Welcome to Serengeti

Leopard chilling in the acacia tree in Serengeti, June 2012.

A rarely spotted predator, it hunts in the night and spends most of its day up in a tree where they can be hard to spot. The leopard preys upon smaller predators, antelopes, monkeys, cattle, dogs and goats. It is a remarkable climber, and can drag an animal up a tree even if the animal is heavier than the leopard itself! Typically, the hyena waits patiently on the ground for the leopard to loose its grip on the newly caught prey. The leopard lives alone, except in a shot mating period and when its babies are too young to take care of themselves. As soon as the young leopard is able to hunt by itself, it is left alone by its mother

 

The second largest cat species in the world, after the striped tiger. A female lion weighs about 125 kg, a male weighs about 200kg. Lions hunt in groups, they surprise the prey or choose the weakest animal in a group. They can also steal a newly caught prey from other animals. The females take care of the hunting, while the males appear in time for the feast. The hunting often takes place at night, lions usually rest and sleep for 16-20 hours per day! The males can be easily distinguished from the female, males have a mane, some males are black manned

 Then the King of Serengeti decides to sleep close to you

 Or they decide to block your 4X4

Pumba:Naked swine of the savanna. Slimmer than other hogs, with level back and comparatively long limbs. A large head with flat face; prominent tusks, and "warts" (thickened skin and gristle) below eyes, and a mane of long hair. Gray skin, dark mane and tail tuft; white cheek whiskers, shaped like tusks. Harderian glands in eye sockets leave dark stains on male's face. Common in virtually every park with savanna habitat. The warthog is a true savanna dweller that avoids dense cover and forest but depends on burrows to escape predators and temperature extremes, especially in infancy. Although warthogs dig quite well, using snout as shovel, most holes they use have been excavated by aardvarks.

Wildbeast:Their humped shoulders and deep necks contrast with the more lightly built hindquarters and long slender legs, but this unusual build allows them to break into a run very easily. On the move, their plodding gait gives an impression of world weariness. Adult males stand about 150cm at the shoulder and have a mass of about 250kg. Females are smaller at 135cm and 180kg. Both sexes carry the unridged horns but those of the male are heavier. They are extremely gregarious and their social organization consists of territorial males, female herds and bachelor groups. This organization is, however, very fluid outside of the breeding season. They are predominantly active during the day. Famous for their annual migration between Serengeti and Maasai Mara, this movement is called "The race for life", as many of them won’t make it across Grumeti River or the border.

Zebra: Often seen among giant herds of wildebeest and antelopes. A common zebra herd consists of one male and many females with their babies, often a group of 20 animals. Other herds are exclusively male. The most common species is the Burchell’s zebra, which can be found in large numbers all over East Africa

  Very common on the East African plains. At first sight, it can be difficult to separate it from Thompson’s gazelle, but Grant’s gazelle is lighter in color and it lacks the black ribbon on the side. Grant’s gazelle has longer horns than Thompson’s gazelle.

More than 2 meters tall, weighing about 150 kg, the ostrich is the largest bird in the world. It can not fly, but has the ability to run very fast. Males are black and white, females are gray-brownish. In Tanzania, you will find the Maasai Ostrich, with a pale red neck and legs.

 

 Large, powerful mammals with well-developed social skills and great intelligence. Large herds of up to 100 baboons can be spotted, lead by an aggressive and strong male. Females bring stability to the group. Baboons are mainly herbivores, but can also prey upon birds and smaller animals. Baboons are notorious for stealing food at lodges and campsites, so watch out!

Hyenas are carnivorous mammals that are among nature's great scavengers. The spotted, or laughing, hyena, Crocuta crocuta, is about 183 cm long, including its 30-cm tail, and weighs up to 82 kg. Its coarse, woolly coat is grayish yellow with round dark spots, and it lives in Africa south of the Sahara. Its well-known calls include the evening howl for food and the eerie "laugh" during the mating season or when the animal is otherwise excited. Probably no other living mammal has such powerful jaws in relation to its size. This hyena is strong enough to carry the body of a gnu. It was once thought that carrion was the principal food of hyenas, but they are skillful at hunting and killing prey. Recent studies in Tanzania have shown that hyenas largely kill their own food, up to 93 percent of their diet in the Ngorongoro Crater. They can crush and consume the largest bones of such animals as cattle and buffalo. Traditionally, warring African tribes left their dead for the hyenas to eat. Hyenas shelter in holes in the ground or among rocks and in dense vegetation. One to six young are born in a litte

The African elephant is the largest, and can be distinguished form the Indian elephant by its large ears, which it uses as a heath regulator. Elephants are often spotted in large groups of females and babies, while the males are chased away as soon as they are old enough to manage on their own. Males appear in the mating season only, the rest of the time they wander about alone or in small groups. Females gather food and protect their babies against predators. The pregnancy period is 22 months, which is a record among mammals, and they can reach the age of 60. Elephants are herbivores (plant eaters) and in one day only they can consume up to 230 kg grass and 150 liters of water! The most fascinating feature of the elephant is its tusk and its trumpet. The trumpet is very muscular, and can tear up a tree by its root! The trumpet has many purposes: breathing and smelling, gathering food, drinking and showering. Both sexes have tusks, which can grow up to several meters.

The world’s fastest mammal. Over short distances it can reach a speed of 110 km/h. With an amazing acceleration, the cheetah runs towards the prey and bites into its throat. To separate the leopard and the cheetah, look for these features:

• A black stripe from the eyes to the nose.
• Longer legs and more elegantly built.
• Round, whole spots (the leopard’s spots are divided)

With a weight of 1,5 – 2,5 tons, a large head, heavy body and short legs, the hippo mainly habituates in floods, lakes and swamps. It spends most of the day under water, to protect itself from sunlight and heat. After sunset it leaves the water to look for food. A typical hippo-herd consists of 5-20 members lead by an old male, and each and every one respects the solid hierarchy established within the group. Young males often have to fight hard in order to get respect and a higher position in the group.

One of Africa’s most elegant animals. It feeds on acacia leaves and branches, which it gathers from the treetops. The Rotschild’s giraffe and the Maasai giraffe habituate Tanzania, both are on average 5-6 meters tall. The Maasai giraffe can easily be recognized by its star-shapes spots.

 

Different species can be found. To the right you see the most common, with a gray-yellowish fur, a black face and a black tail-tip. These monkeys live in large herds on the savanna.They are not picky about their meals, they can eat just about anything!

 

 Our 4X4 vehicles are well equiped to take you through your ultimate Safari. We have professional tour guides that will make sure you have seen all the animals available in the day,,and give you a detailed guide through out Serengeti and its wonders.