By Peter Huka – Lions Hunting Buffalo

This is ADS driver-guide Peter Huka reporting from Arusha, Tanzania. I would like to provide a report from my latest safari (Nov 1st to Nov 9th, 2013) and also share some photos that I took while on this trip. This time I had two delightful guests from Florida named Donald and Jennifer. We had a great safari together and we were very lucky to see many extraordinary animal sightings. We saw several hunts from the various predators in the Serengeti including lions, cheetahs and crocodiles.

Our safari started on 01st November 2013 at the Kogatende airstrip next to the Mara River in the North Serengeti. We started a game drive along the Mara River and we saw some groups of hippos and crocodiles. We also drove around Kopjes where we saw a few groups of wildebeest and Thomson’s gazelle. Then we were very fortunate to spot a lionesses with three cubs, as well as several spotted hyenas.

We departed the Mara River area of the North Serengeti for our accommodations at Mbuzi Mawe Lodge. Along the way, we encoutered families of elephants and many groups of zebras and elands, which are the largest antelope in Africa. Near the Grumeti River circuit we saw a pride of lions (six in total) before reaching Mbuzi Mawe very late in the evening.

The next day we started early in the morning and we decided to explore the Central Serengeti area around the Seronera River Valley. There were big herds of zebra and we were entertained watching several lionesses trying to hunt them. It was incredibly exicting to watch. We also saw a big pride of twenty-two lions. It was really nice to see such a strong and healthy pride. Also in the Central Serengeti but this time around the famous Maasai Kopjes we were fortunate to get a good leopard sighting.

For our 3rd and 4th days on safari we headed to the beautiful Western Serengeti for 2 nights at Mbalageti Tented Camp. We had a great experience in the Western Serengeti, which we also refer to as the western corridor of the Serengeti. Highlights included seeing some of the wildebeest migration, a cheetah successfully hunting an impala and a black and white colobus monkey.

After 2 nights at Mbalageti we headed to Serena Serengeti Lodge to continue our exploration of the Central Serengeti. We conducted a game drive around the Moru Kopjes and Lake Magadi area. One of the highlights was at the Mawe Meupe picnic site where we found a female leopard with two cubs with a kill in a tree. She came down to the picnic site and was seated on the table. In all my years as a driver guide all over Tanzania, I have never see anything like this before. It was unbelievable and good thing I have the pictures to prove it! Afterwards we headed into the Moru Kopjes where we saw a lion in a tree and also a family of elephants.

On our last day in the Seronera Valley of the Central Serengeti, we watched a pride of lions hunting and chasing a buffalo. We spent about 1-hour watching that action which was great as it was just 5 meters from our car.

The following are the photos:

We watched from the beginning with the lionesses hunting this male buffalo all the way up until they began eating. It took about 1-hour.

Zebras drinking at Seronera River – Central Serengeti. Several lioness tried (unsuccessfully) to chase down the zebras. It was very exciting for my guests and I to watch.

A big pride of lions together at Seronera valley.

Lions with a zebra kill around Makoma Hill in the Central Serengeti.

A Crocodile caught a wildebeest in the Grumeti River in the Western Serengeti. This was really interesting to watch because of the shallow water in the river. The crocodile was trying to pull the wildebeest down but the water wasn’t deep enough.