Selous Safari (cont'd)

Although Selous is much further from the equator than the Kilimanjaro towns, the weather seemed much hotter. The short rainy season should be in full swing but we saw no rain during our trip. Some of the landscape showed signs of greening up from earlier rain. The lakes and river flow all year in Selous so there is no migration. The animals do make their way to the water either in the morning or the evening. The impala stand with their hind legs firmly planted and lean as far forward as they can to drink  in order to be ready for an attack.

As we approached the water's edge we spotted a very majestic looking male lion approximately 30 meters from the water. He was relaxing in the shade of a tree no doubt waiting for some unsuspecting creature to venture close.

We were able to get very close to the lion and he just ignored the vehicle. He looked very peaceful sitting in the shade of the tree.

As we drove on we saw crowds of zebra, giraffe, kudus and the ever present impalas. These creatures all have survival strategies that keep them out of harms way and allow for survival of the species. Nestor, our guide, was able to give us details for all of the animals. Basically, the species has an alpha male of female system that ensures only the largest and strongest of the species survives. Many of the species work together. The zebras rely on the wildebeest to go first to the watering hole so that a lion will more likely kill a wildebeest. Harsh as it seems, nature has a balance that culls the old, the sick and the weak. The lion or crocodile targets the weakest but when the lion is old or injured they too fall victim to starvation. The female lion is the hunter and she typically feeds the male. We came across a threesome of lions with two females and one male. Ernest thought the pair had been mating and the third was along for the ride. Perhaps unlike the proverbial cat fight theory, the female lions, as described by our guide, share their mate and will often care for each other's young including feeding of the cubs while the other female hunts for the pride.

Our guide says the lions are generous and leave their kill when they have had enough, this feeds the less capable while the leopards are greedy and take their kill in the tree with them and will not share even when they are full.  So far we have not seen a leopard but hope to see one soon.

The elephants stay out of range of the land rover so we have to watch them from afar. This is also the case for the water buffalo who who run from the vehicle. In Selous the Tanzanian government allows hunting safaris and this may explain the fear.

The elephants are always close by here in Selous. We spent the next morning on a walking safari with a  local tribesman and an armed ranger. The local was able to demonstrate his hunting and trapping skills with low tech hatchet and sisal twine. He created a very strong trap for guinea fowl or small animals that his people have trapped for centuries.

Curiously, this guide had many uses for elephant dung including smoking it. He grabbed a dead leaf off a tree and rolled in with elephant dung and lit up. He said it enhanced his courage, showed him the wind direction and the elephants didn't like it so they would go the other way. We seem to spend a lot of time trying to get out of their way on this walk. The  elephants are not popular with the villagers due to their raiding behaviours. The elephants live as long as 65 years in the wild and gradually lose their ability to chew the plants they consume which ultimately leads to their physical decline and death. Our native guide told us the baboon and giraffe males would develop sexual relationships with each other if they were ousted by alpha males from the group. He was a very lively and entertaining guide (perhaps the elephant shit really works).