THE EAST AFRICAN SERIES, DAY 26
Ngorongoro Crater
Summary
On day 26 of my East African series, I explored Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater, an ancient volcanic ecosystem. Despite the biting morning cold, our expert guide tracked incredible wildlife, including endangered black rhinos and a rare serval cat. A highlight was watching a territorial standoff between a jackal and vultures over a zebra carcass. Although crowded with other jeeps, this unique crater offered a stunning conclusion to my safari journey.
The Ngorongoro crater. It was one of those early starts again, but when on holiday, I’m all for it, especially when most of the action is either first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening.
THE JACKAL AND VULTURES WERE NOT TAKING ANY SHIT FROM EACH OTHER
But one thing about the early starts on this trip is how cold things have been. I have layers, but I never expected it to be this cold.
WHERE IS NGORONGORO CRATER?
Ngorongoro Crater
LASER VISION
Safari guides here in Africa have this amazing sixth sense of knowing where animals are. One moment, we drove through the bush, surrounded by nothing or by 5,000 wildebeest. Then he would stop at the roadside, looking through binoculars at three hyenas on the horizon. It’s really incredible.
The Ngorongoro crater
DAILY INFO….
- HOTEL – Sanctuary at Ngorongoro Crater Camp 7/10
- FOOD – Evening platter
- ATTRACTIONS – Ngorongoro Crater
- STEPS – 6,100
BREAKFAST
We had breakfast during the Ngorongoro Crater game drive, less impressive than in the Masai Mara, but still great. We thought we had everything: pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast, fruit, until our guide revealed HP sauce!
HP sauce is a bit of a craze in the UK for breakfast and fry-ups, and it’s hard to find it anywhere else in the world.
DID YOU KNOW…
The Big 5 were determined by hunters to be the most difficult animals to hunt on foot. They are Rhino, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard and the Lion.
VOLCANO PEAK
We drove around and saw a few animals, then found a serval that looked like a domestic cat and a Cheetah mix.
We then headed to the highest point within the crater, which would have been the volcano’s peak before it blew itself open almost 2 million years ago. Here we searched high and low for the Rhino we came here to see. There are only 700 black rhinos left in the world, 50 of which are in this crater.
CARCASS
Making our way back to the hotel, we spotted a number of vultures circling just ahead, which can mean only one thing: a kill. When we arrived, we counted around 25, all keen to take a nibble from the carcass of a baby zebra that was maybe only one week old. It’s impossible to know how it died; it could be from a predator, natural causes, or a male zebra.
This was the very road we drove on in the morning, so it only happened within a few hours, and it’s safe to say the animals didn’t take long to rid it of its meat.
This was the very road we drove in the morning so it only happened within a few hours and it’s safe to say it didn’t take the animals long to rid it of it’s meats.
The Ngorongoro crater
RELATED READ: DEATH THREATS IN MELBOURNE
JACKAL vs VULTURES
As the main predators had likely had their share, all that was left was mostly skin and bones for the vultures. But they had competition in a few jackals that were also keen on some food, but anytime any animal was brave enough to take a bite, it would come with a nasty bite to the rear.
Eventually, all the animals were scared away from the carcass and patiently sat a few feet away. Vultures struggled to join again, and the nervous jackal saw it as its only chance, aware of nearby jeeps.
ABOUT NGORONGORO:
- The Ngorongoro Crater was formed almost 2million years ago when a large volcano erupted and collapsed on itself.
- There are around 30,000 animals ranging from leopard, cheetah, elephant and hyena to warthog, buffalo and impala. It is known to be one of the best places in the world to see the endangered black rhino and black-maned male lions.
- You won’t find any giraffes in the crater. It’s thought they can’t enter as the sides are too steep for them to walk down. However, you’ll still be able to find them around the crater.
VULTURES 2.0
It didn’t take long for one vulture to risk getting another mouthful of baby zebra, but every time he got close, the little jackal would snap. It was a bit of a comedy sketch between the two of them.
While all this was going on, the mother circled and cried out, looking for her baby. Eventually, she came across the carcass and stood, watching as the last of the meat was picked from its guts.
The Ngorongoro crater
RHINO
We got a call that there was a Rhino back in the area where we had breakfast. So, we made the move and headed back.
I always thought Ngorongoro Sanctuary was an exclusive reserve until we arrived at the rhino-spotting and noticed, I think, around 50 jeeps! More bizarre was the rhino’s distance from the road. Even with the best binoculars, you needed a steady hand and laser eyesight to see it.
These guides honestly make you feel blind as they see these animals so easily. But they all count, and it would be unfair to assume we would get within 50 yards of an endangered species after only being here a day.
After this, around 2:30, we headed back to camp for a chill afternoon to end the safari part of this journey. What a trip it has been.
SUMMED UP….
- MVP – The Rhino
- HIGHLIGHT – The tussle between the jackals and the vultures was funny.
- LOWLIGHT – I think there could have been more activity
The Ngorongoro crater
TODAY’S YOUTUBE VIDEOS
If you want to see today from a different perspective and catch a few different stories from the front row, then check out today’s YouTube videos below.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I can’t say the crater was disappointing. Yes, I expected more animals and action, but it’s where you are that is so special. This is a vast private game area created by a massive prehistoric volcanic eruption, which now supports its own ecosystem. It’s amazing to think that none of these animals need to migrate, but if they were 10 yards outside of the crater, it would be a different story.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
158/229
NEXT UP
Off to Zanzibar for some ☀️🏝🍹!! Click to read.
This post is part of The East African Series, for the entire series click here or for episode 1, click here.
To see a different side of my trip head to my social channels; YouTube, Instagram & TikTok. Links at top of the page.
Question Time
- Where is your favourite safari destination?
- Where would you like to safari most?
- What is your favourite big 5?
Let me know in the comments below . . .
