What's been happening at Ndutu?
October 2000
Sitting
around the lodge camp-fire last night was a delight. A handsome male lion made an appearance just as the sun was setting,
and then captivated the guests by calling for his fellow pride members for much of the evening. In the distance we
could hear the replies. The beautiful, clear sky overhead made the occasion even more special.
Here at Ndutu, the evening sky is our alternative to the TV screen! This time of year Cassiopeia is easily visible and Pegasus is right overhead. For those who stay up a little later, Orion and Taurus will be rising in the eastern sky. It would be hard not to notice Venus as she shines brightly in the west early on in the evening.
The
hares and the dik dik continue to visit the fire most nights. Their quest is to search out any pre-dinner nibble that
the guests might have dropped. The hares generally do the early shift and the three dik dik, arrive later on, usually
spot on 9pm!
A
few nights ago there were 11 genets running up and down the rafters in the bar area. I think that must be a record.
They seem to be doing rather well with lots of youngsters now making an appearance for the first time. They are habituated
enough to allow for some good photographic opportunities, however we do ask that people refrain from attempting to
stroke them. I must say though, their long tails are rather tempting!
We have six species of cat resident here, - Lion, leopard, cheetah, serval, caracal and wild cat. This season with the lack of thick grassy cover, we have had an abundance of leopard sightings. Some lucky guests saw three different leopards on their first three days of staying here. They were lucky enough to see one just casually walking along the gully near the marshes, another was hunting a reed buck and the third was being chased up a tree by a lion!
From
this month we are trying to encourage guests to help with assisting the Serengeti Cheetah Project, by sending in photographs
of cheetah taken whilst on safari. Photographs can help the project to identify cheetah in this area. Cheetahs can
be identified by their unique spot patterns. In return for your help, the researchers will inform you if the cheetah
is known to them, along with some of their history. If the cheetah is not known you may be asked to choose a name.
We are still anxiously waiting for the rains to start. It's been an incredibly dry year, but nevertheless the game viewing has been excellent. The beauty of Ndutu during these dry months is the peace and tranquillity it offers. This makes it an excellent location to explore and enjoy the wildlife without the constant bustle of other tour vehicles. If you want to go further afield, we are ideally situated in easy driving distance of both Seronera and Ngorongoro Crater.
We are also only a short drive away from Oldupai Gorge, where some of the oldest remains of our human ancestors have been discovered. The whole of the Ndutu area is also rich in fossils. It was George Dove, the original owner of Ndutu Safari Lodge who, whilst searching in a nearby valley for building rocks noticed unusually large amounts of fossils. He mentioned this find to his friend Mary Leaky who in turn organised digs to be conducted. Eventually they came across the world famous Laetoli foot prints. A cast of the prints can be seen at the Oldupai Museum.
For
those guests who feel the need of some exercise, why not take a walk with one of the rangers and explore the area
on foot. It's great fun looking at the array of tracks along the lake shore and attempting to work out which animal
they belong to. If you so wish we can arrange for you to enjoy an open air breakfast over looking Lake Ndutu after
your morning stroll. I can't think of a nicer way to start to the day!
Exciting
times are just around the corner.. The clouds are rapidly building, and the temperature is soaring, who knows the
first rain could fall today. It's incredible but we only need three or four good showers until the whole area is transformed
into a mass of green which in turn signals the arrival; of the wildebeest, all 1.5 million of them! Along with them,
the zebra and a host of other animals, it has to be one of the best wildlife spectacles on earth.
I hope you will be here to enjoy it with us.