Big cat diaries, part 2

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Our luck from the Serengeti does hold. We camp on the crater rim, and take the jeeps down at dawn. The Crater is an immense sight... 18km across, home to an almost self-contained eco-system complete with elephants, zebra, lions, cheetah and hippos. It was created by the eruption of an enormous volcano, higher than Mount Kilimanjaro, which left the larget intact caldera on the plant. From the rim, 650 metres above the crater floor, it looks devoid of life, but once in the crater we realise it is anything but.

We pass through a small area of dense woodland, then out into the open plain - framed on all sides by the steep crater wall. We pass wildebeest, zebra and ostrich so close we can almost touch them... for some reason the animals here don’t take fright at our jeep’s approach quite so readily as in other parks. Within an hour or so, we find a male lion, idling along in the morning sun. He pauses, marks the back of our jeep with his scent, then passes alongside, growling at Deano in the front seat and coming so close we can see every scar on his nose.

After watching elephants, hippos and a distant rhino, we chance upon what is undoubtedly the highlight of our drive - a lioness and her two cubs, which drink from a stream just metres from our jeep (good one Julius!). Watching as their mother bounds across the stream, they hesitate and call to her for reassurance, before splashing their way noisily across and joining their mother, who waits for them patiently behind us.

The Serengeti and Ngorongoro had delivered even more than we’d hoped for... and created a truck full of safari snobs! We're constantly reminded by our tour leader how lucky we are to see so much... but it doesn't stop us waving Julius on past a pair of lions who have too many jeeps already assembled for us to bother.

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Photos

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Close enough!

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Our jeeps make their way across the Crater's vast floor

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Time to drink

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Looking for mum

Comments

[George]

Awesome pics....
On my lunch break back in "the world" planning a return trip to Africa. Kudos and enjoy your time abroad!

[kane walker]

Hey, after being to Ngorongoro crater myself i fully understand the emotions you are going through!!! Enjoy the moment and remember the experience, truly, one of lifes highlights!!!