Day 13: Safari Day 2

Safari Day 2

This morning we were greeted with news that one of our party was not feeling well and in need of a doctor. Four of us accompanied him on a 75 minute drive out of the park to a nearby “town”. This provided an opportunity to see some of the people, villages, and farms close to the park. Following some diagnosis and treatment we headed back to the park with the patient feeling better.

We met up with the rest of our group on the bank of the Mara River, stalking a herd of Wildebeest that were staged for a crossing. While we were in town they had a close encounter with a herd of Elephants that we were sorry to have missed.

We joined a large collection of Safari trucks waiting for the first Gnu to leap into the water. While some groups wait for hours or days to see a crossing, ours began 20-30 minutes into our watch. While waiting we spotted a crocodile also eager for the crossing, but with a more nefarious intent.

As the first beest entered the current, the calm and tranquility was quickly upended. The entire herd followed the lone vanguard while the waiting drivers stomped their accelerators in unison. The rush of Safari trucks to the rivers edge was akin to formula 1 race at the drop of the flag.

Over the following minutes, thousands of wildebeest traversed the river in columns, churning the water in desperation to make it to the opposite bank. The waiting crocodile slowly mad its way to the line, grabbing at one, but missing and being swept downstream. On its second attempt it didn’t miss, taking a wildebeest to its death. We don’t know if it died from drowning or trauma, but it did not resurface. We named her Jane. She did her part on the circle of life. May she rest in peace,. Mere minutes after it started, this crossing was complete. The hundreds (thousands?) of beests that gathered on the bank, now continued their journey on the other side. The same scene will play out in countless times at many crossing points throughout the Serengeti. The migration must endure.

We saw other animals and amazing sights, but they paled in comparison to the crossing that we witnessed. Following a long day on the Serengeti we enjoyed an evening of dinner and banter with friends at the lodge. Tomorrow is sure to bring more excitement and adventure.