Permanent water sources sustain an abundance of wildlife in Lobo Valley. The spectacular Lobo Valley offers the best big cat viewing opportunities in the North Serengeti. Lions, leopards and cheetahs abound. Lobo, a pristine valley scattered with woodlands, open plains, ranges of hills and studded with spectacular granite kopjes, is a remarkable place of great beauty and solitude. Some the world’s most ancient rock formations estimated at 2-3 million years old can be seen here.

Wildlife viewing at Lobo is at its best during the late dry season from mid July to late November and peaks at the end of the dry season from about mid September to late November when animal concentrations are at their highest. At the end of the dry season Lobo offers perhaps the best wildlife viewing in the whole of East Africa, as the migratory herds tend to pass through or stagnate in the Lobo Valley during their southward migration. Additionally, during the dry season many of the resident animals tend to congregate around the permanent sources of water in the valley, resulting in excellent game viewing of both resident and migratory animals.

Stewart White was one of the first explorers to discover the Lobo River Valley. In 1913 Stewart wrote: “Never have I seen anything like that game. It covered every hill, standing in the openings, strolling in and out among groves, feeding on the bottom lands, single, or in little groups. It did not matter in what direction I looked, there it was; as abundant one place as another.”

Lobo Valley (along with Seronera Valley) is one of the few places in East Africa where there is a realistic chance of seeing all three species of big cats (lion, leopard and cheetah) on a single game drive. The resident lion pride, called the ‘Lobo Pride’, is the 2nd largest pride in the Serengeti and consists of approximately 26 individuals. This extended family of lions is commonly seen catnapping on the smooth granite kopjes during the heat of the day, sprawled out in proper lion style. These lions thrive on the abundance of resident prey animals that reside in this area throughout the year including buffalo and gazelle. During the dry season when the great migration is thundering through, the hungry pride stalks the migratory wildebeest and zebra, allowing the resident herbivores some relief from predation.

To learn more about this region’s seasonal highlights, nearby attractions, topography and more, visit: africadreamsafaris.com/lobo-valley