Tanzania - A journey in the Covid-19 pandemic

[Botswanadreams]

Hello all

 

I like to show you as first a few highlights from our trip to Tanzania in Februar 2021. It was a camping trip included four destinations in Northern Tanzania.  

 

 

The new generation of Wildebeests was born

 

 

 

Little tree climbing lions at Ndutu

 

The most beautiful old elephant we ever saw in Africa  

 

Making love in the public

 

Male lion on the road

 

My favourite cat

 

 

Lovely Black Rhinos

 

Enjoy

Christa 

[Game Warden]

That's a nice treat for my Saturday evening, thank you @Botswanadreams

 

Matt

[Caracal]

11 hours ago, Botswanadreams said:

Enjoy

Christa

 

Yes I'm certainly enjoying this Christa and hoping you'll be posting a lot more of your green season safari. Feeling rather jealous tho'.

Well I guess that there's a time and a place for everything but I'd never have thought the green season water hole would have been a hyenas' love nest!

The black rhinos look magnificent in the red of the green season!

More please! 

 

[Botswanadreams]

Thank you very much @Game Warden and @Caracal. I'm happy that you enjoy the few new images from Africa. We had very happy hours with special gifts from nature but also heavy fights with TseTse's in Tarangire. 

 

Before we start with Ndutu I attach a video from happy little Lions.

 

     

Edited March 15, 2021 by Botswanadreams

[optig]

@BotswanadreamsI wish that I had known that you were in the Serengetti when I was because I would have to meet you and your husband.I just love your trip report.

[ice]

The cubs shown as the preview image of the video are those of the Masek Pride, in total they currently have 6 cubs from 3 different litters. Brenda is the mother of the youngest. 

[Botswanadreams]

@optig I think in the trip planing 2021 I wrote that we are going to Tanzania in February. How should I know without a notice that you were there too. 

@ice You know all the lions around Ndutu by name. Thanks for this information. Is this the so called Marsh Pride? I hope you will show us images of your stay in Ndutu too. The manger of Ndutu Lodge told me by a cup of coffee that they expected your next visit. 

Edited March 15, 2021 by Botswanadreams

[Botswanadreams]

Lets start with part one of this trip.

 

We had to manage the biggest travel chaos we ever had to get to Africa. With the snow in parts of Germany on our starting day we got stuck on the highway for almost 16 hours. There was no plain or train from home to Frankfurt that the car was the only option. We mist our flight but thanks to a nice lady in the call center from Ethiopian Airlines we got new tickets for the next day for a little fee. That means we lost one full day at Ndutu. 

 

A welcome lioness to Ndutu as start to our first game drive

 

 

 

 

February at Ndutu is all about Wildebeest and the Great Migration

 

 

 

and of course happy lions getting enough foot.

 

 

Barred Flap-necked Chameleon

 

Greater Flamingo

 

For all who like to see more from our first day at Ndutu you are welcome to have a look at https://www.botswanadreams.de/reisen-afrika/tanzania-2021/. 

 

Thanks

Christa

Edited March 15, 2021 by Botswanadreams

[ice]

2 hours ago, Botswanadreams said:

@optig I think in the trip planing 2021 I wrote that we are going to Tanzania in February. How should I know without a notice that you were there too. 

@ice You know all the lions around Ndutu by name. Thanks for this information. Is this the so called Marsh Pride? I hope you will show us images of your stay in Ndutu too. The manger of Ndutu Lodge told me by a cup of coffee that they expected your next visit. 

 

no, it is the Masek Pride. The Marsh Pride currently consists of 6 adult females, although 2 of these lionesses have not been seen for a long time. The Marsh Pride is also dominated by one male (Lodgi), the Masek Pride by two males (Lamarsi and Loseyay - not sure if I spelled these Masai names correctly)

[ice]

looking at these last pictures you posted:

 

lions of the Masek Pride are the only lions that climb trees around Ndutu, so any lions you saw in trees were most definitely members of the Masek Pride. Here is a picture of the whiteboard displayed at Ndutu Lodge

 

[ice]

sorry, I am not sure how to turn my upload 180°. Maybe one of the mods can help me out here.

[Botswanadreams]

Thanks very much @ice.

[offshorebirder]

That first post is one of the best "teasers" for a Safaritalk trip report in a long time @Botswanadreams!

 

I am happy for your good fortune.

 

[Comfort Bird Tours India]

On 3/15/2021 at 4:27 PM, Botswanadreams said:

Lets start with part one of this trip.

 

We had to manage the biggest travel chaos we ever had to get to Africa. With the snow in parts of Germany on our starting day we got stuck on the highway for almost 16 hours. There was no plain or train from home to Frankfurt that the car was the only option. We mist our flight but thanks to a nice lady in the call center from Ethiopian Airlines we got new tickets for the next day for a little fee. That means we lost one full day at Ndutu. 

 

A welcome lioness to Ndutu as start to our first game drive

 

 

 

 

February at Ndutu is all about Wildebeest and the Great Migration

 

 

 

and of course happy lions getting enough foot.

 

 

Barred Flap-necked Chameleon

 

Greater Flamingo

 

For all who like to see more from our first day at Ndutu you are welcome to have a look at https://www.botswanadreams.de/reisen-afrika/tanzania-2021/. 

 

Thanks

Christa

Such a wonderful images of all, we really love it...

Specially hyenas, lioness, and wildebeests.

 

Regards CB.

Comfort Bird Tours India 🙏

[Photo-Kiboko]

Christa,

I have enjoyed the Start of the TR.

Wow!

You have got so many lion sightings on trees.

I was curious and have checked you home page.

I am looking forward for the next parts.

 

My favourite is the picture of Eland.

[Botswanadreams]

On 3/16/2021 at 1:39 AM, offshorebirder said:

That first post is one of the best "teasers" for a Safaritalk trip report in a long time @Botswanadreams!

 

I am happy for your good fortune.

 

 

Thank you so much for the flowers. Please remember that we don't have much trip reports at the moment. We had a few very good encounters but also nearly empty places on this trip.

 

Thanks CB @Comfort Bird Tours India and welcome to safaritalk.

 

Bernd you are faster than me with your Eland quote. Thanks very much to follow us on this trip.

 

[Botswanadreams]

This are a few images from Ndutu part two. The more you can find on our homepage

https://www.botswanadreams.de/reisen-afrika/tanzania-2021/tanzania-2021-teil-2/

You don't need to struggle with Google translate because there is not much text. 

 

 

 

Ndutu in February is all about lions

 

 

 

and of cause the stars of the Great Migration: Wildebeests and Zebras

 

A hyena was looking for a free meal but was not able to get the Grant-Gazelle out of the water and gave up. 

 

The big eating had started

 

A blind chicken like me sometimes find a corn: a Tawny Eagle started flying

 

The plains were full of live as we left Ndutu

 

The Eland for Bernd: never before we got an Eland that close. 

 

Nice weekend

Christa

 

Edited March 19, 2021 by Botswanadreams

[Tom Kellie]

~ @Botswanadreams:

 

Your Tawny Eagle image is terrific!

 

Thank you for posting it, as well as the other photos.

 

It's great that you were able to photograph an Eland from such a close range.

 

Tom K.

[Kitsafari]

very pleased that you were one of the few people lucky and able to get to safari in Feb! looking forward to more.

 

[Botswanadreams]

Thanks very much @Tom Kellie and @Kitsafari for your kind comment. Leave the daily panic news in Germany behind us, Tanzania with no travel restrictions and getting a camping space in Ndutu was our main reason for returning to Tanzania. For us the flights were a higher risk as our normal live in the last year but being out in the bush our contacts were very limited. So way not take this opportunity without knowing what will be else possible in 2021. Germans in general are not forbidden to leave the country. 

[Botswanadreams]

This are a few impressions from the first day in the Serengeti.

 

 

 

Elephants around Seronera

 

 

 

Lions on the main road to Seronera

 

Verreaux's Eagle-Owl

 

Pygmy Falcon

 

It's always nice to stop for Giraffes

 

A male Leopard but no road to get closer

 

The more you can find by following the link to our homepage.

https://www.botswanadreams.de/reisen-afrika/tanzania-2021/tanzania-2021-teil-3/

 

[Atravelynn]

You likely had sparser crowds.  Some great action.  Interesting hyena activities.

[Botswanadreams]

19 hours ago, Atravelynn said:

Interesting hyena activities.

 

We were fortune to watch hyenas mating a second time on safari. The first was 2009 in Etosha.

Before we start with the next part here is a video from the event.  

 

 

Edited March 27, 2021 by Botswanadreams

[Zubbie15]

Really enjoyed that video @Botswanadreams, I've never seen hyenas mating. It doesn't seem like a very smooth process, and they weren't helped by the third hyena nosing around. Thanks for sharing. 

[Botswanadreams]

Thanks very much @Zubbie15. The mating process is a bit more difficult for the spotted hyena males than with other mammals. It needs the full willingness of the female and a little acrobatic skills of the male to be successful. After our first encounter 2009 in Etosha I couldn't found any image or video on the internet but nowadays there a few from Ngorongoro, Mara and South Africa.