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Tanzania's Southern Circuit: Selous, Ruaha, Katavi and more - August-September 2015


Safaridude

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Re: page 1

Congrats on your wildebeest slam. I hope Dr. Ian Malcolm is right about Selous. The pink tinge in lighting in your first post is surreal. Whether you hit the magnet hour or not, you found abundant beauty. As always you are highly entertaining.

 

P. 2

You had your share of wonderful lion activity, especially those cute little guys, even if they ditched you at the end. Most interesting about the Ruaha eles moving in from the peripherals. I am seeing a continuing theme here with Dr. Ian Malcolm's observation. Your sunset shots continue the surreal theme. Love those couple of "washed out" ele shots for variety.

Edited by Atravelynn
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More great photos @@Safaridude. I'd always had the impression that Katavi was still untamed wilderness, it's a shame to hear that it is also suffering from outside pressure.

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Re: page 1

Congrats on your wildebeest slam. I hope Dr. Ian Malcolm is right about Selous. The pink tinge in lighting in your first post is surreal. Whether you hit the magnet hour or not, you found abundant beauty.

 

 

 

Hi Lynn, it's called Photoshop. Cannot tell a lie...

 

@@Atravelynn

Edited by Safaridude
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Not that I have seen any estivating crocodiles at Katavi, mind you.

 

 

I suppose that if you had seen them, they would have been doing a poor job of it. ;)

 

Love the lion in the tree; the "I'm out of my element" expression is captured perfectly in the fourth photo.

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madaboutcheetah

@@Safaridude - Just FYI - I met a couple at lagoon last year in the winter (they are obsessed with the dogs) - apparently, they go every year in October specifically to Selous.

 

Yet, I also remember a conversation with Steve at Laikipia Wilderness last year that the denning cycles vary every year in East Africa and is not predictable as is the case with the packs in Bots or Zim.

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Re: page 1

Congrats on your wildebeest slam. I hope Dr. Ian Malcolm is right about Selous. The pink tinge in lighting in your first post is surreal. Whether you hit the magnet hour or not, you found abundant beauty.

 

 

 

Hi Lynn, it's called Photoshop. Cannot tell a lie...

 

@@Atravelynn

 

Lovely nonetheless and you had to get the underlying composition to apply the photoshop features. I take it the palm trees were not really melting either. :huh: Another fascinating effect in #65.

 

I got a laugh out of your Monty Python moment and wonder if Romano is similarly amused. Black and white works perfectly for les misérables and what vivid description of them.

 

Now I have a new mission on safari—to see an estivating croc.

 

The distended leopard belly and embarrassed lion show these majestic cats in a less stately light.

 

For an antelope guy, you had to be thrilled with the quality of the roan sightings!

Edited by Atravelynn
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@Marks

 

Apparently, estivating crocs are very visible... as they don't burrow completely.

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@@madaboutcheetah

 

I believe the dogs in the Selous are pretty consistent in denning in the June - August time frame, because the Selous has one rainy season, just like in Southern Africa. I think the pups may have been becoming mobile when I was there... but maybe just beginning. No luck with the dogs... but can't have it all.

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@@Atravelynn,

 

The palm tree photos were not Photoshoped. I just used slow shutter speed.

 

Yes, I would like to see estivating crocs too. Gotta go later in the dry season and fight the heat.

 

Yes, the roan sighting was special.

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@@Atravelynn,

 

The palm tree photos were not Photoshoped. I just used slow shutter speed. Right, you had explained that. You are getting very tricky with your shots!

 

Yes, I would like to see estivating crocs too. Gotta go later in the dry season and fight the heat. "Apparently, estivating crocs are very visible... as they don't burrow completely." Then I may have accomplished this goal without even knowing it. I took that term cave too literally even though you had quotes around it. That was easy.

 

Yes, the roan sighting was special.

Could you provide us with your dates of travel to each? Thanks!

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westcoastexport

Wonderful photos and narrative. You are great and mixing the facts with story telling. Your pix are superb! What type of camera and lens do you use?

 

Kwihala is a great camp and Lorenzo and Pietro are excellent guides. I'm looking forward to going back to Ruaha next September (Mwagusi).

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@@Atravelynn

 

Selous Impala - Aug 31, Sep 1, 2

 

Kwihala (Ruaha) - Sep 3, 4, 5, 6

 

Katavi Wildlife - Sep 7, 8, 9

 

Lukwati - Sep 10 for 5 nights

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More photos from Katavi...

 

gallery_6003_1389_34632.jpg

Hippo pod

 

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Bushbuck

 

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Giraffe close-up

 

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A monster croc

 

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Getting crowded and miserable

 

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"I want my own space!"

 

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Romano

 

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Kevin

 

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Being escorted back to my tent

 

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Annoyed at something

 

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In repose

 

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Just hanging out

 

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A group out on the Katisunga

Edited by Safaridude
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@@madaboutcheetah

 

Two excerpts from The African Wild Dog: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation by Scott Creel and Nancy Marusha Creel...

 

"Reproduction by wild dogs is highly seasonal in the Selous, as it is in other populations… Of 36 litters, 32 were whelped in June, July, or August."

 

"On the Serengeti plains, wild dogs breed in the rainy season (February to May)…"

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More photos are even more good - and the first set were great. Super-nicely lit and processed too. Even more? I hope so. @@Safaridude Katavi looks absolutely amazing for photography. How many hours decent light did you have each day (not golden, just decent?)

 

Great leopard and lion viewing but what a harsh environment it seems.

 

Nice to see all the contributions - people don't forget it easily I guess. Your :introduction to" is perfect, and the vehicles would be too, but those seats look a bit precarious, no?

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@@pault

 

The light at Katavi was no different from any dry season place in Africa. The Selous, due to the coastal influence and also the wide Rufiji River, was often overcast.

 

The sun came up at around 7am and set around 6:45pm at Katavi. As is the case with any open grassland in Africa that time of year, the Katisunga Plain and Lake Chada had quite a bit of heat haze from about 9am to 3pm. The heat haze was much less noticeable at Ikuu and the surrounding woodlands.

 

The Maruti is great. The seats are fine. Katavi is flat, so Marutis can perform well. They are just not as rugged and sturdy as Land Cruisers.

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@Marks

 

Apparently, estivating crocs are very visible... as they don't burrow completely.

 

Oh cool, well then that would be something to see!

Very nice pics, especially the openmouthed hippo.

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@@Atravelynn

 

Selous Impala - Aug 31, Sep 1, 2

 

Kwihala (Ruaha) - Sep 3, 4, 5, 6

 

Katavi Wildlife - Sep 7, 8, 9

 

Lukwati - Sep 10 for 5 nights

Thanks for the specifics.

 

Clever escort photo. Nice to see a new angle on something so common.

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Just catching up to this report - brilliant photos and a truly excellent overview of the areas visited. Expect some notifications as I delve into your previous TR's!

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All your photos are fantastic Safaridude.

Looking forward to posting mine,

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Can you comment on this? It-used-to-be-the-elephant-capital-of-the-world-now-it-is-africas-poaching-hotspot, referring to areas you've been.

 

http://safaritalk.net/topic/15014-it-used-to-be-the-elephant-capital-of-the-world-now-it-is-africas-poaching-hotspot/page-2

 

Certainly changing waking and sleeping patterns to cope with poaching is an indication there's a problem. " Clever beings that they are, many of the elephants in the Selous have gone stealthy and nocturnal in the face of extreme poaching pressure."

Edited by Atravelynn
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@@Atravelynn

 

No question that the Selous has been one of the hardest hit spots in Africa in terms of elephant poaching.

 

In three full days, I had three separate elephant sightings in the Selous: a family group in the thickets from a boat, as I described in the TR (a photo of a cow in the TR); one lone bull who was somewhat relaxed (photo in the TR); and one family group from a distance. In the past, I am sure i would have seen several groups a day. Selous Game Reserve is prime elephant habitat.

 

I am no elephant expert, but I have observed that they appear to show different ways of dealing with poaching pressure in different places. This makes sense to me, since they are highly intelligent creatures and thus should have more variable individual personalities. And those individual personalities get copied by family members and get passed on and so forth.

 

I am not suggesting that I know for certain that those elephants were hiding on purpose in the thickets. But I have heard of elephants who become very secretive and also nocturnal in places rife with poaching. It is my informed conjecture (as well as Craig Doria's) that they were much more comfortable in the impenetrable thickets during the day. Well, I say good for them…. find a way!

Edited by Safaridude
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@@Atravelynn

 

I am not suggesting that I know for certain that those elephants were hiding on purpose in the thickets. But I have heard of elephants who become very secretive and also nocturnal in places rife with poaching. It is my informed conjecture (as well as Craig Doria's) that they were much more comfortable in the impenetrable thickets during the day. Well, I say good for them…. find a way!

Right, find a way. I hope there will remain ways to find for them and the poaching doesn't block their every path.

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