The first game drive... Black Rhino

June 20th 2011
I apologise in advance for this photo... (remember if you click the photos you'll get them in full size)

The distance was just too great for the lens I had...

Through the bino's though we took in a lot of detail and had a great view. The rhino was such a throwback, a proper dinosaur. It swaggered through the grasses without a care in the world, which realistically was true. Not a fat lot messes with these boys. We would later get a glimpse of the largest male lion in the crater, and whilst the black rhino didn't appear troubled, he did move away from the lion. Salvatory told us that even a rhino wouldn't mess with a fully grown male lion... Whilst the rhino was remarkable, comments like this just fuelled my desire to see a large male lion up close, but more of this later.

We were told that a rhino horn is flexible, floppy almost, when the rhino is relaxed. It only becomes rigid when excited (yes, I laughed). Perhaps angry or agitated would be a better word. When agitated, and the horn becomes rigid, it is tough enough to pass through the side of a jeep like a hot knife through butter...

The rhino was not coming any closer and so we moved onward. It would remain the most elusive of the big game we would be hunting, but we would get a little closer before the end. We had not travelled far before Phillipa spotted and pointed out a clan of hyenas. We had seen a lot of them around already, but this was different. Perhaps 6 or 7 adults were all stood watching a shallow defile just out of sight. Several young were there also. 

Aside from size, you can tell the age of a hyena by the spacing of their spots - the young appear very dark as the spots are closely grouped, the adults are lighter in colour as the dark spots have spaced out over their body as they have grown.

We were here for a long time as it was clear that a kill was in the dip, and it could only be a very large male lion to keep away this many hyenas. This was also when our black rhino sauntered over to check out the commotion - when he beat a slow retreat Salvatory confirmed it must be 'the' male lion.

Despite waiting for a long time, this was all we saw - the lion poked up his head (circled in blue, hyenas nearby in front) before settling down to nap after his feed... Male lions can sleep anything up to 20 hours a day and the chances of anything making this guy move, considering a black rhino left him alone, were slim to none. Slightly disappointed, we moved on...

There was of course no need to be disappointed. We were slap bang in the 8th wonder of the world with the best guide in Africa. On the way to our next lion spot, we passed a few crowned cranes:

But to be honest I'm not really into the whole bird thing, unless we're talking pheasants and I've got my shotgun with me. So, more lions!

Tart

These two lions, the young male with the short mane, the young female with her legs open :-), were napping about a meter from the edge of the dirt road. Lions have no predators at all in the crater - the Maasai are not allowed to hunt in the crater, and only they will cause a lion concern as they actively hunt them.

These two lions had not long hooked up by all accounts. Lions will mate for seven straight days once paired and each encounter will get progressively longer each time after the first coupling, which is around 5 mins (not sure I made even that my first time!). This massive and constant mating period pretty much guarantees pregnancy.

It also, judging by these two, knackers the hell out of them. 

It is very hard for a male to get a mate, and the only thing that woke this male was his female shifting around - he had to keep an eye out and make sure she didn't leave. Other jeeps pulled up to take photos and the lions did not stir. When she rolled on her back however, his head shot round to check she wasn't getting up.

I was chuffed to bits here. To be so close, just a few meters away from a lion was exactly what I had hoped for when Phillipa bullied me into going to Africa to get married on safari. 

This just about took us up to lunch. I could tell this as Phillipas stomach sounded like an angry animal and she kept mouthing the words, "I'm starving' at me... Luckily, Salvatory thought the same and we headed off to the lake to dine with the hippos...

The small lake is the only area of the park where you can safely leave the vehicle for any length of time (other than the toilet stop by the forest). Even though Hippos were in the lake we were completely safe. Whilst they are very dangerous animals, the danger comes from people inadvertently crossing their route to water, or their route home - Hippos see this as a threat and charge. You can be a long way away, but cross their route and they will attack. You can get close safely, as we did here, because we approached and stayed on the side of the lake that they did not use or ever cross to.

We saw a lot of vehicles packed with people - Phillipa and I were really glad again that Roy Safaris provided our own private guide and vehicle, and we were about to be even more pleased...

Salvatory pulled into a spot right by the lake and Phillipa and I prepared to munch on a few sandwiches in the Patrol and enjoy the view, as others were. Salvatory hopped out however, and unloaded a fold away table and chairs from the boot. We helped him set this up by the lake in front of the Patrol and he then fetched a huge wicker hamper from the passenger seat.

He even brought a tablecloth!

It had a full set of china, silver cutlery and more meat, yoghurt, fruit and snacks then we could ever eat in one sitting. We hunkered down with Salvatory and all had piping hot tea from the included flask before diving into the good stuff. People eyed us both greedily and enviously - we loved that of course!! ;-)

We had some company during lunch...

Tip: (as provided by our awesome guide) When eating at the Ngorongoro rest area ensure that you sit in a circle where possible, and make sure food is either packed away, on route to your mouth or in it. The huge Black Kites (below) would snatch food right out of your hand or mouth if you weren't careful, and they would more than likely take a chunk out of you too... Being in a circle baffles their attack run, and if they can't see the food then they can't grab it!

Big buggers - that's the roof of a safari jeep in the bottom right

This was also where Salvatory found the rock below... This now sits in our garden as Phillipa would not let it stay in the house. This round rock caught Salvatory'e eye as it did not seem to fit in with the surroundings. He plucked it from the mud and washed it in the lake before handing it to me. 

So, I held it, nonplussed. He then explained that the most likely explanation was that it had been used by an elephant as an aid to digestion. Elephants will swallow these rocks, which will help grind and pulp the acacia in their stomach. They will then pop it out like sweetcorn for some strange westerner to hold, and have it slowly dawn on him that it is still pretty much covered in elephant dung...

So, after washing my hands several times, and packing the rock into a few plastic bags, we were ready to head off for our afternoon drive. 

Smiling after lunch. I wouldn't be smiling when we angered an old bull elephant on the way back to the lodge...