By Claude Shitindi – 30th Wedding Anniversary Trip.

This is driver-guide Claude Shitindi and I would like to extend a warm greetings to the ADS community. In the last seven days I was in the bush with a couple from Ohio named Mark and Alice. We started our safari together on September 30, 2013 when I met them at the Kogatende Airstrip in the North Serengeti after they had flown in from Arusha. Our itinerary included 3 nights in the North Serengeti, 2 nights in the Central Serengeti and 1 night at the Ngorongoro Crater.

We had a fantastic time and all the places we explored had good game viewing. The North Serengeti at Kuria Hills Camp was stunning and the game was incredible. We had good sightings of lions with kills, a cheetah with an oribi antelope kill, a mother cheetah with two little cubs, crocodiles, wildebeests and other many other herbivores species.

Down in the Central Serengeti it had just gotten very green after a couple weeks of black ash from the controlled burning. Large herds of elephants, zebras and gazelles were seen in most places. At the Seronera valley we tried to search for leopard for almost one hour and fortunately we got to spot three of them (mother plus two young). They had a kill that one of them was eating on the ground as there was troop of baboons nearby. Baboons can sometimes steal a kill from a leopard. Eventually the baboons were able to spot the leopard eating and one male came and chased the leopard which had to drop the kill.

At Sametu Kopjes in the Central Serengeti we found four cheetahs and the Sametu lion pride with 16 individuals including the big resident male. It was so nice to watch in the quiet of early the morning light and we were lucky to be the only vehicle at the sighting.

Our morning in the crater was beautiful as we spotted a rhino, pride of lions and hyenas hunting a young buffalo. The ambush took more than one hour because the mother and other buffaloes were really trying to protect the baby by chasing the hyenas. However, eventually the buffaloes  finally came to give up from being too exhausted.

I hope you enjoy the following pictures from my safari with Mark and Alice from Ohio, USA.

A cheetah feeding on an Oribi antelope in the Nyamalumbwa Plains, North Serengeti.

A mother cheetah with two young cubs in the Wogakuria area, North Serengeti.

An elephant feeding in the Seronera Valley, Central Serengeti

Mother and calf rhino in Olakira, North Serengeti.

Lions with a wildebeest kill in Olakira, North Serengeti.

Leopard feeding on a gazelle in the Seronera valley, Central Serengeti.

Cheetah in the Nyamalumbwa Plains, North Serengeti.

Lilac breasted roller near the Maasai Kopjes, Central Serengeti.

Grey Crowned Crane in the Ngorongoro Crater.

Thanks,

Claude Shitindi
ADS Guide

  1. Your picture of the roller is outstanding; better then mine and I thought it was good!
    I do have a better picture of crown cranes 🙂
    Judy and I can’t wait for a return trip. I don’t see how you can beat the rainy season but we may try another season. Thanks for the nice pictures and narrative.

  2. Hello John,thanks man,when i took it i did not know he is going to stay as all times he has being taking off before i snap.