NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA . . . News!
Buffalo move from the edges of The Munge River to the lush plains and of course, the lions follow them.
Jackals prepare new dens and hyenas wallow in the mud like no other animal can wallow.
A joy for photographers!
The New Year in Ngorongoro will bring many such opportunities to visitors interested in photography.
Just watching animals going about their 'New Year' will delight those of us lucky enough to be there.
It is definately time to make a New Year's resolution to make a visit to Ngorongoro, the rains will bring colour and beauty, life and sounds never to be forgotten....
It will be followed by the dry season which will, in turn bring its unique version of all that and more.
As always, the people of Ngorongoro will be there to welcome and greet you.
And wish you the best for all seasons.
Visitors have seen
the magnificent skies that hereld
the rains and amazing displays of far off lightening
casting ghostly flashes behind vast cloud formations.
Rolling thunder
for sound effects and the approaching herds mingling with the resident animals
is a must for the Tanzanian visitor.
New years bring new seasons on the plains.
Where a few days ago, dust blew in clouds
before the winds, vivid green shoots hold the darkened earth firm.
A dazzling array of
insects come to life, butterflies
emerge as do chameleons from the
softened crust and the birds move in to feast.
The great bird migrations from Europe
come with the heaviest of rains and the background 'roar' of the famous
gnu migration ranges closer and closer.
Heavily pregnant cows are headed
for the short grass plains of Ndutu
where they will move in gradually covering the entire area.
Elsewhere in The Conservation Area,
the highlands are emerging in many
cloaks of colours as the first flowers make
way for the next wash of colour and then the next and the next.
The hippos on the Crater floor move from their dry season pools
and inspect their neighbour's water holes.
Many fortunate visitors
to Ngorongoro this season have enjoyed a 'special'
Christmas.
The rains, always longed for with great anticipation have begun and people
and animals alike, have moved into 'life with
water' mode.
It is planting time for Tanzanians living around the
Conservation area and for the Maasai
living within, the time is approaching for them to once again to move to wet
season areas with their herds.
The slow migration to richer
food sources avoids health problems for the stock and as the
season lengthens, certain areas are avoided altogether.
These areas are where the wildebeests
will be giving birth in
late February and early March and not only do the very experienced
Maasai avoid the huge numbers of predators
that can be expected around the plains herds but any sicknesses as well.
January 2004
