Lions, Leopards, Elephants... Oh my!

SCOTT: Today began sharply at 6:30 AM with an early game drive. Driven primarily by fear of missing something crazy happening, Will, Stuart, and I decided to sacrifice some sleep and go on the optional drive. We were told that a lot of wildlife could be seen early in the morning. During the drive, we got to see more of the same wildlife, including zebras, wildebeest, gazelles, and many birds. In addition, we were fortunate enough to see a pair of lions during the latter part of the safari. Even though nothing extraordinary happened during the drive, I must say that seeing the Serengeti at day break gave off a very calm and serene feel. The stillness could be seen for miles over the vast expanse of plains. Only the sound of the wildlife broke the tranquility of the morning.

The game drive ended at around 8:30 AM. After the drive, we met up with the students that opted to get a little more sleep that morning. We had our breakfast at our lodge, Lobo Wildlife Lodge and then packed our usual box lunch for the day. We then headed out for another game drive in the Serengeti. We saw much of the same wildlife that we had been seeing the previous two days. However, today also ended up being a day of many first-time experiences. Our first excitement involved two elephants. We approached the two, which were about 20 feet from the road. Unlike our other sightings of elephants, these two threatened to charge our land cruisers. They made intimidating noises and trotted around our cars forcefully. One of the elephants really looked like he was about to charge. He made a charge directly at us before changing direction about 15 feet from the car. Alex even has the picture to prove it!

Our other big event came later in the day just before lunch. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to see one of the more elusive animals in the Serengeti: the leopard. The leopard is heard more often than seen. It is a very solitary animal that stays out of the spotlight. Personally, it was incredible seeing the exotic animal taking a nap in the tree. It was awesome to finally see an animal that you always dream of seeing as a young boy.

After eating lunch, we headed to our next lodge, the Seronera Wildlife Lodge. We all unpacked our suitcases and then went out for a brief nature walk with Dr. Nagao and Dr. Whitney. Then, we had the option of going on an afternoon game drive. Bailey ended up being the only ILA student that opted to go. Jennifer and Dr. Dale also went. According to their eyewitness accounts, they saw a “Discovery Channel” type event. A lioness pursued and took down a wildebeest right before their eyes. Even though they have no pictures to prove it, supposedly they have it on video. I guess I will give them the benefit of the doubt and believe them. Tomorrow, we depart Seronera for an early morning game drive en route to Arusha. It is hard to think that our program is coming to a close. Tomorrow, most of the day will be allocated to packing. Bailey and Tyler will be heading home on Sunday, while the rest of us will be getting for our final adventure.


EDITOR: It's not a myth... I was there to see the hunt. We also saw a family of elephants, a gorgeous sunset and a double rainbow. It was unbelievable!