In May 2012 we were on big vacation with the main aim to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. The summit was successfully reached, but presence in Africa is definitely must involve the meeting with wildlife, and after the descent from Kili we spent two days on safari in Manjara and Ngorongoro National Parks. Safari was organized by the same company as our climb, so on the next day of our return from mountain trip we were packed in lend-rover and taken to the animals.
By the way, the first wldlife was met directly in the hotel. Bird was so busy with communication with his own reflection that didn’t pay any attention to me.
Fist safari day was devoted to Manjara National Park, which is smaller that other Tanzanian Parks, but vary nice. Fist animals appeared on the road. Well, camel is not native mammal here, but domestic imported livestock.
But the elephants are quit wild and local.
Manjara is a valley with huge lake, swamp and forest. Its name came (from the words of our guide and at least some part of information that came from him cannot be true) from the local name of tamarisk (first photo). This tree is used in local medicine, leaf decoction helps from stomach pain and from unwanted pregnancy. The last one bring the though that the stomach pain among aborigines is mainly caused by worms. Falconets also like this tree a lot because of its huge needles.
The other important African tree is baobab.
We met a lot of termitary, and all of them were huge.
Pity, but we were not allowed to come close to the pond with hippopotamuses, so we saw only their little ears.
But the wagtails ran very close. I know that wagtail is not exotic bird, but they don’t live in America and I miss them.
Actually, the duty swamp was only place where we allowed leave the car to look on hippopotamuses ears, storks and monkeys.
There were a lot of animals really, but most of them I will show in separates posts.
This little boy came to the road in the evening. Duiker, the smallest antelope.
View to Manjara Lake from the hill in the evening.
Wildlife from Manjara park would be in separate posts.
To be continue….
