"Africa: Symphony "
We left Mto-wa-Mbu for another teeth rattling trip through the outback to reach the gate of Serengeti National Park. We spent three days driving and camping in Serengeti. It was an incredible experience. If you have ever dreamed of a safari - GO.
The Serengeti Plain, famous from countless programming hours on the Discovery Channel and National Geographic Explorer, stretches to the horizon, and the fields of tall grass appear endless. Honestly, it looks a lot like Nebraska.
Only with lions.
And giraffe.
And zebra and elephant and hippo and crocodile and you get the idea.
The sky on the plain is immense and deep. With no mountains to invade it, only the occasional acacia tree and irregular outcropping of rock pierce the horizon.
The wildlife is everywhere. Impala, gazelle, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, elephant, hippo, lion, leopard, cheetah, water buffalo, crocodile, vulture, all in numbers you wouldn't believe. As our ubiquitous white Land Rover made it's way along the dirt roads that dissect the park, we came upon every animal that inhabits childhood dreams and perhaps a few nightmares. It's like a fantasy. And a visit to the zoo will never be the same.
Elephant: We saw herds of elephant 50 strong. The Serengeti is littered with trees - often large ones - stripped and toppled by elephant. I watched two male elephants wrestling for sexual dominance (talk about feeling insignificant!) and sat in the Land Rover as a large matriarch took some very aggressive steps toward our vehicle when we drove too close to her and a young rubbery skinned pachyderm.
By the way, when an elephant gets ticked off, they push out their ears and stand very tall. When they charge, their well-padded feet make almost no sound. They move surprisingly fast. Elephants are the top dog (so to speak) in Africa. They have no predators and no fear. They are also the smartest animals in the Serengeti, and known to kill lions, rhino, crocodile, Land Rover, and overconfident, Italian-American tourists from California. But we can discuss that later.
Leopard: Leopards are probably the most difficult animals to spot in Africa. They are incredibly camouflaged solitary cats. I'm told a large male leopard can even kill a small or weakened lion. We were lucky enough to chance upon a leopard snoozing high in an acacia tree. It would be the only leopard we would see until our trip to Ngorongoro.
Vulture: We saw many vultures, in trees, in the air, and on a carcass. I'm not sure of what. I hope not a park ranger. The vultures are huge, much bigger than an eagle, and attack a carcass violently. It's one of the most disturbing things I have ever observed. But it's the sound that chills. A gaggle of vultures at a carcass sounds like a witches' den. Vultures cackle and cry as they bounce around the carcass fighting for position and ripping at the flesh. It's ghastly.
Cheetah: I never saw a cheetah run. Wish I had. But I did see a cheetah eating a Tommy's gazelle right after a kill. Cheetahs are not very large and are in fact the most threatened predator in the Serengeti. The cheetah kept interrupting its meal to scan the grass for other predators. They often have their kills stolen by hyena and lion, so they eat quickly and watch carefully.
Crocodile: I am terrified of crocodiles. The crocodile has a real simple formula for its evolutionary success: Fast, quiet, huge, loads of teeth and a teeny, tiny brain. We happened across a stream inhabited by about a half dozen crocs. We actually got out of the Land Rover to take pictures. I walked within maybe 100 feet of the water, but that's as close I would get. Let's just say I'm glad my camera had a zoom lens.
Wildebeest: Ugly, smelly, noisy, and the goddam tsetse flies follow them around. They snort. They honk. They bray. And they are everywhere! I saw a herd of wildebeest run by our car for ten full minutes. I would guess this particular herd numbered three or four thousand.
Lion: I have to admit, the lions are cool. Mostly they pay no attention to the never-ending traffic of Land Rovers. They lay there, occasionally raising their heads to watch the incoming 4X4s with shutter happy tourists gawking out the windows. It's surprising (and a little unnerving at first) how close we could get to a wild lion. How close? Ten, fifteen feet. And they just lay there, yawning
However, a large female roared at us and bared her teeth after our guide, Thomas, in a successful attempt show us a little excitement, spooked her by waving his arm out the window when we were no more than fifteen feet from her bed in the tall grass.
A lion's growl is an intimidating sound - especially when it's directed at you. It was impressively loud, and the lion made damn sure we knew who was in charge. She had thick yellow teeth about three inches long and muscles that that would make Ah-nold envious.
But it's their eyes that will really thrill you. A lion's eyes are gold - pools of liquid gold. The female lions stare at you, almost sizing you up. "Come on tourist boy, get out of the truck. It's almost lunch time"
Male lions? Absolutely majestic. They may not have earned the title "King of the Jungle", but they sure look the part. The males basically sleep all day, protect the pride, eat food the pride has killed, guard their territory, and breed relentlessly when called upon. Then again, I suppose that's all a king really has to do anyway.
We were fortunate enough to watch one lion hunt a pair of gazelles that wandered into her territory. She crept into the grass not more than 50 yards from the truck and totally disappeared. And I mean totally. I developed a new sense of respect not only for the lion but for all the other animals that have to live in the plain - especially the Maasai. Watching that lion vanish like that, you couldn't have offered me enough money to go for a walk through the grass. I would never, ever see it coming. Mighty Jimbo, lion food. In case you're wondering, the gazelles survived the encounter. They got within five yards of the waiting lion, but saw her before she could pounce.
People have asked me if I was nervous camping in the Serengeti, especially after seeing all those animals more than capable of making me a meal and ending my soft suburban life. A nylon tent is little comfort when invisible lions are stalking silently around the grass. Honestly, I wasn't too uptight about camping. There were dozens of other campers at the site, and animals tend to steer clear of large groups of people. Meredith and I were even so bold as to walk the roads outside the campsite for a spell - at least until the friendly park rangers with the AK-47s reminded us that those lions we saw a few miles back are also walking around. We decided that the nice gentleman in the fatigues with the machine gun was probably right, and subsequently stayed put for the remainder of our visit to the Serengeti.
The whole experience of being in the Serengeti was unbelievable. Not to sound cliché, but the cycle of life is played before you on such a grand scale, it's hard not to feel dwarfed by the magnitude of it all.
I had trouble finding the right word to describe it, but it feels symphonic. I know that sounds like an odd word, but hear me out. There is abundant life, and violent death. It's brutal. It's also gentle. It is at many times as ugly as it is beautiful. But together, it feels like a symphony. All the places and plants and players, all the sounds and sights and smells feel essential, and the experience becomes grand, magnificent. Much like a symphony, and an extraordinary one at that.
