Extra Effort Equals Ecstatic Enjoyment! By Emanuel Mosha

Photo by Petra Jansma

As the result of a long days safari their eyes were turned to settings which resulted into a memorable picture of the wildebeest in their life and something which will make them not to forget Lamai Serengeti with their different experience in the bush.

Photo by Petra Jansma

A Sea of Black and White..

Some of us went out on an adventure searching for the Migration which we had heard was not too far away.  I joined Heather, Anne, Richard and Francoise and we started our journey with Kakae after a nice, slow start to the morning, haven had a delicious breakfast.

Our first few sightings outside camp were two Oribis, two Reedbuck and a lovely little Dikdik. We then spotted a huge herd of Elephant over in the hills opposite us and we knew that we were in for a good day!

We drove 70kms South-west and then South-east and saw many fantastic sights, such as hundreds of vultures on a Zebra kill, large herds of Eland, Topi, Red Hartebeest and great groups of assorted animals feasting together on the dried-out burnt patches where National Park had done 'control burning' which is a common occurrence this time of the year.

 

As we left, two lionesses who had recently been feeding on a Wildebeest carcass, were now flopped down in the grass with rather large bellies.  

We drove over the hill and had our first sighting of the beginning of the famous Wildebeest Migration!  There were probably a hundred Wildebeest dotted around the plains with a couple of Zebras thrown in for color, but it was not so much the sight which amazed us as we closed in on them but the sound, which is something that one cannot explain – just truly incredible.  Each Wildebeest has its own voice and each one sounds completely different, with much ‘neighing’ and 'grunting'.  Summing it up in one word, they are quite appropriately called 'G..N..U..'.
 

Soon we left them and continued towards the Bologonja River . Words cannot really express what we saw, but hopefully the photos will be able to explain in more detail.  Let me just say that there was literally a sea of black and white, and in every direction we moved - we saw more and more Zebras!  The collective noun - 'A Dazzle of Zebras' – is definitely the best way to describe this sight!

In total we worked out we saw approximately between 8,000 to 10,000 Zebra in this one area.  They were standing, walking and running in their groups all around us.  The noise was astounding as each stallion called out to his family and each mare called out to her foal.   Groups would run backwards and forwards, trying to decide where to go, and once arriving at the water to drink, one of them would let off a neigh and again, they would all gallop away!  The most incredible thing of all is that each and every Zebra we saw had a different marking, much the same as a finger print!

 We found a lovely spot on the edge of the small stream where we set up our picnic, surrounded by these magnificent animals, all galloping and cantering around us!

 

We arrived back to camp at about 1800 in the evening after a full and truly adventurous day,  ready to tell all about our sightings!

Since then, most guests in camp have taken the time out of their busy Lamai schedule to drive to the Bologonja River to witness this incredible spectacle of the Zebra migration!

If this is only the start of it... we can only wonder what lies in store for us over the next few weeks!! 

A feast for Three! By Kakae Saiteu

I went to the Lamai wedge with the Sheer family and after hours of searching we came across a cheetah kill.  A very healthy and large male cheetah had killed a Thompsons Gazelle a few minutes before.  The kill was very fresh which implies that is had happened very recently. 

After staying there for about 15 minutes the vultures started soaring above us and a few minutes later a black-backed jackal arrived.  The Jackal walked straight towards the cheetah as if he was going to challenge it and take the kill away but he instead he stayed about 3 metres away.   The Jackal waited until the Cheetah saw a hyena coming and moved away and it was then that the jackal got a chance to start eating the Thomie which eventually got taken away by the hyena.  The hyena left both the intestines with the jackal and then the vultures started descending to take away the remains.

The jackal kept chasing the vultures but eventually gave up and allowed the vultures to share!

Just another day at Lamai!

Photo by Lisa Dokken

We have had such fantastic sightings over the last couple of weeks and the Dokken family managed to capture some great photographs with John on their game drives.  In one day they sighted a huge healthy male Cheetah on a 'thomi' kill, which was eyed closely by a black-backed Jackal and eventually stolen by a Hyena!

Photo by Lisa Dokken

 
A beautiful large male leopard was seen relaxing up in a tree and a male lion hiding sneakily behind a bush!  What a day!!

These beautiful photos show two of the biggest spotted cats in Africa in true style!


Lisa Dokken took such great photos I couldn't resist asked her for them!  

'The Rogers Family' with Emmanuel by Lisa Dokken

Fortunately the Lamai wedge has opened up now and it has become a ritual for daily visits to this beautiful area. 


It is like a secret Oasis in the middle of the Serengeti!!

'The Lamai Wedge' by Lisa Dokken