Ruaha National Park forms the core of a wild and extended ecosystem covering about 40000 sq km and provides home of one of Tanzania's largest elephant population.
Babu, Mama Mosi and Dr Anne headed for the park from Morogoro taking around 9 hours. They took their own land rover and hired a guide for the day.
About to set off, Babu and the guide wait for the ladies.
The first zebra wasn't black and white, more sand coloured than white.
The giraffes were particularly in evidence. The guide told us they can weigh up to 4 tons.
The kudu were difficult to pick out and headed away whenever possible.
There were large flocks of impala and some diki diki.
The first view of the elephants. They were taking some shade from the sun.
Towards late afternoon the guide took the group to the watering hole.
The hippo can weigh up to 3 tons.
If the vulture is around the lions must be nearby. Sure enough they were there but quite in the distance.
This bird is particular to Ruaha. November - February is an excellent time to see the bits.
The crocodiles were at the watering hole enjoying the late afternoon sunshine.
At the end of an amazing day.
WOW! ABSOLUTELY AWESOME PICTURES
ReplyDeleteGrey Granite read a disconcerting article in yesterday's Observer describing the high level of elephant poaching in Tanzania,sometimes involving armed gangs and even rogue rangers, largely for ivory which is smuggled to China to be carved into ornaments. The article described shooting from planes of considerable numbers of elephants whose tusks are removed and smuggled out of the country, often in diplomatic bags, whilst their corpses, are left to rot.24 tonnes of illegal ivory, originating from Tanzania were seized last week alone.Tanzania, according to Jane Goodall, has lost half its elephants in the last 3 years and now faces a real threat of extinction, 1,000 elephant tusks were seized hidden in dried fish in Zanzibar alone last year.
ReplyDeleteGrey Granite wonders how this story matches Dr Anne's experience.