Ruaha - Mdonya Old River Camp (Tsee Tsee Flies)

Continued from Selous - Lake Manze Tented Camp.

October 7th - Arriving in Ruaha // Cheetah

The flight from Selous to Ruaha wasn't a direct flight, but had one stop after 35 minutes to drop off two staff member at a local Camp.

From there another 1 hours and 10 minutes in the tiny plane. And that was a little bit too much for Petra, who already didn't feel okay the last days. Only 15 minutes in the air and all came out. A big releave for her, but quite a mess in the plane.

The descent was quite bumpy and the temperature in the plane was going up and up. So also I wasn't feeling that well anymore. But fortunately not too bad, as we were now out of paper bags.

After the "paper work" and enjoying our packed lunch on the air strip, we picked up the British couple, that had arrived a lot earlier, to head for the Camp. A 3 to 4 hour Game Drive. Enroute we saw many animals, including a male Cheetah.
The last hour we didn't see any animals, and as soon as the car slowed down the car was full of Tsee Tsee Flies (according our guide the reason for the lack of animals in this area, as they feed on mammal blood). Close to the Camp the animals started to re-appear (they had some Tsee Tsee Fly control project going on).

Time to check-in, shower and after that: dinner.

Walking into our Tent it was clear that Mdonya Old River Camp (where we are staying for the next three nights) is the sister Camp of Lake Manze, as it was quite identical. So we felt home immediately!

October 8th - Leopard!

Tonight there was a lot of shuffling and snorting around our tent (Buffalo?). First breakfast and than out for a Full Day of Game Driving. The first part is very dull, where are the animals? And than, out of the blue, a pack of Lions. Males, females and cubs. So beautiful!

We continue and see the Lesser Kudu (with beautiful patterning, not seen often) and Greater Kudu. We see a Rock Hyrax in a tree (the small, and only, causin of the Elephant). Later that day we see one more. And than ... again a pack of Lions. The driver hits the breaks just as we go off road towards the Lions. Just in time as the Rangers are just passing by (leaving the road means a $50 'on the spot' fine for the Guide - a lot of money in Tanzania!). Once the Ranger has left, we quickly go for a peep. Again, a big Pride!

Next we head for lunch, but it seems to take forever before we really do .. . Hé, wasn't that the picknick spot at the right? So why are we passing by? A Leopard had been spotted nearby, hence the detour. Unfortunately the male Leopard is nowhere to be seen. But wait, ....... what is that in the tree back there? Finally, a Leopard (after missing this elusive animal in Kenia and India - finally we are lucky). It's a female. Quickly some pic's and a movie, before she disappears in the undergrouth.

After lunch we return towards Mdoya. Again we take a detour, and bump into a pack of Lions - with a three month old cub. The guide was already surprised to see so little animals in a place normally packed with life (it is close to a pool where all come to drink). So he read the signs right, because on the Kopjes (Wikipedia: The Kopjes of Eastern Africa tend to be a refuge for life in the Serengeti of Tanzania and Kenya. Where the soil is too thin or hard to support tree life in large areas, soil trapped by Kopjes can be dense with trees while the surrounding land contains only short grass. Hollows in the rock surfaces provide catchments for rainwater.^[10] Many animals have adapted to the use of Kopjes, to include the lion, hyrax, and an abundance of bird and reptile life.) they where. Until now that already adds up to 37 Lions.

Next to the above we also spotted today:
2 Gennet
2 Bateared Foxes
A few Jackals
Banded Mongoose
And of course the 'usual':
Elephant, Impala, Zebra, Giraffe, Dik-Dik, Warthog, etc etc

Really a beautiful day (together with Kath and Chris from the UK and Kahimba our Guide), so tomorrow we will opt for a "Full Day" again!

October 9th - Lions & Honey

A quick shower (and yes, those Tented Camp Outdoor Showers are sooo gooood!) before we leave for our last "Full Day of Game Driving". And what a day. Okay, it was hard to beat yesterday, but counting all we had seen we got close: 22 Lions, of which six 3 to 4 month old cubs (bringing our total in Ruaha at 59 Lion spotted in only 2 days!)

During lunch our Guide gave us a lecture on Honey Poaching*, the Tanzanian school system, cost of living ($110/month needed at least for a family of 4) and corruption in the Tanzanian politics to name a few topics.

* Due to the Honey Poaching there were a lot of Wild Fires around the Camp. The poachers leave the torches they use to smoke out the bees, to create the fires - keeping the Rangers busy, while they can escape. And all that for a merely 40 liters of Honey a month, worth only $50.

On our way back we search for the Cheetah, but no luck this time. We have a stop at an Owl in a tree (in the morning we had seen a chick of the same kind) before we return to Camp.

October 10th - The Mdonya Pride

After a slow breakfast, paying and checking out, we left Mdonya Old River Camp and headed for the Airstrip. On our way there the Driver (no additional Guide today as we were only transfering) spotted the local Lion Pack: The Mdonya Pride. Another sixteen (!) Lions, bringing our grant total during our three days stay in Mdonya at SeventyFive Lions ... whaow.
The Pride was eating a Giraffe, killed earlier in the morning. Despite seeing so many Lions, these were the first we saw eating, in stead of sleeping/resting. The Giraffe is totally opened, guts out. Ooh my God, what a smell.

 

After having dropped some items (post) at one of the airstrips, we continue on a very bad road ... and there is nothing to see, so what's the point? Aah, we were heading for a lunch area near the Ruaha River.One of the places that hadden't dried out, so all Crocidiles and Hippos had congrigated here. And the Crocs were enormous. They use this place to bridge the 1 to 2 months before the rain in the mountains start to fill river again.

The many Crocs, but also Marabou, had plenty to eat, as the fish could simply be scooped up. Both death and alive (the water was very hot and had obviously little to no oxigen, so difficult to survive for the fish).

After lunch we returned to Airstrip. Luckily a bigger plane this time (Chessna Caravan 208) and ..... the same Pilot* as to Selous. A warm re-union of Pilot and Co-Pilot.
 * We heard she was from Argentina, explaining the accent

The flight to Dar Es Salam had 2 stops. One at Selous and one near "The Tides".


To be continued .....