Tanzania Honeymoon

    There was little else of note until we neared the umbrella acacia forest near Seronera. Tobias took us to a hippo pool, where 30 or more of the 7000 lb leviathans huddled together, mostly submerged, trying to stay cool in the oppressive heat. The hippos usually eat about 100 lbs of grass every night, returning to the pools in the daytime. Extremely territorial and often aggressive, it is best not to get between a hippo and the water - despite their great mass, they can run 18 mph and turn on a dime. The black hulks before us were grunting, snorting, shifting positions to try to get more of their dark hides under water, annoying their neighbors, thrashing their little tails around to splash water on whatever parts remained exposed. I found it odd that there weren't major fights, with the creatures lying on each other in the small pool.

    Two young hippos, mouths agape, play-snapped at each other. The large adults merely eyed us with disdain, or indifference. Nearby, three large crocodiles floated still as logs, with only their eyes and spines jutting above the water. Generally, the hippos have little to fear from them - the hippos' vise-like jaws are capable of biting a ten foot crocodile in two. A little downstream, zebra and impala nervously drank. As they need to drink on a daily basis, (and lack the defenses of a hippo), they are a little more susceptible to attack.
    After watching the hippos, we made our way to the Seronera Lodge, and found it to be very similar in design to Lobo, in that it is built into a giant kopje. They did a similarly beautiful job with the reception area, dining room, and bar areas. Wonderful wood and stone work, built right into the kopje, with the granite boulders used for various walls.

October 13, 6:30 pm:
Saw a male lion and two hyenas on this afternoon's drive, along with buffalo, elephant, etc. I was trying to concentrate my photography on landscapes, environmental portraits, etc., since I have close-ups of many of the animals already.
    Soon we were rewarded with an unexpected treat: a mother cheetah with four cubs. They were pretty far away, but incredible to watch with binoculars. The mother was stalking some Thomson's gazelles, while the cubs stayed behind, tucked under some low shrubs. We gazed hypnotically as the mother slowly, carefully, inched her way through the tall grass to get within striking distance, evading a jackal along the way. Cheetahs have a top speed of 70 mph, but they can only sustain a chase for 300 yds before overheating. The average speed during a chase is less than 40 mph. The gazelle, with a top speed of 55 mph, uses sharp turns and long jumps to try and outlast the cheetah. Itís more than a fair match up - the cheetah often loses.
     The gazelle remained unaware of the mother cheetah's stealthy approach. Finally, when she was within striking distance, she started into a gentle trot, and then all of a sudden she exploded into chase. The gazelles bolted, splitting into two directions. The cheetah was able to take the sharp turn to stay with the baby gazelle, and within seconds the cheetah took it down in a cloud of dust. The whole chase lasted less than 15 seconds. Incredible!