Tarangire National Park

Day 30 & 31 – 8^th & 9^th Jully 2019

The trip from Arusha to Tarangire was absolutely facinating.  Being Masaai territory, you expected only to see the Masaai tending their herds.  But our journey co-incided with a special cattle market in the Mgagau area.  It is here where people come and buy and sell cattle, goats and sheep for either for butcheries, milking and farming.

Mgagau Cattle Market

 And, of course, some Masaai are too lazy to walk their goat to the market!

A Masaai taking his goat to market

Tarangire National Park thus far has been the best National Park we have ever visited.  Not a large variety of game, but massive herds of zebra, buffalo, elephant and giraffe.  Also, huge prides of lion.

Upon arrival at the gate, the large number of tour operated vehicles was overwhelming.  This is possibly forerunner of what we can expect in the Serengeti earlier next week.

Tour Operator's vehicles for Tarangire

We wanted special campsites, as opposed to public, but unfortunately there were none available.  We were then told that if we wanted special campsites, that we should have booked them in advance at the TANAPA offices in Urusha.  We asked whether that would be the case for Serengeti and were told that it was.  Fortunately a gentleman behind the counter was ever so accommodating and offered to book our Serengeti special campsites there and then.  We managed to get two nights at Kogatende, and two nights at Kira Wira.

We checked in around lunchtime, so that we only had to be out of the park by lunchtime on the 10th July, and in time to go for a leisurely game drive before getting to the Public Campsite.  Our first sighting was lion!

Two youngsters in a pride of around twenty lion

Unlike most of the South African operators in the Kruger National Park, the safari tour guides are hugely considerate, friendly and always willing to share their knowledge and sightings.  There is no pushing and shoving and parking each other in, as one gets in the Kruger.  We’re now hoping for the same in the Serengeti.

The Public Campsites are really great, that huge pride of lion was not more than 1,5 km's from the campsite, and their incessant roaring, together with the occasional elephant trumpet and hyena cries put us soundly to sleep every night.

The next day the lion provided us with much amusement!  We think the adults were out hunting, but two youngsters (perhaps the same two as above!) were playing with a mongoose that they had caught, but not killed.  It was sort of sad to watch, but that is what wildlife is about.  We were quite unaware of a third youngster, who had a hurt foot, sitting across the road until one of the two crossed the road to say hello and play!  The first greeting was awesome, and caught by Peter on the camera.

Hello sister!

And this was the result after the initial greeting.

Next stop, Lake Manyara National Park.