April is always a show stopper in terms of wildlife encounters in the African Safari Serengeti and the last two weeks of April were certainly no exception. African Dream Safaris clients and safari consultants were treated to spectacular encounters with the Great Migration: the herd sizes were so vast that they defied description. The mega herd easily comprising a million wildebeest were concentrated primarily in the Matiti and Macau plains in the south eastern Serengeti. This herd stretched west to Ndutu and Lake Masek thrilling clients who were staying in the lodges and tented camps in these areas. Yet just when you thought you couldn’t possibly count any more wildebeest and zebra, ADS clients exploring the Barafu kopjes and those adventuring even further east past Nasera Rock through to the beautiful and evocative Angata Kiti Plains were taken aback at the vast numbers of animals in this area. It was a delight to see so many healthy and robust looking wildebeest calves ranging in age from 3-13 weeks of age. Plains game such as eland, Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelle were also plentiful.

Big cat lovers were not disappointed with the frequent sightings of both nomadic and pride lions particularly around Gol and Sametu kopjes. Cheetah were a relatively frequent sight in the plains and a number of African Dream Safaris clients witnessed successful hunts starting with the stalk, chase and concluding with the kill and subsequent feasting. While this aspect does not appeal to everyone, it was rewarding to see the endangered cheetah, limited to around just 500 in the entire Serengeti, thriving. Leopard were spotted in the Seronera Valley as were members of the Maasai Kopjes and Makoma Hill Lion Prides.

Large breeding herds of elephant were in the Lobo and Seronera Valleys. Moru kopjes had a number of sizeable families while one particularly large breeding herd of about 300 family members kept photographers in the Macau plains busy for hours.

Giraffe and impala were plentiful in all of the acacia woodlands and bird lovers were treated to the sight of many colorful migrants enjoying their last few weeks before beginning on their long journey home across the relentless sands of the Sahara and back to Europe. In our last blog entry we mentioned clients often asking just how close you get to the lions, cheetahs and the like. Here’s our answer:

Male Lion – East Serengeti – April 2010
 

It has been a memorable April here at Africa Dream Safaris. In addition to hosting several large groups on the Serengeti Safari, we have had three of our U.S. safari consultants out on safari with a film crew. Our new film, which was shot entirely in the Serengeti from April 6th to April 11th, will feature the Serengeti’s green season in eye popping high definition. Below are a few stills taken during the filming. People always ask just how close you get to the lions, cheetahs and the like. I guess the answer is pretty darn close! Stay tuned for a proper bush report and a migration update due to be posted at the end of April.

Africa Dream Safaris Film Shoot – 1 – April 2010
 

Africa Dream Safaris Film Shoot – 2 – April 2010
 

Imagine an emerald canvas of grassland that stretches for miles, washed in the brilliance of equatorial sunlight and brimming with an abundance of new life. THIS is the green season in the Northern Tanzania Safari – a time of plenty for the animals and a time of splendor for all those who are able to witness it firsthand.

Each year, the green season is marked by extremes. Extreme colors saturate the landscape; verdant savannas are peppered with trillions of brightly-hued wildflowers that beam underneath a burning sapphire sky. Afternoon rainstorms steep in leaden horizons, eventually collapsing to the ground in a short but dramatic burst of life-giving moisture.Rainbows gleam above purple cloudscapes after the sky is washed clean, and the animals bask in the cool green splendor of this life-giving season.

Extreme life dominates the Serengeti plains during this time, as the wildebeest herds take pause in their never-ending migration to give birth on the southern Serengeti plains.Thousands of tiny wildebeest calves have now joined forces with the herd; wide-eyed and gangly, these babies are building their strength on the nutrient rich Serengeti plains before the herds all are forced to move on sometime in May. These young calves have much to learn during the months ahead as the migration resumes its northward course, laden with perils at every turn. Other animals also start their families during this time of plenty, as evidenced by the numerous cubs, pups, fawns, and foals that frolic over green carpets, bringing hope for continued survival of their species to this harsh African wilderness.

Extreme action and thrilling adventures are also inherent to this fast-paced season. The end of the green season including March offers arguably some of the finest wildlife viewing to be found anywhere in Africa. Amidst this world of tremendous color and teeming new life, our clients have certainly had some extreme safari experiences! Guest highlights include several fast paced cheetah chases near Ndutu, a spotted hyena clan battle with the Naabi Hill lion pride, large elephant herds at Moru Kopjes and continuing sightings of the critically endangered wild dog (this time in the beautiful valley of Angata Kiti in the remote reaches of East Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area).

On the migration front, several medium sized herds of wildebeest remain on the Southern Serengeti Plains southeast of Kusini and also between Lake Ndutu and Naabi Hill, an area referred to as The Triangle. However, the largest concentrations of all four migratory species (wildebeest, zebra, gazelle and eland) that encompass the famed migration are currently located on Eastern Serengeti Plains. The area between Gol Kopjes and Barafu Gorge is thick black with massive wildebeest herds at the moment. Most pictures simply fail to communicate the immensity of these herds. One can stand (assuming no lions) on the top of the largest kopje in the Barafu complex and look upon tens of thousands wildebeest and zebra grazing peacefully from horizon to horizon. Outstanding!

Special thanks to Ralph and Jane Anthony who sent in this spectacular wildebeest migration shot, which was taken on March 20, 2010 near the Gol Kopjes on the Eastern Serengeti Plains. It’s a challenge to capture the enormity of the wildebeest migration on the vast Serengeti Plains in a single frame and all of use here at African Dream Safaris think you did it justice with this beautiful photo!