tanzania |
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image: awl images |
Above: A hippo
displaying its tusks in
Katavi National Park
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of prey. This is particularly true on early morning drives, as the pride polishes off the night’ s kill, or at golden hour, when temperatures drop and thirst lures mothers and their cubs to watering holes.
The nimble cheetah prefers to stalk its prey during the daylight hours. Lone females with little mouths to feed can be spotted lying in wait amid the Serengeti’ s long grasses as the Great Migration approaches.
Solitary in nature, leopards are the most elusive of the big cats and can be particularly tricky to track. With a propensity for dense woodland, they spend much of their days snoozing on the upper branches of acacia and aptly named sausage trees( so called after their strikingly shaped fruit). The northwestern lakes of Nyerere boasts some of the country’ s largest numbers, as does the Serengeti, while Tarangire is also home to many of the animals.
Aside from big cats, it’ s the giants of the animal kingdom that rank highly on most safari-goers’ lists. As little as 10 years ago, elephant numbers were under threat due to poaching and the illegal ivory trade.
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Today, the population is growing, thanks to efforts by international organisations like the World Wildlife Fund and local initiatives like Wild Survivors, which works with communities to foster humanelephant coexistence. As well as Tarangire, herds can be seen splashing around in the Rufiji River in Nyerere, while Ngorongoro Crater is known for its big tusker bulls and black rhino.
HOW CAN I MAKE THE MOST OF MY TRIP? With a safari, when you go can be just as important as where you go. Peak season runs from June to October, in line with the country’ s long, dry season. Game viewing is at its best during this time, but lodges, particularly along the Great Migration route, can get booked up well in advance and the parks are at their most crowded. Travelling during the short dry season, in January or February, offers a chance to witness the Great Migration without the rains, but with fewer safari vehicles on the ground competing for prime viewing.
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fall 2026 • 45 |