I love nothing more than an African safari. For 11 years, I have (incessantly) rambled about safaris to Paige. I know it drives her nuts and she’s heard it thousands of times. For our readers who have been married for years, is hearing your spouse repeat things over and over just par for the course? Do you get used to the same stories and block them out? I’m definitely the main offender of this in our relationship. But, I digress…
After Rwanda, we all flew back to Tanzania for a safari in Ngorogoro National Park (not the crater) in the Southern Serengeti. We stayed at the mobile lodge Chaka Camp. The entire camp moves twice a year in order to follow the migration of the Serengeti’s seven million wildebeest. The camp is fairly rustic, but it sits on a hill overlooking a beautiful lake with well-appointed rooms. Most notable was the lack of running water. We took “military (bucket) showers” limited to 20 liters of hot water, still enjoyable after a long safari drive. The meals were not as good as I have had at other safari camps, but the bread and pastries were A+. I would not recommend the place as my first choice in the Serengeti, but it was very cool and different nonetheless.
Immediately after flying in, we jumped in the Jeep with our guide, Isaac, and went on our way. Holy shit! Did it start with a “bang.” After about ten minutes, we rolled up to a male and two female lions. The females were in heat and it was prime mating season (they mate for a 5-7 days once per year). For 10-30 seconds over 10 different “sessions,” we watched the beginning of life. We laughed a bunch (EZ was the most into it), but also recognized the luck of this encounter. In 22 years of guiding, Isaac had only seen lions mate 5 times. In his seven years in this area, it was his first sighting. I think we really fascinated our Instagram followers as the four Zachs kids posted animal sex all at once.
My goal on safaris is to see the cats. They definitely create the most excitement in the bush. The next morning, we saw the lions mating again, then spotted a cheetah with two cubs hanging in the brush. After a bit of driving around, Isaac saw two hungry-looking cheetahs crouched behind a tree. Only 300ish yards away, a large group of wildabeest and zebras grazed the land without a care in the world. For over an hour, we excitedly watched the stalk. The cheetahs did not simply start sprinting, but casually jogged and circled the animals. Wildabeest are notoriously dumb and even after spotting the cheetahs and running away, they just went back to grazing a few feet away. Finally, it was time. The cheetahs picked out a young wildabeest, ran, and attacked.
The cheetahs brought the wildabeest down! One cheetah suffocated the animal by its neck and the other stayed as lookout for oncoming predators who could steal the kill. Once the animal had no chance of running away, the two cats started to chow down. They ripped the wiladebeest open, devouring its meat and organs. The scene was wild!
In our four days, we saw mating lions, a cheetah kill, cubs, zebras, elephant, giraffes, hundreds of thousands of wildabeest, and more. With a ton of luck and great guiding, we witnessed the entire circle of life. Watching the life, trials, and tribulations of these animals opens your eyes to evolution and how different species continually fight for survival in the wild.
Relaxing is not a strength of ours, but there is something about a safari that is so calming. Between driving through the plains during the day and stargazing at night, it is all perfect. A safari is an experience I recommend to everyone.
