first stay ever in Africa. Good Nostalgia!

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@@Peter Conan @@Marks @@Kitsafari

 

I didn't mean to be a buzzkill and bum everybody out! As @@AKR1 reminded me today, we should be thankful for the wild places that are left and not always lament about the past (and of course, do our part to conserve what we have left). AKR1 called me an "eternal optimist". I think he's right. Not a constant optimist but an eternal one at least.

Edited by Safaridude
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In addition to savouring this exceptional trip report, today I (drumroll) had lunch with the man himself. A memorable hour of ramen and @@Safaridude in New York City. Always illuminating to get his perspective on all things safari and conservation. There are few folks who truly get the practical aspects of conservation as our Safaridude.

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@@AKR1

 

Ha, much too kind AKR1!

 

AKR1 is quite the raconteur, always entertaining and enthusiastic… wistful now of his next safari. And a huge thanks to him for introducing me to the ramen fever gripping New York. I am very late to this trend… it was my first since the college days (those 30 cent, very-bad-for-you, "Top" variety).

Edited by Safaridude
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In addition to savouring this exceptional trip report, today I (drumroll) had lunch with the man himself. A memorable hour of ramen and @@Safaridude in New York City. Always illuminating to get his perspective on all things safari and conservation. There are few folks who truly get the practical aspects of conservation as our Safaridude.

 

@@AKR1 - Lucky you! and Lucky @@Safaridude. good ramen is soul food for the body and a good chat on conservation is soul food for the brains.

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Fantastic report as always, thank you, greatly enjoyed. One of these days you should publish a book with all your reports collected.

 

~ @@michael-ibk and @Safaridude:

 

Yes!

Such a book with top-shelf photography and informed commentary on conservation issues would be be a valuable record of a life well lived.

Fully agree, @@michael-ibk.

Tom K.

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~ @Safaridude:

 

My instant reaction upon first seeing this image was:

“This answers the question, ‘When is a giraffe like a camel?’”.

Great photography!

Tom K.

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FlyTraveler

Great trip report with fantastic photos, as usual! Thanks for sharing this @@Safaridude! I enjoyed the report very much!

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