Ziwani Escapades 2

Weather

Very hot.

Temperature

18’c morning

35’c at midday

25’c at sunset

Landscape

Everything is drying up with the many trees shedding their leaves. Some places are still green and lush like the Serengeti (not to be confused with Tanzania’s Serengeti) and Mbuyuni plains where most wildlife is.

In the Sanctuary wildlife numbers have doubled due to the scarcity of water in the adjoining Tsavo West National Park where almost all the natural dams have dried up.

In the Sanctuary and around the Camp there are many zebras, impalas, Fringed-eared oryx, elands, warthogs, buffalos including hippos and crocodiles.

Lake Jipe Jumbos

During the festive season we visited Lake Jipe in Tsavo West to look for elephants.

The elephants spend time in the lake until 9 a.m. and then wander away into the plains to browse. They return at around lunch time. During the dry season, they can even spend the whole day in the lake feeding on reeds.

We visited the lake thrice during the festive season and watched the elephants feeding along the lake. Our guests enjoyed take beautiful pictures of the elephants at the lake with the Pare Mountains in Tanzania as a backdrop.

Predators

Lions

One lioness with two cubs seen this week near signage number 43. Two lions were also seen at Mbuyuni gate.

Cheetah

A collision of three cheetahs along Salaita road during evening game drives. On the daily night game drives we have seen cheetahs on four consecutive days at the airstrip hunting impalas.

Photo credit: Lisa Gebetsroither and Florian from Austria.

Leopard

 One leopard seen near signage number 38 twice a day.

Written by Stephen Lekatoo.