NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA . . . News! - Back to Archives
The
short grass plains of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area
have blossomed from the dusty browns of dry season to startling greens
of the wet season.
Rains have swept down from the Crater Highlands
and bring with them the animals and birds that utilise newly grown habitat.
Suddenly where only a couple of weeks ago, the dry season residents eked
out an existence in an apparently harsh environment
huge herds of wildebeest and zebra
zigzag across the same plains in a sea of fresh grass and herbs. Birdsong
from the small
ground dwelling larks, finches
and robin chats blend with the bass drum boom of the kori
bustards. This chorus of breeding expectations continue
throughout the short evening hours as the January
moon waxes and the African nights become dim rather than
dark. And still Jupiter dominates
the glittering sky. The haunting call of ground
hornbill pairs calling to each other from their separate
sleeping trees fills the woodland at dawn and the day begins in earnest.
Some of the first flowers to apear amongst the herds are from the Hibuscus
family of which there are over 50 in Northern Tanzania. The delicate 'Aethiopicus'
a long growing perennial with beautiful yellow flowers suddenly appears
with the first downpours. Heliotropium steudneri
and Cycnium tubulosum are the forerunners of the inestimable
fragrant herbs which cover the Plains and Crater floor in the coming months.
Thompson gazelles move in
great numbers in the wake of the wildebeest migration and feast on the
already shortened grasses.
Every
single fragment is itemised, stored and discussed by Dr
Rob Blumenshine and his Tanzanian and American colleagues before
being written up.
The museum on the edge of Oldupai Gorge
is open to all visitors and it is possible to add to an already wonderful
safari with a guided visit to the fascinating sites on the floor of the gorge.
The crater itself changes character completely
in the rains.
Swamps seethe with breeding water birds and hippos
spend the hot summer days in brimming pools.
The massive old bull elephants
of the Crater share the tracks with safari vehicles and a thriving black rhino
population wander across the Crater floor searching out their favourite herbs.
Wildebeests here calve earlier than on the plains and the first
babies are being born as now!
Being born into a world of wonder. Mother's calls,
the smell of her, the herd, the earth, the sound of thunder, soft rains, the
sky aflame with the colours of sunset, the scent of flowers and the phenomenal
ability to be up and running by mother's side in just eleven
minutes of life.
In this fast moving, ever changing world of ours, we need to take the time
to be reminded of the timelessness of nature.
What better place to experience this than in Ngorongoro!
There
will always be a warm welcome here for you.
It is possible to see these exciting events from
your safari vehicle as they
unfold. It is also well worth waiting quietly at a distance as it sometimes
turns out that you are not the only spectators and vigilant hyenas and
lions will run for several kilometres to take a kill from cheetahs.
Cheetahs, usually exhausted
from a long fast sprint will move off without a struggle, rest for a time
a couple of kilometres away and try again in the cooler hours.
Elephants wander down Oldupai
Gorge feeding on herbs only available during this time of year.
Because of water running down the gorge, ongoing archaeological
work is confined mainly to cataloguing and assessing the winter,
dry season's work in the digs.
January - February - March 2002
