Fabulous Namiri Plains; Miraculously pulled off an already postponed Safari ; Cheetah literally everywhere; the great Migration in full force; Chalo Tanzania and lots lots more (April 2021)

[madaboutcheetah]

Dear All,

 

Here's a photographic trip report from April 2021 .........  Thanks to Sangeeta, Malvika, Smita and the Chalo crew for us to be able to pull off the postponed 2020 safari in April 2021..... Kudos to Asilia who have an amazing camp in Namiri that allowed us to have a brilliant 10 nights on safari before we returned home to find ourselves amidst the brutal second wave.

 

At that time we were able to fly direct Mumbai to Dar Es Salaam on the Air Tanzania (Dreamliner on the route) ....... Basic Service, but, brilliant new plane.  Overnight at Coffee lodge in Arusha before the Namiri Safari.  
 

All I can say is, we love Namiri more than ever before!!! Thanks to the brilliant guiding from Moinga........ Seems like another world right now as basically I've been in lockdown for quite a few weeks since then.  We've just crossed our peak here in the South and have another tough couple of weeks to go!   

[Tom Kellie]

~ @madaboutcheetah:

 

You've lifted my spirits with these images.

 

Thank you to you, @Sangeeta, Chalo Africa and those at Namiri Plains.

 

Those cheetah images...sigh!

 

Truly a tonic for Summer, 2021.

 

           Tom K.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks so much @Tom Kellie- Hope you safe?  Back State Side? or still in China? 

 

Next bunch of images ....... Rougue males trying to takeover Zebra Kopjes ....

 

Manja the Melanistic Serval!!! 

[Bush dog]

I'm very happy to see that all is well for you especially in those days of serious epidemic in your country.

Interesting , this black serval.  And as usual, good photos.

[Soukous]

That looks like it was a great safari Hari. Very jealous.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks a lot @Bush dogand @Soukous

 

here is a couple of iPhone photos 

 

[AKR1]

Excellent pictures Hari. Namira Plains delivers again. Great you got a delightful break with this spectacular safari before having to endure the second wave in India. Thanks for sharing. 

[janzin]

wow you find black "panthers" wherever you go!! Amazing!

 

[Julian]

Fantastic , makes me feel that I really want to go back there, loved our 5 days there in Nov 2017.

 

[Tom Kellie]

~ @madaboutcheetah:

 

Thank you for thinking of me.

 

In late January I was unexpectedly repatriated to the United States after more than two decades of service in mainland China.

 

My health at 67 remains robust. The past many months have been largely devoted to adapting to contemporary American life and reverse culture shock.

 

******

 

Your images above, including those from an iPhone, are soothing to the safarigoer's soul.

 

I admire your knack for bringing out the natural beauty of wildlife, places, and events.

 

Seeing vigorous cheetahs is especially encouraging.

 

I'm glad that it was possible to enjoy Namiri and Tanzania.

 

We all send our best wishes for you and your loved ones during this challenging time.

 

      Tom K.

[ElenaH]

@madaboutcheetah, excellent photos, Hari! Love that "double-lion"  and the "panther" 

I am happy you got that trip! 

[gatoratlarge]

Fantastic!  A black serval cat??? So beautiful! Thank you for sharing!

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks so much @Tom Kellie@janzin@Julian @gatoratlarge@ElenaHand @AKR1

 

We were lucky to be able to go back and forth between two cheetah families - one female (Grace) with 4 sub adult boys; another one (Keziah's ex adopted daughter now on her own) with 3 cubs ......... Information from the Serengeti Cheetah project.  

Onto more photos.......

Edited June 9, 2021 by madaboutcheetah

[madaboutcheetah]

Onto more images ....... We had a mix of everything on this safari ...... Clear skies, rain, T'storms, Dry roads turning wet, Fabulous skies, Full camp everyday, but, oddly not another car outside in the park, cheetah kills aplenty, Ofcourse Manja the melanistic Serval and a surprise Aardwolf  .......... 

[Tom Kellie]

~ @madaboutcheetah:

 

The aardwolf image is splendid.

 

The cheetah and wildebeest action images are thrilling.

 

The lion and cheetah portraits bring immense smiles.

 

For the safari starved, your imagery in this thread is a welcome treat.

 

Thank you.

 

       Tom K.

[AKR1]

Tremendous Cheetah /wildebeest kill action sequence- assume the kill was successful. Very difficult to capture clearly as you did. 

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks a lot @Tom Kellieand @AKR1.... those are two separate wildebeest calf scenes ... sorry my posts are jumbled together. It was kills aplenty with hungry mothers needing to feed the cubs! 

[madaboutcheetah]

Next bunch of images....

 

Not just the melanistic serval ..... We were lucky with regular ones too (a bit shy though) ........

 

[madaboutcheetah]

In this instalment: Two gigantic Beasts wanting to takeover Zebra Kopjes; 

 

Male Lion on Kopje (Semetu Kopjes) 

Single male cheetah looking over his shoulder at the great migration buffet (Gol Kopjes) 

 

Flamingoes at Cub Valley

 

 

[madaboutcheetah]

More images ......  According to the Serengeti Cheetah project (Please follow them on Facebook or instagram) .... Grace aka Grace kelly is the daughter of Vitalis (you may remember her from a couple of years ago - she was the female who was hit and run over by an asshole driver in Seronera) ........ Here's Grace with her brood!!! 

[madaboutcheetah]

Here's some more images including, Manja!!

[madaboutcheetah]

This, that and the other ........ When we landed at Dar Es Salaam the health check officer was more interested in our YF certificate than our Covid negative certificate or  vaccination certificate.  Oddly, the customs official wanting to know if we were from the media entering Tanzania when we had to scan our baggage on the way in - no hassle once i showed the officer my Chalo itinerary.... "Oh Serengeti - you will see Everything " was his response ......

 

The testing is being done in Seronera at a test centre.  That took forever - as the guys there needed to double check paper work etc etc., the drive from Namiri and back is a trek, but, i guess these are the times we live in !!  I was surprised they didn't do a nasal swab.  Just a throat swab.  We subsequently got tested a week or so after we got home just to be safe (all negative) ...... We had to leave super early onto Seronera that morning and got back for lunch. We met some New Yorkers who were also there to be swabbed before their return home.  Yes, another female cheetah just after we left camp and hungry (pity we couldn't stay) ...... A single male at Maasai kopjes on the way from the swab (i suppose adds to the count) ...... 

Edited June 21, 2021 by madaboutcheetah

[Julian]

@madaboutcheetah

 

Amazing superb selection of photos. 

The male lion with the very big black and brown mane sitting on the kopjes is magnificent - is that the one known as 'Bob Junior' ? 

[Tom Kellie]

~ @madaboutcheetah: 

 

After leisurely enjoying the images you posted in the most recent posts, I couldn't stop smiling.

 

The Tanzania you photograph so eloquently is the Africa I love.

 

Thank you.

 

       Tom K.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks a lot @Tom Kellie- you are too kind!

 

Thanks @Julian- this one is Bob Junior ...... A beast??