J AN - FEB Weather & Migration

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1 UNIQUE SAFARIS J AN - FEB 2013 Weather & Migration Propelled by the heavy rain in late December and early January, the pregnant female wildebeests arrived in the southern Serengeti, their bodies flooding the plains like an advancing army. Historically February is when the calving season peaks on the southern plains and the entire landscape is transformed. It s during this time that the area is turned into an oasis of short green grasses rich in the potassium, magnesium, and other vital nutrients the expectant mothers need to produce healthy milk. However, just as it has done for the last five to seven years, the rain stopped in some areas of the southern plains. This created pockets of dry land, causing the calving season to stall. In response, the females dispersed throughout the region in search of enough grass to sustain their calves. Wildebeests were spread out from Kusini to Ndutu and Maswa; many had returned to Hidden Valley and large herds were between Naabi and the Gol area. Wherever the wildebeests went they were followed by predators. The few calves that did drop were vulnerable to these predators since they did not have the safety in numbers advantage calves typically have when the bulk of them are born within a three-week period. It was easy for predators to single out a lone calf, increasing the

2 P AGE 2 mortality rate for these few first-borns. Meanwhile the bachelor herd had also entered the southern plains by the end of January, although they had travelled by a different route, pouring in from the eastern Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Like the pregnant females, they too dispersed in February and followed the rain clouds. Where there were wildebeests there were also zebras though the majority of the zebra herds had remained in the central Serengeti, preferring the taller grasses to the short grass plains. Other animals in the central Serengeti included gazelle, Cape buffalo, giraffe, topi, hartebeest, impala and elephant. Cat sightings including lion, cheetah and leopard were prolific in both the central and southern area. Many hunts both successful and unproductive were witnessed by countless visitors. While the northern Serengeti is not home to the large herds at this time, the resident population remains in place and clients visiting the Lobo and northern Loliondo area were treated to great cat activity and a wonderful surprise of seeing a pack of 12 wild dogs near Buffalo Luxury Camp. Tarangire National Park has a migration of its own. January and February are its green season and the park is typically very wet. The type of grass in the park grows very tall, making it harder to spot cats. However the park remains excellent for elephant, giraffe and especially diverse bird wildlife. At this time of year only the residents of Tarangire are inside the park and other migratory herd animals move back into the surrounding conservation areas because the food and water are abundant in their primary habitats. Photo courtesy of Boyd Norton

3 P AGE 3 STORIES Lions Serengeti and Cubs Bringing Home the Bacon On a different day we spotted a caracal out hunting. We watched her move stealthily through the dry grass, her tan fur creating an effective camouflage. At times she would stop and crouch low to the ground in an attempt to disappear completely. At times it seemed that she had disappeared. If we watched close enough though, we could distinguish the long black tufts of hair standing from the tips of her elongated ears. Practice Makes Perfect Photo courtesy of Lisa Buehler In the early morning hours, before dark had given way to the rising sun, we spotted two cheetah cubs hiding along the shores of Lake Ndutu. Their mother was off in the distance trying to hunt a herd of Thomson s gazelle. The presence of four lionesses prevented her success as the competition had no intention of sharing the hunting grounds with her. Realizing the futility of hunting near the lions, the mother moved further away and continued to hunt for something else, each time with no success. We stayed near the cubs, choosing to be entertained by their antics. When a ribbon of light appeared over the horizon, we saw one of the cubs stalking its own prey before it gave chase. It had found a caracal which was too fast for the young cub. An aardwolf then appeared and this time both cubs chased the aardwolf, their instincts to hunt strong like their mothers. Unfortunately they were just as unsuccessful but the practice helps them develop their hunting skills. She was absolutely beautiful to watch, her lean body slipping elegantly between the grasses, the sun sometimes catching the green color of her eyes. Eventually she sensed something and crouched down low, the hairs on her back twitching in anticipation. She pounced quickly and came up with a mouse held between her jaws. We expected her to eat the mouse, instead she trotted away. We followed her for a short time before she stopped near a bush, dropped the mouse and made a mewing sound. Before long a kitten came out of the bush and began to feed on the small meal. DID YOU KNOW With its strong and lengthy hind legs, the caracal is able to leap up to 10 feet in the air to catch flying birds. In fact, Persian and Indian royalty, so impressed by the caracal s agility and leaping ability, once trained the caracal to hunt game birds.

4 P AGE 4 Photo courtesy of Jack Derby The majestic lion surveying his territory atop a kopje. Other animal species such as insects, lizards, snakes, mice, shrews and Rock Hyraxes inhabit these rocky outcroppings as well. A host of other animals are also attracted to the water that collects in the ground around it. Practice Makes Perfect It is fairly common to see a lion pride perched on the top of a kopje as it provides them an excellent vantage point for hunting. With lions often occupying these areas it can be a dangerous place for ungulates to get too close, so you can imagine the surprise of our guide who pointed out four zebras that were perched at the very top of one of the kopjes in the Moru area. It was a complete mystery as to what possessed the four zebras to climb it, especially since their legs are not meant to climb unstable rocky ground and even a minor leg injury can be a death sentence in the Serengeti. Moving on we wished all four zebras good luck on their descent. Quick End to a Short Life In Seronera Valley, we stopped to watch a Cape buffalo give birth to a calf. Although we were the only car Photo courtesy of Andy Miller in sight to witness the birth we were not the only ones to take interest. A pride of sixteen lions had also noticed. Although the calf was not more than fifteen minutes old, both mother and child tried to catch up to the herd where there would be safety in numbers but the lions easily overtook them. Even though the mother tried to protect her calf, the pride was too much for her and the young life quickly ended. Watching a calf s life cut so short conjures up strong emotions but the pride had cubs to feed and as our driver explained, such is the nature of life in the bush.

5 P AGE 5 Leopard Tales Although the wildebeest herds are absent in the central Serengeti, many resident animals remain providing ample game for the big cats, especially for the leopard whose diet is much broader than the lion and cheetah. the air to escape the attack. The leopard leaped up into the sky, clearing almost seven feet, and caught one guinea fowl in its mouth. The bird s wings quivered for only seconds before it became limp in the leopard s jaws. In fact, we spotted a mother leopard with her two twomonth-old cubs up in an acacia tree with a warthog. A full grown warthog ranges from 125 pounds to an impressive 250 pounds whereas a full grown leopard weighs an average 140 pounds. Although the warthog in the tree was not full grown it does seem to defy the laws of gravity that a 140 pounds leopard can climb a tree carrying a 100 pound animal in its jaws. Uninvited Honey badgers were spotted on more than one occasion with black-backed jackals trailing behind them. One particular honey badger did not appreciate the small entourage at his heals. We watched him come out of his hole, his nose leading him while he foraged along the ground. Two jackals noticed him and began to follow, hoping that they would benefit from his tracking. The honey badger became aware of the jackals and several times he turned around and tried to chase them away. The jackals were always just fast enough to sprint beyond his reach. Undeterred, the jackals continued to follow him. Eventually the honey badger began digging, his acute smell picking up the scent of an animal. Suddenly a rodent shot out from a hole, escaping the honey badger but not one of the jackals who quickly captured it Photo courtesy of Judy Steeble and trotted away with it in its mouth. On a different day we came upon a leopard standing high on a tree limb focused on an area of long grasses only 20 feet away from where he was perched. We saw a small group of guinea fowls under the shade of a tree in that area, pecking away at insects on the ground. We watched and waited to see what the leopard would do and it wasn t long before it climbed down from the tree, crossed the road in front of our vehicle and began to quietly stalk the guinea fowls. Unaware they were being hunted; the birds kept digging for bugs when suddenly the leopard rushed at them, sending them shrieking into Photo courtesy of Frank Walsh

6 P AGE 6 AFRICAN WILD DOG Featured Animal The African wild dog s mottled coat makes the pack appear much larger than it really is; confusing the prey and helping the dogs hunt with more success than any other African predator. Their scientific name, Lycaon pictus" is derived from the Greek for "wolf" and the Latin for "painted" but most know them as the African wild dog or more simply, the painted dog. It is estimated that there were once 500,000 inhabiting 39 countries throughout Africa. But today those numbers have dwindled to 3,000 to 5,500 with the largest populations found primarily in eastern and southern Africa. Not surprising, they are an endangered species, facing ever shrinking room to roam due to human settlement, diseases spread by domestic animals, and hunting from farmers who fear for their livestock. African wild dogs live in packs of six to 20 and hunt cooperatively. Larger packs, some as large as 100, were more common before the population dwindled significantly. Their main prey varies but usually centers around medium-to-large sized ungulates, such as the impala, Thomson's gazelle, springbok, kudu, reedbuck, and wildebeest calves. They will also supplement their diet with rodents and birds.

7 P AGE 7 The pack typically hunts twice a day, at dawn and at dusk. Before each hunt, they perform an unusual ritual, they circle playfully among each other, running shoulder to shoulder, diving under and leaping over each other, licking at each other s mouths, vocalizing and touching until they are collectively excited. When the pack is sufficiently pumped up they go out on the hunt, using a closely coordinated attack strategy that is extremely efficient, catching their prey 70 to 90 percent of the time (whereas lions are only successful 30 to 40 percent). After feeding, the pack returns to the den where they regurgitate meat for the nursing alpha female and pups. Only the alpha male and female mate in a pack, with the alpha female having litters anywhere from two to 20. Despite the large litter, most pups do not survive. Oftentimes the dens become flooded during heavy rains or the pups will die from exposure or disease. When pups do reach adulthood, around three years, it is the females who leave the pack, often to join a new pack. The males will generally remain in When a prey is targeted, some of the dogs run close to the animal, while others follow behind, taking over when the leaders tire. One then grabs the victim's tail, while another attacks the upper lip or nose, and the remainder disembowel the animal. In many cases, the prey is often still alive while the pack begins to feed, however naturalist and biologists have reported that most seem to be in a state of shock and are unlikely to feel much, if any pain. the pack until they die. DID YOU KNOW Wild dogs usually move over a very large range, covering for example some 900 square miles in the Serengeti. After a litter is born, they will limit their traveling and hunting to areas closer to the den.

8 P AGE 8 Wild Dog Update Wild dogs remain an elusive and rare sighting in the Serengeti, and in fact in all of northern Tanzania. In late August 2012, a wild dog translocation project, sponsored by TAWIRI (Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute) and TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks) with a donation by VODACOM, moved 12 dogs from southern Loliondo to the Western Corridor in the Serengeti. Three of the dogs were radio collared and they have been tracked by GPS daily. The dogs have by no means remained in the Western Corridor, but have been hunting all the way to Lake Ndutu, Seronera, Lobo and even northern Loliondo near Buffalo Luxury Camp. The pack was seen near Lake Ndutu the first week in January 2013 and were spotted again on February 17 near Buffalo Luxury Camp. The fate of these dogs remains uncertain, but researchers are excited by their movements and that they are able to hunt in the high density lion and hyena corridors of southern and central Serengeti. Stay tuned for more updates on the wild dogs in the Serengeti. There are plans to release up to another 23 dogs in the next few months, if all continues to go well. Two of the three collared wild dogs that were spotted in February have been seen roaming throughout the Serengeti. TAWIRA plans to release up to 23 dogs in the next few months.