Tarangire National Park

In the morning, we drove from Arusha to Tarangire National Park and lunched in a picnic area at the park entrance. In the afternoon, we visited this gorgeous park and saw an amazing array of animals before checking in to our lodge. The whole next day was spent touring the area, as was the morning after, on our way out towards Mto wa Mbo.
Along the roadside, a young Maasai youth who has just been circumcised and is all in black. Maasai village near the highway At the picnic ground at the entrance to Tarangire NP, we ate our first box lunches and made our first acquaintance with the wonderful and varied east African birds. Here, two White-headed Buffalo Weavers. Also waiting for a handout from box lunches, two Superb Starlings.
Magpie shrike, shows long tail Another Superb Starling The graceful, smooth-coated impala were certainly the variety of antilope we saw most of. The first of many impala herds we will see over the next ten days
In a treetop, a vulture, perhaps African white-backed or Rüppell's griffon We stopped and watched this watering hole for a long time. Impalas and, afterwards, wildebeest came to drink. A wildebeest joins the impala at the watering hole.
Our first giraffe! Another type of starling, an Ashy Starling An African landscape is something special. A Yellow-necked spurfowl
A dik-dik couple; these tiny antilopes are only about 40 cm high and are monogamous. Giraffe and zebras in the almost-dry riverbed Magnificent view over the Tarangire River Valley and the surrounding countryside A lone baobab spreads its branches above the acacias
Elephants in the dry riverbed The opposite shore Then one of the trip's high points, a mother cheetah and her cub The cub's head fur looks almost like feathers.
The cheetah cub has run off to a mound of earth, maybe an old termite mound. Isn't she pretty? Ma-ma! Stalking
Mother and child; he is not all that young. The big elephant just stripped some bark off the tree to eat. Sunrise over Tarangire Somewhat later...
African Fish Eagle Saddle-billed Stork Small, pretty river with birds A morning giraffe
Buffalo along the river Ring-necked doves A  very  large herd of buffalo Giraffe and buffalo
Buffalo and giraffe The giraffe is still watching those buffalo Crested Francolin Maasai workers in the park
Elephants big and small Helmeted Guinea Fowl, or pintade Impala male and some of his females White-headed buffalo weaver
Big ears Banded mongooses, or mongeeses, or whatever... This lion had been collared with a device to monitor her whereabouts. Nice black-faced vervet monkey
Tarangire River, viewed from the picnic area. There is a giraffe under the big tree on the left-hand bank. One more Superb Starling Africa -- zebras and baobab Zebras often walk in a file.
Waterbuck A whole herd of waterbuck Male waterbuck checking out femal before ... ... gittin' up on 'er
Elephants old and young Long-tailed fiscal shrike Egyptian goose Ruff
Wonderful antlers on this impala Sacred ibis A baboon pack -- on the ground and in the trees Two smooching hyraxes
The sun sets again. Elephants eating just outside our room Lion cubs eating a wildebeest their mother has killed for them Mother and cub
Resting big-eared cub This is Africa! Zebras and wildebeest are often found together. He heads off into the rocks. Another unusual find: a leopard
Leopard in the rocks A very special bird is the Hamerkop. This bird looks like a Martial Eagle Lilac-breasted roller
Elephants have actually made a hole clear through this baobab. Siv and Emmanuel