NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA . . . News!
A very exciting and moving
ceremony took place this last month in the Endulen
Highlands west of The Crater. It was held in a
boma (or village) with of course, a spectacular view. This
particular ceremony is one of great importance in
traditional Maasai life. It is a graduation into young
Elderhood from Morani or the warrior years.
The new elders undertake serious responsibilities in decision making for
the communities concerned and the Morani accept full responsibility
for the protection of the herds, herders and homes.
This particular day is also an important milestone
in the lives of the participant's wives. Among other things, the wives
of the new Elders can now eat
in public with their husbands.
As Morani, the usually observed rule is for the men to eat
alone. Some of the men organising and participating in the day's events
are officials of the NCAA and
the local council, so this made the day even more 'special'. Many, many
Maasai came from all over the NCA to enjoy what is always a very happy
time on the Maasai calendar.
No one can say exactly what you will see when you come to see us in the NCA but one thing can be said for certain. Each day and night in Ngorongoro will add to the most outstanding memories.
Some take up territorial
positions and defend their chosen areas against all in-comers,
only to move along, sometimes within minutes, hours or days, to play out the
exact drama a few meters from the last stronghold.
Most of these territories are very small but even then, the males exhaust
themselves with their constant calling
and scent marking and
grand posturing.
Sometimes, indeed often, this outpouring of energy is wasted on other near
neighbours who stay long after the females have moved along.
Over the heads of all this, a Quelea colony
by the marsh in the Ndutu area,
is in progress, they are an extraordinary sight as they fly in perfectly synchronised
flocks.
Settling as one between the packed hooves of the gnu
and zebra to feed and rising as a cloud to return to the huge
area of Acacia and Balinites, which
within a week were completely covered with nests in different stages of progress.
The shrill sound of the colony and the continuous roar of 'the
rut', echo across the plains and valleys of the northern and
western reaches of the NCA.
All sorts of interesting newsworthy events
in these last weeks, with sadly only a few of them covered here.
Vets have successfully removed
a snare from a young female elephant
and she was seen in the days following the exercise, quietly feeding with
her family.
Safari guests
to the NCA were rising early in the month of May, not only to watch the sun
climbing over the vast herds covering the Ngorongoro Plains but also to observe
the thrilling journey of Venus and the Moon.
Just pre-dawn on the 29th May, the sickle of Venus rose above the sickle of
the Moon, low in the eastern skies. Bright and very visible with binoculars,
it was an unforgettably beautiful sight.
Localised showers throughout Ngorongoro
in the last weeks have settled the dust and there is an added sparkle to the
air. From the highlands, every detail of the Olduapi
Gorge and the Serengeti Plains stretched below is easily seen.
On the other hand, from the plains, each and every fold in the sides of one
of the extinct volcanoes, Lemegrut,
as well as all the others, is clearly demarcated by the darkened shadows of
the remaining cedar forests.
Herds are on the move. Hard on the heels of the rain, crossing from the west
to the east and now in this first week of June, back to the west again in
endless lines.
Male wildebeests rutting! !
Adding even more excitement and amusement for all game watches. The males,
anything up to 250 kg, hormone packed
and searching for females, patrol the edges of the female herds forever on
the move after grazing each pasture.
May - June 2003
