Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

1 October 2007

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The next stop on the southern circuit was Mwagusi Camp in the Ruaha National Park, a massive unspoiled wilderness. A larger lodge than I have been used to it was nevertheless a great experience (and I have to admit they had the best breakfast dish – cinnamon buns to die for).

Ruaha is well known for its massive pride of lions – the one pride we saw numbered 19 individuals, including the smallest cubs I have ever seen at seven weeks old. This is nearly the earliest it is possible to see lion babies as the mother hides them until they are six weeks and then introduces them to the pride. We had searched for them for the three days we were there and it was only on the last morning just after dawn (with only an hour left on the vehicle before heading off to the airstrip) that we came across three of the pride members who quickly led us to the whole pride, including two massive males one of which was displaying some fairly decent battle scars. But it was the young cubs who stole the show as they climbed over their mother demanding milk. Unfortunately one was noticeably larger than the other which did not bode well as it is likely the younger one might not survive.

Due to the pride sizes, there are few other cats to be seen, but we were extremely lucky on the first evening to track a cheetah mother and her two nearly full-grown children. In absolutely perfect light the we spent the next hour happily viewing them as they wandered about and settled down for the night.

The birding in Ruaha was also quite good; especially when we espied a Lilac-breasted Roller that had caught a frog that appeared far too big for it to eat (in fact this episode proves the old saw that as long as you are willing to keep your eyes open, a game-drive is nearly always fulfilling – that morning we had been a bit starved for wildlife and it was nearing time to head home when the sighting happened). A tiny Black-faced Sandgrouse chick, a White-bellied Bustard, a Giant Kingfisher, an African Hawk Eagle and a fight between a Tawny Eagle and a Hooded Vulture were also highlights.

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