The last stop of the safari was the Masai Mara. We spent two nights at the Mara Simba Lodge.
Here we saw families of elephants casually walking across the plains.
There were some unique looking trees.
This is a sausage tree (Kigelia africana).
It gets its name because the fruits look like sausages hanging in a butcher shop.
We were told that this is a favorite fruit of the elephants.
The third type of giraffe we saw was the masai giraffe.
The spots are similar to the Rothschild giraffe, but it doesn't have the white knee socks.
There were lots of grazing animals, including antelopes, gazelles, and this hartebeest.
We saw lots of hawks, eagles, and vultures, but none were as beautifully colored as this lilac breasted roller.
The stars of the Masai Mara were the lions.
It was incredible how close we were able to get to them.
Watching the cubs snuggle and play with each other was a treat.
Once the lions decided they were tired with being watched, we went back to the lodge.
I had the chance to go on a walking safari with two maasai guides and a ranger.
We walked right up to the bank of a river filled with hippos.
One didn't seem thrilled about posing for my camera, so it was time to move on.
I didn't need to worry about the ranger firing his gun. Other than the hippos, we didn't see any large animals. The most exciting find was this dung beetle.
and this lizard
and the huge galls on this acacia tree filled with ants.
Back at the lodge, we were entertained by vervet monkeys who liked the tree next to our patio.
Is he making a pass at me?
or trying to impress his girlfriend?
The tree next to our patio was also popular with bats.
These banded mongooses were very entertaining to watch. They were part of a group of about 12.
They chased this eagle from tree to tree to bush to rock. I was surprised the eagle didn't pick one off for dinner (and to teach the rest a lesson).
Just as it was starting to rain, we spotted this male ostrich
along with the female.
As the rain picked up, I got a quick look at this hyena. Then we had to hurry back as roads were starting to turn to rivers.
We were there at the height of the wildebeest migration. I was disappointed that we were staying too far from the Mara River to watch them cross. But there were lots of wildebeests in the park, which made the lions and vultures very content (and full!)
Why did the wildebeest cross the road?
Here we saw families of elephants casually walking across the plains.
There were some unique looking trees.This is a sausage tree (Kigelia africana).
It gets its name because the fruits look like sausages hanging in a butcher shop.We were told that this is a favorite fruit of the elephants.
The third type of giraffe we saw was the masai giraffe.The spots are similar to the Rothschild giraffe, but it doesn't have the white knee socks.
There were lots of grazing animals, including antelopes, gazelles, and this hartebeest.We saw lots of hawks, eagles, and vultures, but none were as beautifully colored as this lilac breasted roller.The stars of the Masai Mara were the lions. It was incredible how close we were able to get to them.
Watching the cubs snuggle and play with each other was a treat.Once the lions decided they were tired with being watched, we went back to the lodge.I had the chance to go on a walking safari with two maasai guides and a ranger.We walked right up to the bank of a river filled with hippos.One didn't seem thrilled about posing for my camera, so it was time to move on. I didn't need to worry about the ranger firing his gun. Other than the hippos, we didn't see any large animals. The most exciting find was this dung beetle.and this lizardand the huge galls on this acacia tree filled with ants.Back at the lodge, we were entertained by vervet monkeys who liked the tree next to our patio.Is he making a pass at me?or trying to impress his girlfriend?The tree next to our patio was also popular with bats.These banded mongooses were very entertaining to watch. They were part of a group of about 12.They chased this eagle from tree to tree to bush to rock. I was surprised the eagle didn't pick one off for dinner (and to teach the rest a lesson).Just as it was starting to rain, we spotted this male ostrichalong with the female.As the rain picked up, I got a quick look at this hyena. Then we had to hurry back as roads were starting to turn to rivers.We were there at the height of the wildebeest migration. I was disappointed that we were staying too far from the Mara River to watch them cross. But there were lots of wildebeests in the park, which made the lions and vultures very content (and full!)Why did the wildebeest cross the road?To get a gnu name!
Our guide didn't have much of a sense of humor when I told him that joke.
The zebras frequently stayed with the wildebeest herds. I think because they can outrun the wildebeests if a lion tries to eat them.
This was the favorite pose of the zebra. Every time I had a nice shot lined up, they would turn and moon me as I clicked the shutter.
It was time for the safari to end and for us to head to Zanzibar for some beach time.
The zebras frequently stayed with the wildebeest herds. I think because they can outrun the wildebeests if a lion tries to eat them.This was the favorite pose of the zebra. Every time I had a nice shot lined up, they would turn and moon me as I clicked the shutter.It was time for the safari to end and for us to head to Zanzibar for some beach time. 
No comments:
Post a Comment