Tanzania, a country situated in East Africa, has dedicated over 30 percent of its land area to national parks, and safaris play a vital part in its economy. In fact, the word safari derives from the local Swahili language and means journey.
Of all Tanzanian wildlife sanctuaries, pride of place goes to the Ngorongoro crater which has been described as the eighth wonder of the world. This crater is situated on the Great Rift Valley, which is a giant 6,000-mile geological fault in the earth's crust. It begins in Lebanon, and continues south through the Sea of Galilee, Jordan valley, Dead Sea, Arava, Red Sea, eastern flank of Africa and finally ends up in Southern Africa. Volcanic upheavals accompanied the formation of the Rift Valley. One of these volcanoes subsequently collapsed into a depression or caldera resulting in the Ngorongoro Crater.
This crater is one of the largest in the world with a diameter of approximately 19 kilometers. The crater rim supports evergreen forests while the crater floor, some 500 meters below, is dominated by grasslands, small patches of trees and a lake called Lake Magadi. The descent to the crater floor takes about 45 minutes. This is a natural sanctuary and is the permanent home of up to 25,000 animals. The abundance of grass supports the numerous herbivores including wildebeest, gazelle, zebra and buffalo. There are also 25 endangered black rhino in the crater. Because of the commercial value of their horns, these magnificent animals were poached to the brink of extinction in the 1980s. There are also numerous hippos. After the malaria-carrying mosquito, the hippo represents the biggest danger to the tourist. This animal, weighing close to a ton, will charge anyone getting between it and the water which is its natural habitat.
In addition to herbivores, the Ngorongoro Crater contains one of the largest concentrations of predators in the whole of Africa. These include lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, jackals, spotted hyenas and servals. The latter are medium-sized wild cats that share common traits with the cheetah. These slender animals possess long legs and a head small in relation to their body. The serval specializes in catching rodents. Cheetahs are well suited to hunt in open grasslands and are the fastest land animal capable of speeds of 110 kilometers an hour when chasing after a potential victim.
It has been estimated that Ngorongoro lions obtain up to 80 percent of their food from hyena kills and they are thus predominantly scavengers. Despite its dominance and power, the lion is not critical for the Ngorongoro ecosystem which would not be altered should lions disappear. When lions mate, the activity lasts for four days and copulation is repeated once every 25 minutes. The lion is not known as the king of the beasts for nothing! The gestation period for a lioness is about three and a half to four months and the average litter size consists of 2 to 3 cubs.
The diversity and abundance of wildlife in the Ngorongoro Crater is extraordinary. On one occasion when our vehicle was stationary overlooking a pool with a baby hippo and mother, there were two male lions lying on the other side of the road. Just ahead was a hyena and our ever vigilant guide, Martin, spotted a python on the branch of a tree.
The Crater and its immediate surroundings constitute the Ngorongoro Conservation Area which was created to conserve wildlife and the ecosystem, promote tourism and safeguard the interests of 60,000 indigenous pastoralists who are members of the Maasai tribe. These people originated in North Africa and migrated to the fertile plains of East Africa several hundred years ago. The Massai live in peaceful coexistence with the wildlife while maintaining their tribal traditions and dress code. They have, however, to a large extent abandoned their nomadic life style.
Their livelihood depends on the ownership of cattle, sheep, goats and donkeys. The welfare of their cattle is one of their major concerns. Herds are protected at night from predators by being kept in an enclosed area. Young calves sleep in the family huts. Older boys lead the herds to grazing areas in the highlands. Grazing is only permitted on the crater floor in the dry season.
The staple diet of the Maasai consists of milk and maize. On special occasions, they drink fresh blood taken from cattle. In this ceremony, a cow is caught and using a bow and arrow, the jugular vein in the neck is pieced. The blood is collected into containers and is avidly drunk by members of the tribe. The neck wound is closed with dung and the cow runs off, none too worse for its harrowing experience.
Guest lodges are situated on the rim of the crater. Our touring arrangements were made by &BEYOND, a company offering 5-star luxury accommodation in their Ngorongoro Crater Lodge. In this lodge, there are a total of 30 bungalows divided into 3 camps. To maintain intimacy, each camp has its own viewing decks as well as guest seating and dining areas. Inspired in design by the Maasai mud homestead, each bungalow is a stilted mud and thatch suite and represents the ultimate in luxury with wood paneling and decorations of African art. The bedroom, sitting room and ensuite bathroom boast chandeliers, a fireplace and floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the magnificent Crater below. Personal butlers tend to guests’ every need, bringing tea in bed and stoking fireplaces.
&BEYOND Ngorongoro Crater Lodge has been listed in Condé Nast gold list of world’s best places to stay and rated as one of the top 100 hotels in the world. It is without doubt one of the most architecturally spectacular safari lodges in Africa.
Illustrations:
1. Serval cat
2. Lioness
This article was originally published in the Jerusalem Post.
Additional pictures from this as well as other trips are available at www.pbase.com/irvspitz.
Further articles and reviews can be seen at www.irvingspitz.com
Spot on with this write-up, I truly think this website needs much more consideration. I’ll probably be again to read much more, thanks for that info.
I am often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has really peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your site and keep checking for new information.
Did you announce the 2012 scholarship winners yet?
Thanks Lazy for saying the truth of Visalus, it's a scam!!! I listen to their weekly call over the net and it a real joke to see them hook at the line like the fish they are. They always speaks about "helping others"...Scuse me but if you want to help others go cut their grass, babysit for free, or stuff like that but don't try to make me believe that you don't do that for money.
Brooklyn College disgraces itself by hosting this hate- filled- bash -Israel program. Students and FACULTY should protest- they are being USED as well as disgraced.