Sunday, February 05, 2023

Tarangire Park

The 2 or 3 hour drive from Arusha to the first of three parks took us through an area where the Masai are grazing their animals. Arusha is mostly two tribes - Meru and Masai and all along the roadway were herds of goats, cattle, donkeys with the herders in their colourful wraps and long sticks. Since it was Saturday quite a few were kids. It was surprising to see them so close to the road but since it’s not the rainy season they go where the food is. 




This beautiful yellow beaked stork was in a pond by the road.


Tarangire Narional Park is one of many in Tanzania and about 2800 square kilometres. We saw zebras, warthogs, giraffes, impala, waterbuck and dik diks and more.


I think there are 3 zebras in this photo but don't ask me what they’re doing  


A leopard was spotted (!) up a tree and although my eyes could barely see it my camera did a reasonable job  


Apparently there was a cheetah hiding in the grass which I couldn’t make out from about 200m away.

We did see a leopard tortoise though. (Apparently one of the 'small five'.)


Most of all we saw elephants - literally hundreds and hundreds of them.

Crossing in front in a long line. 


Looking after the babies. 



Having a nice mud bath. 


The lodge we’re staying in was one of the first here and it’s quite the spot. Our tent has a complete bathroom. There is no electricity but the generator is on for a few hours in the evening. When you leave after dinner you’re accompanied to your tent by security and you can’t leave till daylight. They actually put a monkey proof lock on the tent zippers.

This is the sunrise I woke up to from our front deck.  


The morning was a bit of a surprise as a herd of about 20 elephants made their way through our camp. I kept my distance.


Then a couple of them decided to visit my tent. 

Luckily none of them managed to come into the tents!

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