February 2008 : Grumeti Reserves

January was a wonderful month in the Serengeti and unlike last year we weren’t drowned, we had just enough rain the carpet the plains in short green grass, wild flowers and fill them with game. The resident game moved mostly to the plains between the three lodges, making access to the herds fairly central from any of the three camps. In addition to the Nyati plains, game numbers increased dramatically towards the end of the month on the plains west of Sabora. One had to wade through herds of literally thousands of Topi, Zebra and Thompson’s gazelle with hundreds of eland, buffalo intermingled amongst them.

The occupancies were quite low in January so on many days only one or two game viewers were out on a drive. This took exclusivity to the next level with a density of about one game viewer to 350 000 acres. In spite of this predators were seen nearly every day. The plain north of Sabora was a hotbed of cheetah activity. The Cheetah coalition camped north of Sabora for a good deal of the month and was more often than not seen from the Sabora access road. They were seen on one occasion sharing the shade of a Balanites aegyptiaca with a trio of warthogs, both seemed unconcerned with one another. Besides these two we had several sightings of a female and her nearly grown offspring until they were joined by a male. The two sub-adults were then abandoned and the courting pair disappeared together.

Another regular visitor to the same area was this female, pictured on the side, finishing off a Thompson’s gazelle lamb in the late evening.

The Manangai clan pictured fighting over the remains of a Thompson’s gazelle ram. The clan numbers at least 30 animals with a dozen or so youngsters occupying a maze of burrows along the Manangai drainage line.

We had lion sightings on most days during the month but, unlike the dry season where lions conceal themselves near permanent water and ambush game coming in to drink; one may have to drive some distance to come across them. The coalition of four are still dominant in the areas surrounding Sasakwa and on the Sabora plain although in spite of hearing them on occasion, we seldom saw them this month.

A solitary lioness’s backside and one of her three cubs seen at the Grumeti River. The cubs are about eight months old.

Obviously the wildebeest migration has passed for now but from a casual observation it appears the resident population has increased and several hundred grace the ridge south of Nyati plain. Pictured on the left is a member of the Sabora pride with a former resident.

One of the Sabora lionesses and her three cubs at the Sasakwa dam, her cubs are about five months in age.

Grey-backed Fiscal (Lanius excubitoroides)

The Grumeti River is flowing nicely and fortunately not in flood. Although the river banks are not teeming with thirsty animals at this time of year, the river is a very pleasant drive particularly early in the morning before the Tsetse flies have become active.

A herd of about one hundred elephants occupied the river downstream from Faru Faru for several days before moving downstream into the National Park.

The Sabora Camp game viewer just before a morning safari.

Singita Grumeti Reserves, Tanzania