Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Day 24, African Safari from the Masai Mara to the Serengeti

The Masai Mara is effectively the northern continuation of the Serengeti National Park game reserve in Tanzania, and is divided by the Mara River, so we have made special arrangements to travel from Kenya to Tanzania in the hot air balloon, hopefully following the animals .....
Each of us obviously has our own expectations and wishes today..........

So why did I choose this time of the year to visit??? Guesses anyone???
Yes, thats right .......the "Great Migration".

Around July of each year the animals migrate in a vast ensemble north from the Serengeti plains in search of fresh pasture, and return to the south around October. The Great Migration is one of the most impressive natural events worldwide, involving an immensity of herbivores some 1,300,000 wildebeests, 360,000 Thomson's gazelles, and 191,000 zebras. These numerous migrants are followed along their annual, circular route by a block of hungry predators, most notably lions and hyena......

Ever since I watched the Imax movie depicting this awesome spectacle, I have wanted to see it in person....so my wish today is to see the wildebeest in their thousands...especially they are the dominant inhabitants of the Serengeti and the Masai Mara.


without further ado.....lets enjoy the experience.....






look, Tommies!!




Numerous antelopes can be found, including Thomson's and Grant's gazelles, impalas, topis, waterbucks, gemsboks and Coke's hartebeests.....how sad that so many are becoming threatened species :-((







Look, Marti.....a giraffe!!!


The plains are also home to the distinctive Masai giraffe as well as the common giraffe.
The Masai Giraffe, also known as the Kilimanjaro Giraffe is the largest subspecies of giraffe, and the tallest land mammal. Masai giraffe have jagged spots on their bodies. Originally the masai giraffe lived throughout Africa, but currently, due to loss of habitat, the giraffe only lives in Kenya and Tanzania.


Oooh, how romantic ;-))))......Marti simply loves this !!



Hold on....what is this we see???.......Sita..........elephants!!!!!!



Hmmm, I wonder if this elephant is defending his wife's honour??

Look at the babies..soooo cute.......sorry Sita......we cannot go down there for you to play with them:-((




Large herds of zebra are found through the reserve.....Nopiiii...your dream came true!! .....Zebras...just like "Marty" from the Madagascar movie:-))




...close your eyes Nopi....its survival of the fittest...


Hmm, thus far everyone's wish has been granted ...boo-hooo.....what about mine???.....where are they??


Wait a minute......what is that noise??? Is that the thunderous sound of wildebeest hooves????? ....WOW!!!!!!!!!!
What a sight!!!!!...Let me be silent and absorb all of this ....hopefully you will enjoy it too...











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