PHOTO TRIP REPORT | Big Cats of the Serengeti | Sept-Oct 2019
Posted by Wild4 Photo Safaris on 10th Feb 2020
Our very first "Big Cats of the Serengeti" photographic safari was a great success and proved once again that the Serengeti is one of the top places in Africa to photograph Lions and Cheetah.
The trip was split into two different locations with time being spent in the central Serengeti around the Research Kopjes area and from there we moved to the magical "Ndutu" area near Lake Ndutu in the Ngorongoro Conservation area.
The Serengeti is known as a vast place and you always feel very privileged seeing and photographing the Big Cats in this enormous area. We spent a morning making photos of two magnificent male Lions as they patrolled their territory, and also had a good photography session with a Lioness and her two sub-adult cubs up on one of the iconic "Kopjes" or rocky outcrops that are synonymous with the Serengeti National Park.
Along with other Lion sightings we had one of the very best Cheetah sightings I have ever experienced. Our guide, Jeremia spotted a mother with four very small cubs, in that special early morning light. We followed this family as the mother led them from one termite mound to the next, surveying the area for something to eat. Finally, she made a run at a young Thompson's Gazelle and brought it down. Shen then took her prize back to her hungry cubs.
The amazing photographic opportunities we had with some of the Lions and Cheetah in the Serengeti were then taken to the next level, when we came across a very rare Black or Melanistic Serval Cat. wow, what a way to start the trip!
On the following morning, our other amazing guide, Arnold, spotted an African Porcupine! this usually very secretive and nocturnal creature was walking about in the glorious morning. We were very lucky to get a few photos of it before it disappeared down a hole.
With some great shots from the Serengeti under our belt, we headed South via the Gol Kopjes to that very special and magical place, Ndutu. This area lies along the border of the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation area. Here you are permitted to drive off-road which allows you to spend quality time with the animals and have the flexibility to position the vehicle with the best light on your subject.
During February and March, Ndutu is the area where the Great Migration herds of Wildebeest and Zebra give birth to their young. The short grass plains provide excellent grazing and good visibility provides safety from predators. September, however, is the dry season and the mega herds have long departed the area. The remaining resident and territorial animals that call this area “home” are all that are left. Territorial Lion prides lurk around the marshy areas, hoping to catch animals that come down to drink the only remaining water.
Cheetahs also favour the Ndutu area as it has a good resident stock of Gazelle and Impala.
Some Ndutu Highlights included spending time with the Marsh Pride who were up to 17 members, photographing the small marsh pride of two females and a male, Black-Backed Jackal puppies, Bat-Eared Foxes, 4 different Serval Cats, a Caracal hunting Guineafowl and one of Africa’s rarest animals, a Pangolin or Scaly Ant-eater.
The Cheetah encounters were exceptional with three kills and a total count of 12 individuals.
This safari exceeded my expectations, not only was it great for photography, but it also provided a wonderful feeling of the true African wilderness. There were very few other vehicles, and a lot of the time we were totally on our own. We managed to follow up on the Cheetahs and Lions each day and got to know their characters and spent lots of time observing them. It is wonderful to share a part of these animals lives with them and get to understand just a little of what they have to go through to survive in this harsh environment.
There is no other place I have been to that offers such quality Big Cat sightings, observations and photographic opportunities.
We will definitely be adding this location to our photographic safari list of destinations, and I am already looking forward to the 2020 “Big Cats of the Serengeti” Photo Safari.
I would like to thank all the staff at both Mawe Tented Camp in the Serengeti and Ndutu Safari Lodge in Ndutu for looking after us so well.
Then a very big special thanks must go to the two amazing guides that we had for this trip. Arnold & Jeremia !! it is always a great pleasure working with you guys and thank you for getting us into those amazing sightings and for positioning the vehicle so professionally by respecting both the animals comfort levels and the need for a good photograph.
Thank you, Linda, Bernice and Frank for joining us again on another WILD4 Tour and the first “Big Cats of Tanzania” Photographic Safari.
Please enjoy a selection of images from this photo safari.
Best wishes
Stu
1 Comment
Leave a Comment
Bastian and I enjoyed the Migration photo safari very much. We realize that we have been very fortunate to see so many crossings and animals in such a short period of time.
The safari was well organized, all accomondations were first class and the food certainly a nice surprise. One could not have expected such good food in the wilderness! James and Julius took good care of us and were one reason that we saw so much different and exciting wildlife. You picked a great support team for this safari!
Bastian and I learned a lot of new photo techniques from you, which we will use in the future to improve our photographic results. Bastian for sure got hooked on time lapse, I'm sure he will be back in touch with you, sharing some of the work I expect he will create soon. Thanks to you and all your preparation, your guidance and support, this was a once in a life time experience. We will never forget these fantastic sights and animals and our photographs will always remind us of you and the great time we spent together.
Now we have the difficult task to sort through thousands of images. One day it will be done and I hope my DVD will do justice reflecting the beauty of Masai Mara. Not an easy task but a welcomed challenge.
Bastian & Matthias Freund, USA
Kruger North to South 16 days of photo safari gone off like a wink of an eye especially when it was fun and memorable. Like an aciton-packed movie, the opening scene at the Skukuza Airport reception by Wild4 Team : Stefan and Sandrine was delightful and the afternoon game drive was filled with excitements with shots of wildlife encountered as we travelled to our first camp in Satara. The numerous sightings we experienced over the next two weeks were nothing less than thrilling and of course capturing the Big 5 was fulfilling. The teamwork of Stefan and Sandrine was excellent giving the traveling photographers absolutely nothing to worry except to be trigger happy. Each day I shot approximately 1,500 images as each day bought new surprises. As a photographer I used the Sony A9 with the 2x teleconverter on the 100-400mm G Master zoom for distant & fast-moving subjects like eagles' flights, lions, leopards, rhinos and the smaller birds in flights while my Leica SL on a APO Vario Elmarit 90-280mm zoom for intermediate distance subjects like elephants, hippos, zebras, Impalas, Kudus and various animals within close quarters of the vehicle, and finally my Leica Q for the panoramic shots of landscape and daily point and shoot. A memorable trip ending with almost 4 TB of mobile hard disk storage. I will re-live my memories when I sort out the images and I look forward to my next trip with Stu on the Tanzania & Elephants of Amboseli and many other trips with Wild4.
Clifford Yap, Singapore
Outstanding stuff Stu!
Leon Marais - February 05th, 2020 at 12:31pm