Wildlife in Serengeti & Ngorongoro National Parks. East Africa P: Nora Photos

Ngorongoro Crater – view from above. Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:41:12 GMT

]]>The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is a conservation area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated 180 km (110 mi) west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania. It features the Ngorongoro Crater, the world's largest unbroken volcanic caldera. Eight million years ago, the crater was an active volcano but its cone collapsed, forming a 610-meter deep crater, with sides so steep that it has become a natural enclosure for a very wide variety of wildlife, including most of the species found in East Africa.

Although quite large, covering an area of 311 sq. km the 20-kilometre wide crater accounts for just a tenth of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which also includes the still active Ol-Ndoinyo Lengai volcano (meaning "Mountain of God" in the Maasai language), which last erupted in 1983, and the Olduvai Gorge, where the Leakeys, a family of renowned archaeologists, discovered the remains of a 1.8 million year old skeleton of Australopithecus boisei, one of the distinct links of the human evolutionary chain (indeed, fossils show that the area is one of the oldest sites of hominoid habitation in the world).

Most East African animals can be found in the crater, with the exception of Topi, Impala, and Giraffe (the latter because there isn't enough acacia to browse, the former probably due to fierce competition from wildebeest).

Ngorongoro is one of the last places in Africa where to reliably see the endangered black rhino, as a small population lives pretty much undisturbed. Although a population of almost 100 rhinos lived here in 1965, by the mid 80s poaching had almost completely eradicated them, reducing their numbers to under 5 individuals. After severe intervention by the Tanzanian government (including 24-hour ranger surveillance), the population has slowly recovered to the actual (2004 census) 17 individuals.

Predators are common sights in the crater, including cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, and the magnificent black-maned lions. Leopards and the night-goers (serval, ratel, and bat eared fox) are much more elusive.
Animals found in the Ngorongoro, besides the mentioned before, include wildebeest (7,000 estimated in 1994), zebra (4,000), eland, Grant's and Thomson's gazelle (3,000), hippopotamus (though very uncommon), hartebeest, waterbuck, warthog, mountain reedbuck, buffalo, and elephant. Oddly, elephants found in the crater are predominately old bulls who survived, inside the relative safety of the crater, the pre-ivory ban days in the 1980s. These are probably the largest elephants to be found in the Serengeti ecosystem. No females are known to inhabit the crater.

Birds also abound in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with over 500 species recorded.

Contrary to what is commonly thought, the crater is not a self-contained ecosystem and some animals do migrate in and out, though not in significant numbers. Most of the animals are resident and remain year-round, with 20,000 to 30,000 large mammals to be found at any given time within the Crater walls.

Ngorongoro Crater – view from above. Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:41:39 GMT

Wahlberg's Eagle (Aquila wahlbergi). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 06:16:44 GMT

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The Wahlberg's Eagle (Aquila wahlbergi) is a bird of prey. It is about 55–60 cm in length and has a wingspan of 130–160 cm.

Wahlberg's Eagle breeds in most of Africa south of the Sahara. It is a bird of woodland, often near water. It builds a stick nest in the fork of a tree or the crown of a palm tree. The clutch is one or two eggs.

Wahlberg's Eagle is a medium-sized raptor. The plumage is dark brown except for dark streaked grey undersides to the flight feathers, and a barred grey undertail. The head has a small crest, and the legs are yellow.

There is a pale variant which is much lighter brown with whitish, rather than grey undertail and flight feather undersides. Sexes are similar.
In flight, this species is very cross-shaped, with long evenly wide wings, a slim body and long narrow square-ended tail. The wings are held very flat.

Wahlberg's Eagle hunts reptiles, small mammals and birds. The call is a whistled kleeah-kleeah-kleeah.
This bird is named after the Swedish naturalist Johan August Wahlberg.

The large brown eagles are generally a tricky group to identify, but distinctive features of Wahlberg's Eagle include: round nostrils which separates it from Tawny and Steppe Eagles, although the two Spotted Eagles also have round nostrils; some form of a crest is usually visible; the gape only extends at maximum to the middle of the eye, whereas in Lesser Spotted Eagle, it extends to the back of the eye.

Wahlberg's Eagle (Aquila wahlbergi). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:42:17 GMT

The Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:22:56 GMT

]]>The Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori) is a large bird native to Africa. It is a member of the bustard family. It may be the heaviest bird capable of flight.

The Kori Bustard is mostly grey in color, with a black crest on its head and yellow legs. Kori Bustards are often found with bee-eaters riding on their backs as they stride through the grass. The bee-eaters make the most of their walking perch by hawking insects from the bustard's back that are disturbed by the bustard's wandering. This is a large and heavy bird, and it avoids flying if possible. It spends most of its time on the ground, foraging for the seeds and lizards which make up most of its diet.

Like all bustards, Kori Bustards have polygynous breeding habits, where one male displays to attract several females and mates with them all. He then leaves the females to care for the young by themselves. The females build a nest on the ground and incubate the eggs, foregoing eating for days. When the chicks hatch, the mother brings them a steady stream of food, most of it soft so the chicks can eat it easily.

The Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:42:34 GMT

African Mourning Dove (Streptopelia decipiens) and The Superb Starling (Lamprotornis superbus).. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:16:55 GMT

]]>The Superb Starling (Lamprotornis superbus) is a member of the starling family of birds. It can commonly be found in East Africa, including Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Used to be known as Spreo superbus.

This species is 18 to 19 cm (7–7.5 inches) long. Adults have black heads and iridescent blue-to-green back, upper breast, wings, and tail. The belly is red-orange, separated from the blue breast by a white bar. The undertail coverts and the wing linings are white. Juveniles have duller plumage with no more than a suggestion of the white breast band. Their irises are brown, later grayish white, eventually the adult's cream-color.

The Superb Starling has a long and loud song consisting of trills and chatters. At midday it gives a softer song of repeated phrases. There are several harsh calls, the most complex of which is described as "a shrill, screeching skerrrreeee-cherrrroo-tcherreeeeeet." This species feeds on the ground.

The Mourning Collared Dove (Streptopelia decipiens) is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in Africa south of the Sahara. Despite its name, it is not a close relative of the North American Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura. This species is common or abundant near water. They often mingle peacefully with other doves.

The Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:58:45 GMT

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The Marabou Stork, Leptoptilos crumeniferus, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It breeds in Africa south of the Sahara, occurring in both wet and arid habitats, often near human habitation, especially waste tips. It is sometimes called the "undertaker bird," due to its shape from behind: cloak-like wings and back, skinny white legs, and sometimes, a large white mass of "hair."

A massive bird, large specimens are thought to reach a height of 152 cm (60 in) and a weight of 9 kg (20 lb). A wingspan of 3.7 m (12 ft) was accepted by Fisher and Peterson, who ranked the species as having the largest wing-spread of any living bird, and even higher measurements of up to 4.06 m (13.3 ft) have been reported. It is often credited with the largest spread of any landbird alongside the Andean Condor. Bill length can range from 26.4 to 35 cm (10.4 to 14 in). It has a huge bill, a pink gular sac at its throat, a neck ruff, and black legs and wings. Full maturity is not reached for up to four years.

The Marabou Stork is a frequent scavenger, and the naked head and neck are adaptations to this, as it is with the vultures with which the stork often feeds. In both cases, a feathered head would become rapidly clotted with blood and other substances when the bird's head was inside a large corpse, and the bare head is easier to keep clean. This large and powerful bird eats mainly carrion, scraps and faeces, but will also take fish, frogs, insects, eggs, small mammals and reptiles such as crocodile hatchlings and eggs. It occasionally eats other birds including quelea nestlings, pigeons, doves, pelican and cormorant chicks, and even flamingos.

Increasingly, Marabous have been become dependent on human garbage and hundreds of the huge birds can be found in an African dump or waiting for a hand out. Marabous eating human garbage have been seen to devour virtually anything that they can swallow, including shoes and pieces of metal. Marabous have been known to lash out when refused food and have even killed children on a few occasions when harassed.

The Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Thu, 12 May 2011 03:45:58 GMT

Flora. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:08:38 GMT

]]>
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located in north Tanzania and extends to south-western Kenya between. It spans some 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi).

The Serengeti hosts the largest mammal migration in the world, which is one of the ten natural travel wonders of the world.
The region contains several national parks and game reserves. Serengeti is derived from the Maasai language, Maa; specifically, "Serengit" meaning "Endless Plains".

Widely recognised as the major wildlife reserve in the world, the Serengeti National Park is, simply put, a vast natural paradise. The park includes, besides the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Maswa Game Reserve, the Loliondo, Grumeti and Ikorongo Controlled Areas in Tanzania, and the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Actually the second is a more appropriate figure to consider, as there are no fences along the different park borders, and animals can freely move from one to another.

Its extensive grassland plains spotted with acacia trees are home to the largest herds of migrating ungulates and (as an obvious consequence) the highest concentrations of large predators in the world.

Wildlife numbers are impressive. A 1990 study estimated wildebeest population at a sheer 1.6 million, Thomson's gazelle at 440,000, zebra at 250,000, lion at 2,800, hyena at 9,000, leopard at 1,000, and cheetah at 500.

The massive population of hoofed animals, the world's largest in the wild, gives place to one of nature's most imposing events, the Great Wildebeest Migration. Every year the herbivores are forced to follow the rains in their search for water and grazing grassland, a 500km round trip from the Southern Serengeti to the northern edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve. The circular migratory route sees the animals heading North to the Masai Mara grasslands every June, after finishing the mineral-rich pastures of the northern Serengeti plains and woodlands. By October, when the rains leave the Mara for the Serengeti, the migratory animals make the reverse route, heading for the southern Serengeti plains once again.

One of the oldest ecosystems on Earth, the Serengeti has remained almost intact over the past million years. Its plains are mostly crystalline rocks overlain by volcanic ash with numerous granitic rock outcrops, known as kopjes, which are home to rich ecosystems (and where lions usually hide their cubs). In the north and along the western corridor are mountain ranges of mainly volcanic origin. Two rivers flowing west usually contain water and there are a number of lakes, marshes, and waterholes.

The grassland plains are the major type of vegetation, but become almost desert during periods of severe drought. In wetter areas, sedges such as Kyllinga spp. take over. There is an extensive block of acacia woodland savanna in the centre, a more hilly and densely wooded zone covering most of the northern arm of the park, and some gallery forest.

Protected area since 1940, the Serengeti gained national park status in 1951 with extensive boundary modifications in 1959. It was internationally recognised as part of Serengeti-Ngorongoro Biosphere Reserve (with the adjoining Maswa Game Reserve) under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1981 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in the same year.

Flora. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 03:20:18 GMT

Flora. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:01:10 GMT

Flora. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:42:03 GMT

Flora. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:05:23 GMT

Wahlberg's Eagle (Aquila wahlbergi). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:46:19 GMT

]]>The Wahlberg's Eagle (Aquila wahlbergi) is a bird of prey. It is about 55–60 cm in length and has a wingspan of 130–160 cm.

Wahlberg's Eagle breeds in most of Africa south of the Sahara. It is a bird of woodland, often near water. It builds a stick nest in the fork of a tree or the crown of a palm tree. The clutch is one or two eggs.

Wahlberg's Eagle is a medium-sized raptor. The plumage is dark brown except for dark streaked grey undersides to the flight feathers, and a barred grey undertail. The head has a small crest, and the legs are yellow.

There is a pale variant which is much lighter brown with whitish, rather than grey undertail and flight feather undersides. Sexes are similar.
In flight, this species is very cross-shaped, with long evenly wide wings, a slim body and long narrow square-ended tail. The wings are held very flat.

Wahlberg's Eagle hunts reptiles, small mammals and birds. The call is a whistled kleeah-kleeah-kleeah.
This bird is named after the Swedish naturalist Johan August Wahlberg.

The large brown eagles are generally a tricky group to identify, but distinctive features of Wahlberg's Eagle include: round nostrils which separates it from Tawny and Steppe Eagles, although the two Spotted Eagles also have round nostrils; some form of a crest is usually visible; the gape only extends at maximum to the middle of the eye, whereas in Lesser Spotted Eagle, it extends to the back of the eye.

Common Zebra (Equus quagga). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 01:03:19 GMT

]]>Plains or Burchell´s Zebra is the species of this striped equine that inhabits the Serengeti National Park.
During the Great Migration, alongside wildebeest, some 190 thousand zebra complete the circular clockwise route in search for fresh pastures, and are a persistent sight in the reserve.

The Plains Zebra is the most common and geographically widespread form of zebra. They are mid-sized and thick-bodied with relatively short legs. Adults of both sexes stand about 1.4 metres high at the shoulder, are approximately 2.3 metres long, and weigh about 230 kg. Like all zebras, they are boldly striped in black and white and no two individuals look exactly alike. All have vertical stripes on the forepart of the body, which tend towards the horizontal on the hindquarters.
Their characteristic and vividly contrasting black and white stripes are still today an enigma for scientists. Most zoologists assume that the stripes act as a camouflage mechanism, while others believe them to play a role in social interactions, with slight variations of the pattern allowing the animals to distinguish between individuals.

Zebras can travel at a top speeds of 55km per hour: although slower than horses, they have much greater stamina. Plains Zebras are highly social and usually form small family groups consisting of a single stallion, one, two, or several mares, and their recent offspring.

Unlike many of the large ungulates of Africa, Plains Zebras prefer but do not require short grass to graze on. In consequence, they range more widely than many other species, even into woodland, and they are often the first grazing species to appear in a well-vegetated area. Only after zebras have cropped and trampled the long grasses do wildebeests and gazelles move in. Nevertheless, for protection from predators, Plains Zebras retreat into open areas with good visibility at night time, and take it in turns standing watch. They eat a wide range of different grasses, preferring young, fresh growth where available, and also browse on leaves and shoots from time to time.

Common Zebra (Equus quagga). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:22:50 GMT

Common Zebra (Equus quagga). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:34:03 GMT

Common Zebra (Equus quagga) surrounded by Intermediate Egret or Yellow-billed Egret (Mesophoyx intermedia). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 03:48:49 GMT

Common Zebra (Equus quagga) surrounded by Intermediate Egret or Yellow-billed Egret (Mesophoyx intermedia). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 03:53:03 GMT

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The Intermediate Egret, Median Egret, or Yellow-billed Egret (Mesophoyx intermedia) is a medium-sized heron. It is a resident breeder from east Africa across tropical southern Asia to Australia.

It often nests in colonies with other herons, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. Two to five eggs are laid, the clutch size varying with region. This species, as its scientific name implies, is intermediate in size between the Great Egret and smaller white egrets like the Little Egret and Cattle Egret, though nearer to Little than Great. It is about 90 cm tall with all-white plumage, generally dark legs and a thickish yellow bill.

Breeding birds may have a reddish or black bill, greenish yellow gape skin, loose filamentous plumes on their breast and back, and dull yellow or pink on their upper legs (regional variations). The sexes are similar.
Some taxonomists put this species in the genus Egretta or Ardea.
The Intermediate Egret stalks its prey methodically in shallow coastal or fresh water, including flooded fields. It eats fish, frogs, crustaceans and insects.

The Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu around Kopjes in Serengeti National Park during the Great Migrations. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:48:39 GMT

]]>The most striking feature [of the Serengeti] is the great Kopjes ('small heads' in Afrikaans) which emerge out of the sea of grass. The technical term for these rock outcrops is inselberg. Made from old granite, deposits of volcanic ash and dust have accumulated around them to form the Serengeti plain. They have their own range of vegetation and wildlife.

With estimates that puts its population between 1.7 and 2 million, the Wildebeest is the most numerous inhabitant of the greater Serengeti ecosystem.

Undisputed protagonists and real anti-heroes of the Great Migration, wildebeest are large bearded antelopes, ungainly and weird-looking, with an aspect that might appear as the cross between a cow, a horse and a goat (indeed, according to an African legend, Wildebeest was put together by God using left over spare parts).

Smaller than an African buffalo but bigger than a gazelle, this social grazer of the acacia savanna and short-grass plains, known also as gnu, grows to 1.15-1.4 metres (3'9"-4'7") at the shoulder and weights between 150 and 250 kilograms (330 and 550 pounds). They inhabit the plains and open woodlands of southern Africa, especially the Serengeti. Wildebeest can live for more than 20 years.

Around July of each year, these grass-eaters migrate from the Serengeti plains in search of fresh pasture, and return to the south around October. This circular, clockwise migratory route, the Great Wildebeest Migration, is one of the world's greatest natural events.

Each year the promise of rain and fresh grass brings more than 1.3 million Wildebeest into a single massive herd, which makes a spectacular entrance on the southern plains of the Mara in a huge, surging column of wildlife.

Giraffs (Giraffa camelopardalis), Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu and Common Zebras (Equus quagga). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:55:40 GMT

]]>
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located in north Tanzania and extends to south-western Kenya between. It spans some 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi).
The Serengeti hosts the largest mammal migration in the world, which is one of the ten natural travel wonders of the world.
The region contains several national parks and game reserves. Serengeti is derived from the Maasai language, Maa; specifically, "Serengit" meaning "Endless Plains".
Widely recognised as the major wildlife reserve in the world, the Serengeti National Park is, simply put, a vast natural paradise. The park includes, besides the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Maswa Game Reserve, the Loliondo, Grumeti and Ikorongo Controlled Areas in Tanzania, and the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Actually the second is a more appropriate figure to consider, as there are no fences along the different park borders, and animals can freely move from one to another.
Its extensive grassland plains spotted with acacia trees are home to the largest herds of migrating ungulates and (as an obvious consequence) the highest concentrations of large predators in the world.

Wildlife numbers are impressive. A 1990 study estimated wildebeest population at a sheer 1.6 million, Thomson's gazelle at 440,000, zebra at 250,000, lion at 2,800, hyena at 9,000, leopard at 1,000, and cheetah at 500.

The massive population of hoofed animals, the world's largest in the wild, gives place to one of nature's most imposing events, the Great Wildebeest Migration. Every year the herbivores are forced to follow the rains in their search for water and grazing grassland, a 500km round trip from the Southern Serengeti to the northern edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve. The circular migratory route sees the animals heading North to the Masai Mara grasslands every June, after finishing the mineral-rich pastures of the northern Serengeti plains and woodlands. By October, when the rains leave the Mara for the Serengeti, the migratory animals make the reverse route, heading for the southern Serengeti plains once again.

One of the oldest ecosystems on Earth, the Serengeti has remained almost intact over the past million years. Its plains are mostly crystalline rocks overlain by volcanic ash with numerous granitic rock outcrops, known as kopjes, which are home to rich ecosystems (and where lions usually hide their cubs). In the north and along the western corridor are mountain ranges of mainly volcanic origin. Two rivers flowing west usually contain water and there are a number of lakes, marshes, and waterholes.

The grassland plains are the major type of vegetation, but become almost desert during periods of severe drought. In wetter areas, sedges such as Kyllinga spp. take over. There is an extensive block of acacia woodland savanna in the centre, a more hilly and densely wooded zone covering most of the northern arm of the park, and some gallery forest.
Protected area since 1940, the Serengeti gained national park status in 1951 with extensive boundary modifications in 1959. It was internationally recognised as part of Serengeti-Ngorongoro Biosphere Reserve (with the adjoining Maswa Game Reserve) under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1981 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in the same year.

Giraffs (Giraffa camelopardalis), Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu and Common Zebras (Equus quagga). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Thu, 12 May 2011 03:52:39 GMT

]]>
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located in north Tanzania and extends to south-western Kenya between. It spans some 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi).
The Serengeti hosts the largest mammal migration in the world, which is one of the ten natural travel wonders of the world.
The region contains several national parks and game reserves. Serengeti is derived from the Maasai language, Maa; specifically, "Serengit" meaning "Endless Plains".
Widely recognised as the major wildlife reserve in the world, the Serengeti National Park is, simply put, a vast natural paradise. The park includes, besides the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Maswa Game Reserve, the Loliondo, Grumeti and Ikorongo Controlled Areas in Tanzania, and the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Actually the second is a more appropriate figure to consider, as there are no fences along the different park borders, and animals can freely move from one to another.
Its extensive grassland plains spotted with acacia trees are home to the largest herds of migrating ungulates and (as an obvious consequence) the highest concentrations of large predators in the world.

Wildlife numbers are impressive. A 1990 study estimated wildebeest population at a sheer 1.6 million, Thomson's gazelle at 440,000, zebra at 250,000, lion at 2,800, hyena at 9,000, leopard at 1,000, and cheetah at 500.

The massive population of hoofed animals, the world's largest in the wild, gives place to one of nature's most imposing events, the Great Wildebeest Migration. Every year the herbivores are forced to follow the rains in their search for water and grazing grassland, a 500km round trip from the Southern Serengeti to the northern edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve. The circular migratory route sees the animals heading North to the Masai Mara grasslands every June, after finishing the mineral-rich pastures of the northern Serengeti plains and woodlands. By October, when the rains leave the Mara for the Serengeti, the migratory animals make the reverse route, heading for the southern Serengeti plains once again.

One of the oldest ecosystems on Earth, the Serengeti has remained almost intact over the past million years. Its plains are mostly crystalline rocks overlain by volcanic ash with numerous granitic rock outcrops, known as kopjes, which are home to rich ecosystems (and where lions usually hide their cubs). In the north and along the western corridor are mountain ranges of mainly volcanic origin. Two rivers flowing west usually contain water and there are a number of lakes, marshes, and waterholes.

The grassland plains are the major type of vegetation, but become almost desert during periods of severe drought. In wetter areas, sedges such as Kyllinga spp. take over. There is an extensive block of acacia woodland savanna in the centre, a more hilly and densely wooded zone covering most of the northern arm of the park, and some gallery forest.
Protected area since 1940, the Serengeti gained national park status in 1951 with extensive boundary modifications in 1959. It was internationally recognised as part of Serengeti-Ngorongoro Biosphere Reserve (with the adjoining Maswa Game Reserve) under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1981 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in the same year.

Giraffs (Giraffa camelopardalis), Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu and Common Zebras (Equus quagga). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Thu, 12 May 2011 03:52:42 GMT

]]>
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located in north Tanzania and extends to south-western Kenya between. It spans some 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi).
The Serengeti hosts the largest mammal migration in the world, which is one of the ten natural travel wonders of the world.
The region contains several national parks and game reserves. Serengeti is derived from the Maasai language, Maa; specifically, "Serengit" meaning "Endless Plains".
Widely recognised as the major wildlife reserve in the world, the Serengeti National Park is, simply put, a vast natural paradise. The park includes, besides the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Maswa Game Reserve, the Loliondo, Grumeti and Ikorongo Controlled Areas in Tanzania, and the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Actually the second is a more appropriate figure to consider, as there are no fences along the different park borders, and animals can freely move from one to another.
Its extensive grassland plains spotted with acacia trees are home to the largest herds of migrating ungulates and (as an obvious consequence) the highest concentrations of large predators in the world.

Wildlife numbers are impressive. A 1990 study estimated wildebeest population at a sheer 1.6 million, Thomson's gazelle at 440,000, zebra at 250,000, lion at 2,800, hyena at 9,000, leopard at 1,000, and cheetah at 500.

The massive population of hoofed animals, the world's largest in the wild, gives place to one of nature's most imposing events, the Great Wildebeest Migration. Every year the herbivores are forced to follow the rains in their search for water and grazing grassland, a 500km round trip from the Southern Serengeti to the northern edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve. The circular migratory route sees the animals heading North to the Masai Mara grasslands every June, after finishing the mineral-rich pastures of the northern Serengeti plains and woodlands. By October, when the rains leave the Mara for the Serengeti, the migratory animals make the reverse route, heading for the southern Serengeti plains once again.

One of the oldest ecosystems on Earth, the Serengeti has remained almost intact over the past million years. Its plains are mostly crystalline rocks overlain by volcanic ash with numerous granitic rock outcrops, known as kopjes, which are home to rich ecosystems (and where lions usually hide their cubs). In the north and along the western corridor are mountain ranges of mainly volcanic origin. Two rivers flowing west usually contain water and there are a number of lakes, marshes, and waterholes.

The grassland plains are the major type of vegetation, but become almost desert during periods of severe drought. In wetter areas, sedges such as Kyllinga spp. take over. There is an extensive block of acacia woodland savanna in the centre, a more hilly and densely wooded zone covering most of the northern arm of the park, and some gallery forest.
Protected area since 1940, the Serengeti gained national park status in 1951 with extensive boundary modifications in 1959. It was internationally recognised as part of Serengeti-Ngorongoro Biosphere Reserve (with the adjoining Maswa Game Reserve) under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1981 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in the same year.

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:52:58 GMT

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nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:53:00 GMT

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Giraffs (Giraffa camelopardalis), Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu and Common Zebras (Equus quagga). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:14:44 GMT

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The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located in north Tanzania and extends to south-western Kenya between. It spans some 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi).
The Serengeti hosts the largest mammal migration in the world, which is one of the ten natural travel wonders of the world.
The region contains several national parks and game reserves. Serengeti is derived from the Maasai language, Maa; specifically, "Serengit" meaning "Endless Plains".
Widely recognised as the major wildlife reserve in the world, the Serengeti National Park is, simply put, a vast natural paradise. The park includes, besides the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Maswa Game Reserve, the Loliondo, Grumeti and Ikorongo Controlled Areas in Tanzania, and the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Actually the second is a more appropriate figure to consider, as there are no fences along the different park borders, and animals can freely move from one to another.
Its extensive grassland plains spotted with acacia trees are home to the largest herds of migrating ungulates and (as an obvious consequence) the highest concentrations of large predators in the world.

Wildlife numbers are impressive. A 1990 study estimated wildebeest population at a sheer 1.6 million, Thomson's gazelle at 440,000, zebra at 250,000, lion at 2,800, hyena at 9,000, leopard at 1,000, and cheetah at 500.

The massive population of hoofed animals, the world's largest in the wild, gives place to one of nature's most imposing events, the Great Wildebeest Migration. Every year the herbivores are forced to follow the rains in their search for water and grazing grassland, a 500km round trip from the Southern Serengeti to the northern edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve. The circular migratory route sees the animals heading North to the Masai Mara grasslands every June, after finishing the mineral-rich pastures of the northern Serengeti plains and woodlands. By October, when the rains leave the Mara for the Serengeti, the migratory animals make the reverse route, heading for the southern Serengeti plains once again.

One of the oldest ecosystems on Earth, the Serengeti has remained almost intact over the past million years. Its plains are mostly crystalline rocks overlain by volcanic ash with numerous granitic rock outcrops, known as kopjes, which are home to rich ecosystems (and where lions usually hide their cubs). In the north and along the western corridor are mountain ranges of mainly volcanic origin. Two rivers flowing west usually contain water and there are a number of lakes, marshes, and waterholes.

The grassland plains are the major type of vegetation, but become almost desert during periods of severe drought. In wetter areas, sedges such as Kyllinga spp. take over. There is an extensive block of acacia woodland savanna in the centre, a more hilly and densely wooded zone covering most of the northern arm of the park, and some gallery forest.
Protected area since 1940, the Serengeti gained national park status in 1951 with extensive boundary modifications in 1959. It was internationally recognised as part of Serengeti-Ngorongoro Biosphere Reserve (with the adjoining Maswa Game Reserve) under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1981 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in the same year.

Giraffs (Giraffa camelopardalis), Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu and Common Zebras (Equus quagga). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:45:55 GMT

]]>
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located in north Tanzania and extends to south-western Kenya between. It spans some 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi).
The Serengeti hosts the largest mammal migration in the world, which is one of the ten natural travel wonders of the world.
The region contains several national parks and game reserves. Serengeti is derived from the Maasai language, Maa; specifically, "Serengit" meaning "Endless Plains".
Widely recognised as the major wildlife reserve in the world, the Serengeti National Park is, simply put, a vast natural paradise. The park includes, besides the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Maswa Game Reserve, the Loliondo, Grumeti and Ikorongo Controlled Areas in Tanzania, and the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Actually the second is a more appropriate figure to consider, as there are no fences along the different park borders, and animals can freely move from one to another.
Its extensive grassland plains spotted with acacia trees are home to the largest herds of migrating ungulates and (as an obvious consequence) the highest concentrations of large predators in the world.

Wildlife numbers are impressive. A 1990 study estimated wildebeest population at a sheer 1.6 million, Thomson's gazelle at 440,000, zebra at 250,000, lion at 2,800, hyena at 9,000, leopard at 1,000, and cheetah at 500.

The massive population of hoofed animals, the world's largest in the wild, gives place to one of nature's most imposing events, the Great Wildebeest Migration. Every year the herbivores are forced to follow the rains in their search for water and grazing grassland, a 500km round trip from the Southern Serengeti to the northern edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve. The circular migratory route sees the animals heading North to the Masai Mara grasslands every June, after finishing the mineral-rich pastures of the northern Serengeti plains and woodlands. By October, when the rains leave the Mara for the Serengeti, the migratory animals make the reverse route, heading for the southern Serengeti plains once again.

One of the oldest ecosystems on Earth, the Serengeti has remained almost intact over the past million years. Its plains are mostly crystalline rocks overlain by volcanic ash with numerous granitic rock outcrops, known as kopjes, which are home to rich ecosystems (and where lions usually hide their cubs). In the north and along the western corridor are mountain ranges of mainly volcanic origin. Two rivers flowing west usually contain water and there are a number of lakes, marshes, and waterholes.

The grassland plains are the major type of vegetation, but become almost desert during periods of severe drought. In wetter areas, sedges such as Kyllinga spp. take over. There is an extensive block of acacia woodland savanna in the centre, a more hilly and densely wooded zone covering most of the northern arm of the park, and some gallery forest.
Protected area since 1940, the Serengeti gained national park status in 1951 with extensive boundary modifications in 1959. It was internationally recognised as part of Serengeti-Ngorongoro Biosphere Reserve (with the adjoining Maswa Game Reserve) under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1981 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in the same year.

Common Zebra (Equus quagga) around Kopjes in Serengeti National Park during the Great Migrations. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:44:36 GMT

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The most striking feature [of the Serengeti] is the great Kopjes ('small heads' in Afrikaans) which emerge out of the sea of grass. The technical term for these rock outcrops is inselberg. Made from old granite, deposits of volcanic ash and dust have accumulated around them to form the Serengeti plain. They have their own range of vegetation and wildlife.

With estimates that puts its population between 1.7 and 2 million, the Wildebeest is the most numerous inhabitant of the greater Serengeti ecosystem.

Undisputed protagonists and real anti-heroes of the Great Migration, wildebeest are large bearded antelopes, ungainly and weird-looking, with an aspect that might appear as the cross between a cow, a horse and a goat (indeed, according to an African legend, Wildebeest was put together by God using left over spare parts).

Smaller than an African buffalo but bigger than a gazelle, this social grazer of the acacia savanna and short-grass plains, known also as gnu, grows to 1.15-1.4 metres (3'9"-4'7") at the shoulder and weights between 150 and 250 kilograms (330 and 550 pounds). They inhabit the plains and open woodlands of southern Africa, especially the Serengeti. Wildebeest can live for more than 20 years.

Around July of each year, these grass-eaters migrate from the Serengeti plains in search of fresh pasture, and return to the south around October. This circular, clockwise migratory route, the Great Wildebeest Migration, is one of the world's greatest natural events.

Each year the promise of rain and fresh grass brings more than 1.3 million Wildebeest into a single massive herd, which makes a spectacular entrance on the southern plains of the Mara in a huge, surging column of wildlife.

Giraffs (Giraffa camelopardalis), Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu and Common Zebras (Equus quagga). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:12:00 GMT

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The tallest of all land living animals, the Giraffe is a very common sight in the Serengeti, though they are notably absent from the Ngorongoro Crater (due to the shortage of acacia to browse). Males can be 4.8 to 5.5 metres tall and weigh up to 900 kilograms. Females are generally slightly shorter and weigh less. Of the 9 subspecies of giraffe, differentiated by color and pattern variations and range, the one that inhabits the reserve is known as Masai or Kilimanjaro Giraffe (G.c. tippelskirchi). It has characteristic jagged-edged, vine-leaf shaped spots of dark chocolate on a yellowish background.

Giraffes are famous for their long necks which allow them to browse on the leaves of trees, and elongated forelegs (which appear much longer than the hind legs, but in reality, are only 1/10th longer). The bony structure of the neck is essentially unchanged from that of other mammals: there are no extra vertebrae, but each of the seven bones is greatly enlarged. Bone constitutes the bud-like horns called ossicorns, which are covered with the Giraffe's skin like the rest of the skull.

Modifications to the Giraffe's structure have evolved, particularly to the circulatory system. A giraffe's heart, which can weigh up to 24 lb (10 kg), has to generate around double the normal blood pressure for a large mammal in order to maintain blood flow to the brain against gravity. In the upper neck, a complex pressure-regulation system called the rete mirabile prevents excess blood flow to the brain when the Giraffe lowers its head to drink. Conversely, the blood vessels in the lower legs are under great pressure (because of the weight of fluid pressing down on them).

The pace of the Giraffe is an amble, though when pursued it can run extremely fast. However, the small size of its lungs prevents it from supporting a lengthened chase. The Giraffe defends itself against threats by kicking with great force. A single well-placed kick of an adult giraffe can shatter a lion's skull or break its spine.

In addition to the remarkably long neck, giraffes have enlarged forelegs. These legs make it possible for giraffes to move swiftly and defend themselves against predators. It is unknown whether or not the size of the giraffe's neck, working in combination with the leg length, may provide a biomechanical advantage in defending against lion attacks.

Giraffs (Giraffa camelopardalis), Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu and Common Zebras (Equus quagga). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:43:48 GMT

The Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:08:31 GMT

]]>With estimates that puts its population between 1.7 and 2 million, the Wildebeest is the most numerous inhabitant of the greater Serengeti ecosystem.

Undisputed protagonists and real anti-heroes of the Great Migration, wildebeest are large bearded antelopes, ungainly and weird-looking, with an aspect that might appear as the cross between a cow, a horse and a goat (indeed, according to an African legend, Wildebeest was put together by God using left over spare parts).

Smaller than an African buffalo but bigger than a gazelle, this social grazer of the acacia savanna and short-grass plains, known also as gnu, grows to 1.15-1.4 metres (3'9"-4'7") at the shoulder and weights between 150 and 250 kilograms (330 and 550 pounds). They inhabit the plains and open woodlands of southern Africa, especially the Serengeti. Wildebeest can live for more than 20 years.

Around July of each year, these grass-eaters migrate from the Serengeti plains in search of fresh pasture, and return to the south around October. This circular, clockwise migratory route, the Great Wildebeest Migration, is one of the world's greatest natural events.

Each year the promise of rain and fresh grass brings more than 1.3 million Wildebeest into a single massive herd, which makes a spectacular entrance on the southern plains of the Mara in a huge, surging column of wildlife.

The cows will calve in summer, on the plains. The calves can walk within minutes, and after a few days can keep up with the rest of the herd. After calving the breeding season begins. Dominant bulls defend territories marked with feces and pheromones produced by scent glands on the hooves. Subordinate males form bachelor herds.

Wildebeest are an important part of the plains ecosystem. Their dung fertilizes the ground and their eating and trampling encourage new growth. They are also the most important food source for predators such as lions and hyenas.

The Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:11:57 GMT

The Great Migrations - one of the World's most exceptional natural phenomena and Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Thu, 12 May 2011 03:52:46 GMT

]]>The largest mass movement of land mammals on the planet and one of the most breathtaking events in the animal kingdom, The Great Migration involves millions of ungulates, most notably wildebeest, as they follow an annual circular route around the Serengeti Ecosystem in an endless quest for fresh pastures and water. The rumbling hooves of wildebeest and the clouds of red dust they leave behind have become a symbol of the Serengeti, as well as a strong migratory instinct that defies crocodile-infested rivers, wild currents, and flocks of predators lying in wait.

A 500km round trip from the Southern Serengeti to the northern edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve, the Great Migration is probably Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle and one of the World's most exceptional natural phenomena.

The vertiginous immensity of the event is overwhelming, numbers so large that they are hard to visualize. Migrants include 1,300,000 Wildebeest, 360,000 Thomson's Gazelle, 191,000 Zebra, and 12,000 Eland.

They join the anyway-large resident populations of herbivores, that feature 95,000 Topi, 76,000 Impala, 46,000 African Buffalo, 26,000 Grant's Gazelle, 14,000 Kongoni, 9,000 Giraffe, 6,000 Warthog, 2,000 Waterbuck, and 2,000 Elephant.

A hungry constellation of predators -most notably lions and hyenas- follow the herbivores all along their clockwise migratory route. Lions and hyenas are not the only meat-eaters, though, as cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, and jackals, as well as every scavenger of the area, wait impatiently for their share of the banquet.

The Great Migration is a relatively recent phenomenon, dating back to the early 1960s. In the late 19th century a rinderpest epidemic eliminated over 90% of the wildebeest and cattle in the region. To prevent a further spreading of the disease, cattle was inoculated by veterinarians, and the disease soon disappeared from the area. As a result, the wildebeest population boomed in the 60´s and 70´s, from 260,000 to the 1.4 million individuals that currently inhabit the Serengeti ecosystem.

The growing herds were thus forced to migrate in their search for water and grazing grassland, starting the circular migratory route. The first seasonal treks were probably observed -and documented- in the 60s by Dr. Grzimek, who first described a definite pattern in the migratory moves.

In spite of the exceptionality and sheer beauty of the event, not everybody sees it with sympathy. The Maasai, for example, must rear their livestock in competition with the migrant herbivores, which they regard as transmitters of diseases and guilty of poisoning the rivers with their foetal sacs.

The Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu around Kopjes in Serengeti National Park during the Great Migrations. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:09:22 GMT

The Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu around Kopjes in Serengeti National Park during the Great Migrations. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:27:58 GMT

The Great Migrations - one of the World's most exceptional natural phenomena and Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 03:36:33 GMT

The Great Migrations - one of the World's most exceptional natural phenomena and Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Thu, 12 May 2011 03:52:48 GMT

The Great Migrations - one of the World's most exceptional natural phenomena and Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:44:10 GMT

The Great Migrations - one of the World's most exceptional natural phenomena and Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:55:05 GMT

The Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:32:17 GMT

The Great Migrations - one of the World's most exceptional natural phenomena and Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 03:33:31 GMT

The Great Migrations - one of the World's most exceptional natural phenomena and Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:22:08 GMT

The Great Migrations - one of the World's most exceptional natural phenomena and Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:36:21 GMT

Termite mounds. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 03:46:52 GMT

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Termites are important to Serengeti because they break down dead plant material and for what they do to the soil. Termite mounts stand tall throughout the Serengeti plains and woodlands. Built of mud from deep underground, and held together by termite saliva, the mounts change the soil texture and provide homes and observation points for animals.

Termites are small, clear or cream-colored insects that live predominantly underground, building channels and tunnels that lead them to their woody food. They consume dead wood, grass roots, and a variety of above-ground vegetation during the night. The food is then digested by either protozoans or anaerobic bacteria in their stomachs, and then absorbed by the animal; much like a ruminant herbivore.

Termite mounds are built with large vertical shafts that can run several meters into the earth, and provide ventilation for the colony. These shafts also provide homes for a variety of animals, including snakes, mongoose and mice. Smart people do not put their hands down termite holes.

By pulling up soil from deep in the ground, termites change the landscape of Serengeti substantially. Deeper soils are more saline and alkaline than surface soils, so there is a patch of saline soil for several meters around each termite mound. On this saline soil grows salt tolerant species of grasses such as Cynodon Dactylon and Digitaria Macroblephora which do not grow in the surrounding areas. By providing a different habitat for plants, the termite mounds increase the habitat diversity and thus the plant and perhaps the animal diversity.

Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:42:31 GMT

Nests of the Kilombero Weaver (Ploceus burnieri) and Lesser Masked Weaver (Ploceus intermedius) hanging over a swamp. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Thu, 12 May 2011 03:53:05 GMT

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The Kilombero Weaver (Ploceus burnieri) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is endemic to Tanzania.
Its natural habitat is swamps. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Lesser Masked Weaver (Ploceus intermedius) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:42:32 GMT

Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:24:41 GMT

]]>The Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus) is a member of the roller family of birds. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula, preferring open woodland and savanna; it is largely absent from treeless places. Usually found alone or in pairs, it perches conspicuously at the tops of trees, poles or other high vantage points from where it can spot insects, lizards, scorpions, snails, small birds and rodents moving about at ground level.

Nesting takes place in a natural hole in a tree where a clutch of 2–4 eggs is laid, and incubated by both parents, who are extremely aggressive in defence of their nest, taking on raptors and other birds. During the breeding season the male will rise to great heights, descending in swoops and dives, while uttering harsh, discordant cries. The sexes are alike in coloration. Juveniles do not have the long tail feathers that adults do.

Yellow-spotted hyrax (Heterohyrax brucei). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:13:47 GMT

]]>
The Yellow-spotted Rock Hyrax or Bush Hyrax (Heterohyrax brucei) is a species of mammal in the Procaviidae family. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Southern Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, Northern South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Unlike the Rock Hyrax, it is not found outside of Africa. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and rocky areas.
It is currently the only species in the genus Heterohyrax. However, there are 25 distinct subspecies.
It feeds on small grasses, herbage, leaves, fruit, insects, lizards, and birds' eggs.

Yellow-spotted hyrax (Heterohyrax brucei). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:25:48 GMT

Serengeti National Park – photographed from a hot-air balloon. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:43:22 GMT

Serengeti National Park – photographed from a hot-air balloon. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:45:05 GMT

Serengeti National Park – photographed from a hot-air balloon. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:43:06 GMT

Serengeti National Park – photographed from a hot-air balloon. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:45:08 GMT

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:38:00 GMT

]]>The fastest of all terrestrial animals, reaching top speeds of 110 km/h at full sprint, the Cheetah is one of the most amazing animals to be found in the Serengeti. Probably no other land animal can match the cheetah's elegant and slender movements, nor its svelte and muscular body, which resembles that of a fashion top-model.

Probably the highest concentration of cheetahs in African is found in the Gol Kopjes (Eastern Plains of the Serengeti National Park). In any case, most of these cats are migratory and follow Thomson Gazelle around Serengeti Masai Mara annual route.

A solitary animal as most other big cats (with the exception of lions), cheetahs are however quite atypical if compared to other big cats. In first place, they hunt by speed rather than by stealth or pack tactics. Second, they can purr as they inhale, but cannot roar (while lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars can). Moreover, unlike the rest of the cats, they do not have retractile claws.

The cheetah's body is slim yet muscular, aerodynamically designed. Every single feature perfectly favours high speed: it has a deep chest, narrow waist, small head, short muzzle, high-placed eyes, large nostrils for large oxygen intake, and small round ears. The fur of the cheetah is yellow with round black spots which help to camouflage it and black tear lines on the sides of the muzzle. The adult animal weighs from 40 to 65 kg (90 to 140 lb). Its total body length is from 112 to 135 cm (45 in to 55 in), while the tail can measure up to 84 cm (33 in).

The cheetah is a vulnerable species. Out of all the big cats, it is the least able to adapt to new environments. The cheetah is considered the most primitive of all cats, and until recently was thought to have evolved approximately 18 million years ago, although new research puts the last common ancestor of all 37 existing species of feline more recently, at 11 million years.

The cheetah's paws have only semi-retractable claws, the only of its type amongst the species of cat, and offer the cat extra grip in its high-speed pursuits.

Cheetahs eat mostly mammals under 40 kg (90 lb), in particular Thomson's gazelles, its favourite prey, and impala. Wildebeest calves are hunted when cheetahs hunt together. While the other big cats mainly hunt by night, the cheetah is a diurnal hunter - cheetahs hunt by vision rather than by scent. . The chase is usually over in less than a minute and if the cheetah fails to make a quick catch, it will often give up rather than waste energy.

Another reason a cheetah may give up is because running at such high speeds puts a great deal of strain on the cheetah's body. The temperature within the cheetah reaches such high temperatures that it would be deadly to continue, this is why cheetahs are often seen resting even after they have caught their prey. Roughly half of the chases are successful.

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Thu, 12 May 2011 03:53:07 GMT

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:45:40 GMT

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Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 03:39:50 GMT

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:15:35 GMT

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) resting obntermite mounds. ). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:58:01 GMT

Serengeti. African Safari. Wildlife (natural colours), Kenya & Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:56:22 GMT

]]>Serengeti is derived from the Maasai language ‘Maa’, "Serengit" meaning "Endless Plains”. Approximately 70 larger mammal and some 500 avifauna species are found there. The high diversity of species is due to the diverse habitats ranging from riverine forests, swamps, kopjes, grasslands and woodlands. Blue Wildebeests, gazelles, rhinos, zebras, buffalos, cheetahs and elephants are some of the commonly found large mammals in the region.
The Serengeti hosts the largest mammal migrations in the world, which is one of the ten natural travel wonders of the world. Each year around the same time the great wildebeest migration begins in the NgoroNgoro area of the southern Serengeti of Tanzania. Ngorongoro Crater, one of the world’s greatest natural spectacles for its magical setting, is a sanctuary for the amazing wild life trapped inside it. It formed when a giant volcano exploded and collapsed on itself some two or three millions years ago. The extraordinary volcanic landscape with alkaline lakes, plains and hills is the home of local Maasai tribes which still maintain their traditional way of life.
Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, the highest ‘walkable’ snow-covered equatorial mountain in the world (5,892m), a magnificent and spectacular undertaking. Stories of its resident man-eating spirits living on the highest volcanic cone Kibo, are now relegated to the realms of fiction and legends. The mountain ‘which defeats the leopard’ still shines in the African sun with its brilliant white top … the snows of Kilimanjaro…

Serengeti. African Safari. Wildlife (natural colours), Kenya & Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:46:20 GMT

Serengeti. African Safari. Wildlife (natural colours), Kenya & Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 06:06:47 GMT

Nests of the Kilombero Weaver (Ploceus burnieri) and Lesser Masked Weaver (Ploceus intermedius) hanging over a swamp. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:37:38 GMT

]]>The Kilombero Weaver (Ploceus burnieri) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is endemic to Tanzania.
Its natural habitat is swamps. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Lesser Masked Weaver (Ploceus intermedius) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The Great Migrations - one of the World's most exceptional natural phenomena and Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:56:49 GMT

Lion (Panthera Leo). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:48:23 GMT

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The Serengeti is probably home to the largest population of lions in Africa, and it is not unusual to see different individuals -belonging to different prides- in a single day. Whilst the Serengeti has the most lions, the densest known population can be found on the Ngorongoro crater (62 individuals estimated in 2001). This population is renowned for the magnificent black-maned males, superb in their wild beauty, perfect incarnation of the animal king.

Lions, "Simba" in Swahili, are a common sight in the Masai Mara National Reserve and together with wildebeest- probably its most famous resident. The largest and most powerful living felid with the exception of the tiger, lions are predatory carnivores who live in filly groups, called prides.

The family consists of related females, their cubs of both sexes, and one or more unrelated males who mate with the adult females. Females are the basis of lion society: they do most of the hunting and rear the cub. As a rule, all of the females of a pride are related (grandmothers, aunts, mothers, sisters).

Both males and females will defend the pride against outside intruders. Typically, males will not tolerate outside males, and females will not tolerate outside females. Males are expelled from the pride or leave on their own when they reach maturity. When or if a male coalition takes over a pride and ousts the previous coalition, the conquerors often kill any cubs even if they did father them.

Like other cats, lions have superb night vision that makes them more effective at night, thus performing many of their hunts at night. However, they do hunt at daytime, early in the morning or at dawn, when temperatures are cooler, which makes the best hours to spot them in action.

Lions are the only social hunters among cats, which allows them to take preys that would otherwise be too large and dangerous to overpower singly: adult zebras, buffaloes, giraffes, hippopotami, and even sub-adult elephants. Females will do the hunting (however it's now known that males contribute much more to hunting than the amount for which they had been previously given credit), working in teams to stalk, surround and kill the prey. Singly, a lion kills with the neck bite that breaks the neck or severs vital blood vessels; several lions may pin a large prey animal while another delivers the lethal neck bite or suffocates the prey by covering the victim's muzzle, preventing breathing.

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:51:45 GMT

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Lion (Panthera Leo). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:46:51 GMT

Lion (Panthera Leo). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

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Lion (Panthera Leo). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

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Lion (Panthera Leo). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:25:46 GMT

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:52:14 GMT

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The Great Migrations - one of the World's most exceptional natural phenomena and Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:03:50 GMT

The Great Migrations - one of the World's most exceptional natural phenomena and Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:43:18 GMT

The Great Migrations - one of the World's most exceptional natural phenomena and Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 03:30:22 GMT

Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:49:02 GMT

]]>The Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) is a large wading bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. It is a widespread species which is a resident breeder in sub-Saharan Africa from Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya south to South Africa, and in The Gambia, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Chad in west Africa.

This is a close relative of the widespread Asian Black-necked Stork, the only other member of the genus Ephippiorhynchus.

This is a huge bird that regularly attains a height of 150 cm (59 in), a length of 142 cm (56 in) and a 2.4–2.7 m (7.9–8.9 ft) wingspan. It is probably the tallest of the storks (though not the heaviest), due in no small part to it extremely long legs. The long bill measures from 27.3 to 36 cm (10.7 to 14 in). The sexes can be readily distinguished by the golden yellow irises of the female and the brown irises of the male.

It is spectacularly plumaged, identical in male and female. The head, neck, back, wings, and tail are iridescent black, with the rest of the body and the primary flight feathers being white. Juveniles are browner grey in plumage. The massive bill is red with a black band and a yellow frontal shield (the “saddle”). The legs and feet are black with pink knees. On the chest is a bare red patch of skin, whose colour darkens during breeding season.

The Saddle-billed Stork breeds in forested waterlands and other floodlands in tropical lowland. It builds a large, deep stick nest in a tree, laying one or two white eggs weighing about 146g each. It does not form breeding colonies, and is usually found alone or in pairs. The incubation period is 30–35 days, with another 70 – 100 days before the chicks fledge.

African Savanna Elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:42:37 GMT

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The Northern Serengeti supports a good number of elephants. Its population has slowly recovered since the World ban on ivory trade (1989), a radical and necessary measure taken as a consequence of the heavy poaching of the 80s, that almost exterminated these beautiful giants. The Ngorongoro population of elephants comprises almost exclusively old bulls, probably the largest to be seen in Tanzania. Most are survivals of the pre-ban days, lucky individuals that found themselves relatively safe inside the crater.
The African Savanna Elephant is a colossal animal, with a great intelligence and proverbial memory. Also known as the bush elephant or African bush elephant, it's the best-known of the two African elephants (the other being the forest elephant).

The largest of all land animals, the savanna elephant normally reaches 6 to 7.3 m in length and 3 to 3.5 meters in height, although a 4-meter elephant, whose body is dissected in the Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., was discovered in Angola in 1955. It weights between 5,000 and 10,000 kg, and eats up to 300kg of grass, leaves, shoots, flowers, and bark each day (along with some 200 litres of water per day). In spite of its huge mass, it can it can reach a top speed of 40 km/h when scared or upset (although its normal rate is of 6 km/h).

The trunk is the most characteristic feature of the savanna elephant. It is formed by the fusion and elongation of the nose and upper lip, forming a flexible and strong organ made purely of muscle.

The savanna elephants are notably inteligent animals. In fact, experiments about reasoning and learning applied on them show that they are the smartest ungulates together with their asian cousins. This is mostly due to their large brain, house of the famous 'elephant memory'. Furthermore, elephants are one of the few animals that show recognition of one another even after death. When an old elephant dies the rest accompanies her in that difficult journey and stay by the corpse for a while. Females have even been reported to stand watch over their dead young and cover the body with branches and twigs. The famous Elephant Graveyards are a myth, though, but it is true that these animals can recognise a carcass of its species when they find one during their trips, and even if its a stranger, they form around it and sometimes they even touch its forehead with their trunk.
Packs are made up of related females and their younglings of assorted ages, directed by the eldest female, called the matriarch.
The matriarch is the one who decides the route and shows to each other member of the pack all the water sources she knows, which the rest will memorize in the future. The relations among the members of the pack is very tight; when a female gives birth to a baby the rest go to acknowledge it touching her with the trunk.

The mating happens when the female feels ready, an event that can occur anytime during the year. At that moment she starts emitting infrasounds that attract the males, sometimes many kilometers away. After 22 months of gestation (the longest among mammals), the female gives birth to a single 90cm-high baby who weighs more than 100 kg. The baby sucks the mothers milk until the age of 5, but it also eats solid food from the 6 months. Just a few days after the birth he can follow the pack by foot, so then can the pack resume its course.

African Savanna Elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:41:46 GMT

African Savanna Elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:02:10 GMT

Nests of the Kilombero Weaver (Ploceus burnieri) and Lesser Masked Weaver (Ploceus intermedius) hanging over a swamp. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:36:58 GMT

Nests of the Kilombero Weaver (Ploceus burnieri) and Lesser Masked Weaver (Ploceus intermedius) hanging over a swamp. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:01:18 GMT

Nests of the Kilombero Weaver (Ploceus burnieri) and Lesser Masked Weaver (Ploceus intermedius) hanging over a swamp. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:48:29 GMT

The African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:25:02 GMT

]]>The African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) or – to distinguish it from the true fish eagles (Ichthyophaga), the African Sea Eagle – is a large species of eagle that is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water occur that have an abundant food supply. As a result of its large range, it is known in many languages. Examples of names include Visarend in Afrikaans and Aigle Pêcheur in French. It is the national bird of Zimbabwe and Zambia.
This species may resemble the Bald Eagle in appearance; though related, each species occurs on different continents, with the Bald Eagle being resident in North America.
The head, breast, and tail of African Fish Eagles are snow white, with the exception of the featherless face, which is yellow. The eyes are dark brown in colour.
Breeding season for African Fish Eagles is during the dry season, when water levels are low. African Fish Eagles are believed to be monogamous - in other words, they mate for life. The eggs will often hatch a few days apart, and the eldest chick will usually kill any younger chicks; this tactic is known as siblicide and is also found in other birds of prey. Fledging lasts for 70 to 75 days, and after about 8 weeks the chick is capable of feeding itself and will usually begin to venture outside of the nest 2 weeks later. The African Fish Eagle is known to rob other bird species (such as Goliath Herons) of their catch. This behaviour is known as kleptoparasitism. It will also feed on waterfowl such as ducks, small turtles and terrapins, baby crocodiles, Greater Flamingos and Lesser Flamingos, lizards such as Nile Monitors, frogs and carrion. Occasionally, it may even carry off mammalian prey, such as hyraxes and monkeys. It has also been observed feeding on domestic fowl (chickens).

The African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:34:04 GMT

Topi (Damaliscus lunatus). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:51:54 GMT

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Reputed as the fastest antelope in Africa, the Topi is a savannah and floodplain antelope found in Sudan, Chad, Kenya, Tanzania, and Southern Africa. They are renowned for their solitary sentinel position: a single animal will stand for hours on a termite mound as it surveys the surrounding territory. Widely found in the Serengeti (almost 80,000 individuals), Topi is the only animal -together with Impala and Giraffe- absent from the Ngorongoro Crater.

Topi stand over a metre tall at the shoulder and weigh 80 to 160 kilograms. Their coats are a rusty red colour with black legs, chest and a black strip running from forehead to the tip of the nose. The horns are lyre-shaped and are conspicuously ringed and can reach 70 centimetres in both sexes. Topi somewhat resemble wildebeest (indeed one subspecies of Damaliscus lunatus is known as Hunter's Hartebeest).

Topi live in savannah and floodplains where they eat mainly grass. Males hold territories from a few tens of thousands of square metres to a few square kilometres. These are marked out with urine, and dung.

Topi form herds of up to twenty females and calves led by a male, but thousands of Topi may come together during migration.

Males will engage in fights for territory and these are fought by lunging on to their knees while whacking each other with their horns. Topi can reach seventy kilometres an hour when frightened and will sometimes jump over each other to get away from a threat.

The Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:50:49 GMT

]]>The vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus), or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus Chlorocebus.

The vervet monkey ranges throughout much of Southern and East Africa, being found from Ethiopia, Somalia and extreme southern Sudan, to South Africa.
The vervet monkey eats a wide range of fruits, figs, leaves, seeds and flowers. It also eats birds' eggs and young chicks, and insects (grasshoppers and termites). In human inhabited environments it will eat bread and various crops; especially maize.

The vervet monkey has a black face with a white fringe of hair, while the overall body colour is mostly grizzled-grey. The males of all species have a pale blue scrotum and a red penis. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, the males are larger in weight and body length.

The vervet monkey uses different sounds to warn of different types of predators. It has distinct calls to warn of the sighting of a leopard, a snake, or an eagle. These sounds are considered a proto-language by many ethologists.

The Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:18:20 GMT

The Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:05:55 GMT

African Buffalo (Syncerus Caffer). Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:55:05 GMT

]]>Counting some 60,000 individuals in the Serengeti National Park, the formidable African Buffalo is one of its most numerous inhabitants. An aggressive and bad-tempered beast, it's considered the most dangerous of African animals, killing more people than lions or crocodiles ever do. Indeed, they will charge for any reason, at the least sense of danger. At night, for example, they often attack the vehicle's lights, causing severe damages.

Known as one of the "big five", the hostile-looking African buffalo is a bovid from the family of the Bovidae. It is up to 1.7 meters high, 3.4 meters long, and can reach a weight of 900 kilograms.

A very powerful creature, demanding respect from even a pride of lions when paths cross, they are dangerous even on the brink of death: a wounded buffalo will fake dead to let predators come near and thus deliver a last desperate -and sometimes mortal- attack.

Other than man, they have few natural predators and are capable of defending themselves against (and sometimes killing) lions, who will attack only old, sick, or immature buffaloes. The leopard is a threat only to newborn calves.

Buffaloes prefer open areas of abundant pastures, close to swampy ground where they can wallow. The main herd consists of all sexes and ages, though bachelor groups are also found.

A male is recognizable by the thickness of his horns, and is called the "Boss." Bulls mature at eight years of age. Cows first calve at five years of age, after a gestation period of 11.5 months.

African Buffalo (Syncerus Caffer). Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:49:34 GMT

Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:29:30 GMT

]]>The tallest of all land living animals, the Giraffe is a very common sight in the Serengeti, though they are notably absent from the Ngorongoro Crater (due to the shortage of acacia to browse). Males can be 4.8 to 5.5 metres tall and weigh up to 900 kilograms. Females are generally slightly shorter and weigh less. Of the 9 subspecies of giraffe, differentiated by color and pattern variations and range, the one that inhabits the reserve is known as Masai or Kilimanjaro Giraffe (G.c. tippelskirchi). It has characteristic jagged-edged, vine-leaf shaped spots of dark chocolate on a yellowish background.

Giraffes are famous for their long necks which allow them to browse on the leaves of trees, and elongated forelegs (which appear much longer than the hind legs, but in reality, are only 1/10th longer). The bony structure of the neck is essentially unchanged from that of other mammals: there are no extra vertebrae, but each of the seven bones is greatly enlarged. Bone constitutes the bud-like horns called ossicorns, which are covered with the Giraffe's skin like the rest of the skull.

Modifications to the Giraffe's structure have evolved, particularly to the circulatory system. A giraffe's heart, which can weigh up to 24 lb (10 kg), has to generate around double the normal blood pressure for a large mammal in order to maintain blood flow to the brain against gravity. In the upper neck, a complex pressure-regulation system called the rete mirabile prevents excess blood flow to the brain when the Giraffe lowers its head to drink. Conversely, the blood vessels in the lower legs are under great pressure (because of the weight of fluid pressing down on them).

In addition to the remarkably long neck, giraffes have enlarged forelegs. These legs make it possible for giraffes to move swiftly and defend themselves against predators. It is unknown whether or not the size of the giraffe's neck, working in combination with the leg length, may provide a biomechanical advantage in defending against lion attacks.

Oribi (Ourebia ourebi). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:57:42 GMT

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Found in most countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa, the Oribi is graceful small antelope, yet quiet elusive and hard to spot. They are most active during the morning, late afternoon and evening.
The white crescent-shaped band of fur above the eye is a characteristic that helps to distinguish this species from other similar looking antelope. Below each ear are large round black glandular patches and on the sides of the face are vertical creases that house the pre-orbital glands. These glands produce an odorous secretion that is used to mark the oribi's territory. Only males grow horns, which are slender and upright, ridged to about halfway up, the ends being smooth and pointed, with some of length 19cm (7.5 inches) being recorded.

They typically inhabit open grasslands or thinly bushed country, preferring habitats with short grasses on which to graze, interspersed with tall grass which provides cover from predators and the elements. Oribi are highly water-dependent and tend to avoid steep slopes.
During the breeding season, August to December, the male will mate with all the females who share his territory. Usually only one or two females are present in each territory. Following a gestation period of 6 to 7 months, a single offspring is born. For the first 8 to 10 weeks the female oribi hides her young in thick grass, where it will lie motionless if approached. The mother returns periodically to suckle her offspring. Young are weaned at about four to five months. Females reach sexual maturity at 10 months, males at 14 months.
If threatened they gallop away, bounding stiff-legged into the air every few strides; a behaviour known as stotting.

The Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:39:18 GMT

]]>The Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in the milder south and west, but many birds retreat in winter from the ice in colder regions. It has become common in summer even inside the Arctic circle along the Norwegian coast.

Its plumage is largely grey above, and off-white below. Adults have a white head with a broad black supercilium and slender crest, while immatures have a dull grey head. It has a powerful, pinkish-yellow bill, which is brighter in breeding adults. It has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes and spoonbills, which extend their necks. The call is a loud croaking "fraaank". The Australian White-faced Heron is often incorrectly called Grey Heron. In Ireland the grey heron is often colloquially called " crane ".

It feeds in shallow water, catching fish, frogs, and insects with its long bill. Herons will also take small mammals, reptiles and occasionally warbler nestlings, plovers, young and adult snipes, takes ducklings and tern chicks and other small birds. It will often wait motionless for prey, or slowly stalk its victim.

White-headed Buffalo-weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:33:47 GMT

]]>The White-headed Buffalo Weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli) is a species of passerine bird in the family Ploceidae native to East Africa. The buffalo part of its name derives from its habit of following the African buffalo, feeding on disturbed insects. Two subspecies are recognized.

In addition to its white head and underparts, the White-headed Buffalo Weaver has a vividly orange-red rump and undertail coverts. Its thighs are dark brown. Narrow white bands can be found on the wings. Both sexes are similar in plumage and hard to differentiate. The bill is conical and black

Like the most weavers, it is a gregarious bird which forages on the ground for insects, especially beetles and butterflies, fruits, and seeds, often in groups with starlings. Foraging is often done in groups of 3–6 birds.

Its sound is parrot-like: “skwieeer”, “kiiyerr”, a ringing and repetitious “tew”. In addition, variable sounds as chuckles and whistles can be heard at breeding and roosting sites. Males display to females by spreading their wings to show their white wing-patches and red-orange tail-coverts.

Breeding pairs are monogamous and nests are built together. The breeding season depends according to rainfall and varies according to local conditions. Nest materials are pushed together, not interwoven, to form an oval 570 millimetres (22 in) wide. A short entrance tube opens downwards and is about 2 to 4 metres (6.6–13 ft) above the ground. Soft materials line the inner portions of the nest, which usually has several rooms, with defensive thorny branches on the outside. A large tree will have several of their nests, which other birds such as the African Pygmy-falcon are known to use instead of building their own. The female incubates 3–5 greyish to pale blue eggs with red, brown and olive markings for 11–14 days. Both parents feed the chicks.

Lion (Panthera Leo). Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Thu, 12 May 2011 03:54:56 GMT

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nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:32:42 GMT

]]>Spotted Hyenas are not scavengers but intelligent predators that hunt in highly organized cooperative packs. Their forays even succeed in taking down very large preys, such as buffaloes, with a success rate so high they're often considered the most effective predators on the African savannah. Hyenas will only scavenge when absolutely necessary.

Spotted Hyenas have such formidable jaws (one of the strongest in the animal kingdom) and teeth that they devour even the bones of their kill. This, combined with their very strong stomach acid, results in them having crusty white droppings (from all the bone meal). The hyena's distinctive laughing call, used to disorient prey and gather the pack, has resulted in their nickname "laughing hyena". Adult females, weighing up to around 72 kilograms (158 lb), are heavier than the males, which are typically 10 kilograms (22 lb) lighter. The hyena has one of the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom and an adult of the species has only the lion to fear.

Female Spotted Hyenas are larger than their male counterparts, and socially dominant over them. Males leave their natal group on reaching sexual maturity, while females remain in it; the society is highly structured, with dominance relationship between the matrilines (the groups of females descended from a single mother) that endure for generations.

The female Spotted Hyena's urogenital system is unique among mammals: there is no vagina, and the clitoris is modified so that it is as large, and as erectile, as the male's penis. The female urinates, mates and gives birth through this modified clitoris (it contracts for mating, the opening widening to admit the male's penis). It was thought that the development of this structure depended on a masculinisation process triggered by the action of androgens of the developing female cub before or soon after birth, but it is now ascribed to normal morphogenesis and sexual mimicry. The evolutionary origins of this unique organ are not yet known. Birth through the clitoris is very difficult, and in addition the internal birth canal is contorted because of the unusual geometry of the external organs. In captivity, many cubs of primiparous mothers are stillborn because of the long labour times involved; in the wild, survival rates of females seem to fall sharply around the age of first giving birth, suggesting that the process is hazardous for the mother also.

While Spotted Hyenas have no real predators (besides humans), they are on occasions killed by lions, which eat the same foods and will often clash with hyenas over kills. Although lions are much larger, hyenas will defend their kills if possible, and hyena packs have been known to kill lions if they outnumber them significantly.

The Great Migrations - one of the World's most exceptional natural phenomena and Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

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nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:37:50 GMT

The Great Migrations - one of the World's most exceptional natural phenomena and Africa's greatest wildlife spectacle. Serengeti National Park. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

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An agama lizard is any one of the various small, long-tailed, insect-eating lizards of the genus Agama. The agamid genus is composed of at least 31 species across Africa, where they are the most common lizard.

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:45:27 GMT

A wake (group of feeding vultures) of White-backed Vultures (Gyps africanus) eating the carcass of a Wildebeest. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:41:54 GMT

]]>The White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus) is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is closely related to the European Griffon Vulture, G. fulvus. Sometimes it is called African White-backed Vulture to distinguish it from the Oriental White-backed Vulture—nowadays usually called Indian White-rumped Vulture--to which it was formerly believed to be closely related.

The White-backed Vulture is a typical vulture, with only down feathers on the head and neck, very broad wings and short tail feathers. It has a white neck ruff. The adult’s whitish back contrasts with the otherwise dark plumage. Juveniles are largely dark. This is a medium-sized vulture; its body mass is 4.2 to 7.2 kilograms (9.3–16 lb), it is 78 to 98 cm (31 to 39 in) long and has a 1.96 to 2.25 m (6 to 7 ft) wingspan.

Like other vultures it is a scavenger, feeding mostly from carcasses of animals which it finds by soaring over savannah. It also takes scraps from human habitations. It often moves in flocks. It breeds in trees on the savannah of west and east Africa, laying one egg. The population is mostly resident.
As it is rarer than previously believed, its conservation status was reassessed from Least Concern to Near Threatened in the 2007 IUCN Red List.

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The Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:44:56 GMT

Ostrich (Struthio camelus massaicus). Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:24:00 GMT

]]>The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member(s) of the genus Struthio.

Ostriches share the order Struthioniformes with the kiwis, emus, and other ratites. It is distinctive in its appearance, with a long neck and legs and the ability to run at maximum speeds of about 97.5 kilometres per hour (60.6 mph), the top land speed of any bird. The Ostrich is the largest living species of bird and lays the largest egg of any living bird (extinct elephant birds of Madagascar and the giant moa of New Zealand did lay larger eggs). The feathers of adult males are mostly black, with white primaries and a white tail. However, the tail of one subspecies is buff. Females and young males are greyish-brown and white. The head and neck of both male and female Ostriches is nearly bare, with a thin layer of down. The long neck and legs keep their head 1.8 to 2.75 metres (6 to 9 ft) above the ground, and their eyes are said to be the largest of any land vertebrate – 50 millimetres (2.0 in) in diameter; they can therefore perceive predators at a great distance. The eyes are shaded from sun light falling from above.

Ostriches become sexually mature when they are 2 to 4 years old; females mature about six months earlier than males. Ostriches are oviparous. The females will lay their fertilized eggs in a single communal nest, a simple pit, 30 to 60 centimetres (12–24 in) deep and 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide, scraped in the ground by the male. The dominant female lays her eggs first, and when it is time to cover them for incubation she discards extra eggs from the weaker females, leaving about 20 in most cases. Ostrich eggs are the largest of all eggs (and by extension, the yolk is the largest single cell), though they are actually the smallest eggs relative to the size of the adult bird.

The Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

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The Warthog or Common Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus). Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 06:09:26 GMT

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The Warthog or Common Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) is a wild member of the pig family that lives in grassland, savanna, and woodland in Sub-Saharan Africa. The common name comes from the four large wart-like protrusions found on the head of the warthog, which serve the purpose of defence when males fight as well as a fat reserve.

A warthog is identifiable by the two pairs of tusks protruding from the mouth and curving upwards. The lower pair, which is far shorter than the upper pair, becomes razor sharp by rubbing against the upper pair every time the mouth is opened and closed.

The tusks are used for digging, for combat with other hogs, and in defence against predators—the lower set can inflict severe wounds.

Warthog ivory is taken from the constantly growing canine teeth. The tusks, more often the upper set, are worked much in the way of elephant tusks with all designs scaled down. Tusks are carved predominantly for the tourist trade in East and Southern Africa. The head of the warthog is large with a mane that goes down the spine to the middle of the back. There is sparse hair covering the body. Color is usually black or brown. Tails are long and end with a tuft of hair. Common warthogs do not have subcutaneous fat and the coat is sparse, making them suceptible to extreme environmental temperatures.

The male is called a boar, the female a sow, and the young piglets. Warthogs are powerful diggers, using both snout and feet. The typical gestation period is 5 or 6 months. When they are about to give birth, sows temporarily leave their families to farrow in a separate hole. Warthogs have been observed to engage in allosucking. Sow will nurse foster piglets if they lose their own litter, making them cooperative breeders.

Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius). Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:54:06 GMT

]]>A massive resident of the Serengeti rivers, hippopotamus can weight up to 3.2 tonnes. The peaceful appearance of these plant-eaters is deceitful, as hippos are very dangerous animals, responsible for many human deaths in Africa.

Averaging 1.5 metres (5 ft) tall at the shoulder and weighting from 1,500 kg to 3,200, they are, together with the White Rhinoceros, the next largest land animal after the elephant. Male hippos appear to continue growing throughout their lives, whereas the females reach a maximum weight at around the age of 25. However, larger specimens than this have been documented, including one of which weighed almost five tonnes. Even though they are a bulky animal, hippopotamuses can run faster than a human on land. There are estimates of its actual running speed varying from 30 km/h (18 mph) to 40 km/h (25 mph), or even 48 km/h (30 mph).

The gregarious hippo lives in groups of up to 40 animals, called a pod, herd, school or bloat. A male hippo is known as a bull, a female, a cow, and a baby, a calf. A hippo's lifespan is typically 40 to 50 years. Female hippos will reach sexual maturity at 5 to 6 years, and have a gestation period of 8 months.

The eyes, ears, and nostrils of the hippo are placed high on the roof of the skull. This allows them to spend most of the day with the majority of their body submerged in the waters of tropical rivers to stay cool and prevent sunburn. For additional protection from the sun, their skin secretes a natural sunscreen substance which is red colored. This secretion is sometimes referred to as "blood sweat," but it is not actually blood, nor sweat. This secretion starts out colorless, turns red-orange within minutes, eventually becoming brown.

Hippos are highly territorial. Their canine teeth are 50 cm (20 inches) long, and it uses its head as a battering ram, especially against rival males while fighting over territory. Since their habitat is often encroached upon by farmers and tourists, and because they are so territorial, the hippopotamus is one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.
Baby hippos are born underwater at a weight between 60 to 110 pounds and must swim to the surface in order to take their first breath. The young often rest on their mothers' backs when in water that is too deep for them, and swim underwater in order to suckle.

Dimorphic Egret (Egretta dimorpha) & Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) around a Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius). Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:52:52 GMT

Dimorphic Egret (Egretta dimorpha) & Little Egret (Egretta garzetta). Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

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The Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) is a small white heron. It is the Old World counterpart to the very similar New World Snowy Egret. Its breeding distribution is in wetlands in warm temperate to tropical parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. In warmer locations, most birds are permanent residents; northern populations, including many European birds, migrate to Africa and southern Asia. They may also wander north in late summer after the breeding season, which may have assisted its current range expansion. Globally, the Little Egret is not listed as a threatened species.

The Little Egret nests in colonies, often with other wading birds, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs or in a reedbed or bamboo grove. In some locations such as the Cape Verde Islands, they nest on cliffs. Pairs defend a small breeding territory, usually extending around 3–4 m from the nest. The three to five eggs are incubated by both adults for 21–25 days to hatching. They are oval in shape and have a pale, non-glossy, blue-green colour. The young birds are covered in white down feathers, are cared for by both parents and fledge after 40 to 45 days.

Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius). Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

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Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius). Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:41:34 GMT

Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius). Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 06:00:50 GMT

Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius). Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

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The Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

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The Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

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The Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

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The Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:39:16 GMT

Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum). Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:35:18 GMT

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The Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum) is a bird in the crane family Gruidae. It occurs in dry savannah in Africa south of the Sahara, although it nests in somewhat wetter habitats. This animal does not migrate.

There are two subspecies. The East African B. r. gibbericeps (Crested Crane) occurs from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo through Uganda, of which it is the national bird, and Kenya to eastern South Africa. It has a larger area of bare red facial skin above the white patch.

The Grey Crowned Crane has a breeding display involving dancing, bowing, and jumping. It has a booming call, which involves inflation of the red gular sac. It also makes a honking sound quite different from the trumpeting of other crane species.
The nest is a platform of grass and other plants in tall wetland vegetation. The Grey Crowned Crane lays a clutch of 2-5 eggs. Incubation is performed by both sexes and lasts 28–31 days.
The Grey Crowned Crane is about 1 m (3.3 ft) tall and weighs 3.5 kg (7.7 lbs). Its body plumage is mainly grey. The wings are also predominantly white, but contain feathers with a range of colours. The head has a crown of stiff golden feathers. The sides of the face are white, and there is a bright red inflatable throat pouch. The bill is relatively short and grey, and the legs are black. The sexes are similar, although males tend to be slightly larger. Young birds are greyer than adults, with a feathered buff face.
Although the Grey Crowned Crane remains common over much of its range, it faces threats to its habitat due to drainage, overgrazing, and pesticide pollution.
Like all cranes, it feeds on insects and other invertebrates, reptiles, small mammals, as well as grass seeds.

The Grey Crowned Crane is the national bird of Uganda and features in the country's flag and coat of arms.

Common Zebra (Equus quagga) around Kopjes in Serengeti National Park during the Great Migrations. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

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Plains or Burchell´s Zebra is the species of this striped equine that inhabits the Serengeti National Park.
During the Great Migration, alongside wildebeest, some 190 thousand zebra complete the circular clockwise route in search for fresh pastures, and are a persistent sight in the reserve.

The Plains Zebra is the most common and geographically widespread form of zebra. They are mid-sized and thick-bodied with relatively short legs. Adults of both sexes stand about 1.4 metres high at the shoulder, are approximately 2.3 metres long, and weigh about 230 kg. Like all zebras, they are boldly striped in black and white and no two individuals look exactly alike. All have vertical stripes on the forepart of the body, which tend towards the horizontal on the hindquarters.
Their characteristic and vividly contrasting black and white stripes are still today an enigma for scientists. Most zoologists assume that the stripes act as a camouflage mechanism, while others believe them to play a role in social interactions, with slight variations of the pattern allowing the animals to distinguish between individuals.

Zebras can travel at a top speeds of 55km per hour: although slower than horses, they have much greater stamina. Plains Zebras are highly social and usually form small family groups consisting of a single stallion, one, two, or several mares, and their recent offspring.

Unlike many of the large ungulates of Africa, Plains Zebras prefer but do not require short grass to graze on. In consequence, they range more widely than many other species, even into woodland, and they are often the first grazing species to appear in a well-vegetated area. Only after zebras have cropped and trampled the long grasses do wildebeests and gazelles move in. Nevertheless, for protection from predators, Plains Zebras retreat into open areas with good visibility at night time, and take it in turns standing watch. They eat a wide range of different grasses, preferring young, fresh growth where available, and also browse on leaves and shoots from time to time.

The Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – Gnu. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:18:17 GMT

Thomson's Gazelle (Gazella thomsoni). Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya. East Africa 2009 © Nora de Angelli / www.noraphotos.com

nora@noraphotos.com (Nora Photos) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:48:13 GMT

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Thomson's gazelles are a common sight in the Serengeti ecosystem, but it couldn't be otherwise, as their population almost reaches the 450,000 individuals. Named after explorer Joseph Thomson -and often referred to as the "tommy"- this small gazelle keeps the unpleasing privilege of being the cheetah's favourite prey. One of the most well known gazelles, they live in Africa's savanna and grassland habitats, particularly the Serengeti region of Kenya and Tanzania. Female tommies have short, smooth, pencil-slim horns or none at all. The face is accented by a black stripe running down from the eye, a dark marking on the nose and a light patch on the forehead.
Thomson's gazelles are 60-90 cm tall and weigh 30-35 lbs. They have light brown coats with white underparts and a distinctive black stripe. Their horns are long and pointed with slight curvature.

The territory of a Thomson's gazelle and several other types of ungulates may overlap with no problem whatsoever. Occasionally, a Thomson's gazelle and a zebra or other ungulate will even appear to enjoy one another's company with great sociability.

Female Thomson's gazelles give birth to single fawns after a 5-6 month gestational period. They are unusual among other ungulates in that they can give birth twice yearly, rather than just once.

In the wild, Thomson's gazelles can live up to 10-15 years, although they are preyed on by most African big cats and hyenas, and are the favorite food for cheetahs. Half of all the fawns born will be lost to predators before reaching adulthood. The cheetah and the Thomson's gazelle are the two fastest animals on land, with cheetahs able to attain higher speeds, but Thomson's gazelles able to outlast the cheetahs in long chases and able to make turns more speedily.

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Wadi Rum also known as The Valley of the Moon is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in south Jordan at 60 km to the east of Aqaba. Wadi Rum has been inhabited by many human cultures since prehistoric times (8000 BC), with many cultures–including the Nabateans leaving their mark in the form of rock paintings, graffiti, and temples. David Lean filmed much of this ‘Lawrence of Arabia (Peter O’Toole ,1962) film on location in Wadi Rum desert.

In October, 1917, Lawrence, as part of a general effort to divert Turkish military resources away from the British invasion of North Africa, led a small force of Syrians and Arabians in defending Petra against a much larger combined force of Turks and Germans. The Bedouin women living in the vicinity of Petra and under the leadership of Sheik Khallil's wife were recruited to fight in the defense of the city. The defenders were able to completely devastate the Turkish/German forces.

T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) wrote: "...so you will never know what Petra is like, unless you come out here. Only be assured that till you have seen it you have not had the glimmering of an idea how beautiful a place can be."