Giraffe carcass

There is a road that goes to the national park and it's really bushy on each side of the road, especially now after the first rains. It is unfortunately not super unusual for someone to hit and kill an animal while driving. This past week we noticed some activity of one of our collared lions indicative of it feeding on a carcass and went to check it out.When we came to the location we noticed a dead giraffe showing no wounds, so likely an auto accident. Even before we could set up our VHF antennae to locate the lion BOOM, we saw it peeking out of the bushes next to the car.

We backed away from the carcass and waited and after about a half hour the lion came out with another male and began feasting.

While we were happy, we were even more excited to return at night when the lions would be real active. Around 9pm we headed out to the road and set up about 20 ft back from the carcass. It was one day since the full moon and it illuminated the area well. It gave a feeling of being able to almost see but not quite able to make out the details. Certainly gave a vulnerable feeling after the two lions began to roar on both sides of our car. I then saw a lion come on the road about 50 ft behind us. My window was down as I slowly watched the lion walk past me, not five feet from the car. Even though the level of actual danger to myself was minimal, when a lion walks next to you in the moonlight it is incredibly tense. After he walked by his friend came out from the other side and they began to feast on the giraffe. We could hear them pulling the giraffe's neck and heard it thumping on the ground as they lifted it up in the air and released it as they tore off pieces of flesh. Hyenas gathered within 50 ft, not yet willing to risk annoying the lions who were obviously protective of their meal.

The next morning we passed again and the vultures had come. Dozens of White-backed along with a few Ruppels and Hooded vultures took turns pecking away at the carcass.

I only passed one more time the following day on my way into the park and saw the giraffe head 10 ft from the body and the rest decaying fast. According to our collaring data the lions had finally moved on which means the hyenas and jackals would decimate the carcass that night.

Mwanza City

View of downtown Mwanza

I had been to Mwanza one time over two years ago (Trip I) and wasn't enamored with the city. Mwanza is Tanzania's second largest city at around 1,000,000 people and is notable for the industry and trade around Lake Victoria, nearby mining, and being the home region of the current president. Previously I had come as a tourist but this trip was for work. The workshop was scheduled over the Tanzanian independence day holiday and I didn't know that the president was having the celebration in Mwanza. As a result the city was busy as ever and I actually had difficulties finding a hotel when I arrived.

The town is large and sprawled and although it was busy it didn't feel overwhelming like Dar es Salaam can sometimes feel. I was alarmed at the huge population of street kids which seemed to be more than any other city in Tanzania. Having originally come to Tanzania to do monitoring and evaluation for street kids in Moshi the issue certainly still resonates with me. 

I found the city to be overall bland and even the attractions are a bit contrived. The nearby national park Saanane, which is nothing more than a few tiny islands 10 minutes from Mwanza city that was initially a zoo. The fish market is a cool place to visit if you are a tourist though the most interesting thing in my opinion is a visit to "Jiwe Kuu" a photogenic high point in the northern end of town that has some pretty rocks and a view.

Otherwise Mwanza was a decent place to come for a workshop, albeit very far away. Luckily I was already in Arusha and could catch a flight, otherwise it was a 14 hour bus ride from Arusha!

Camping in community protected area: 2019

Birdwatching at the river

We've often gone to the nearby community protected area for work or leisure (Trip 1). I haven't documented all these trips but once in a while I remember to snap some pics. This trip was particularly nice because it is now the end of the dry season. This was the last trip out before the first big rain of the year. 

Friendly elephants

Checking out the river

Sunrise after civil dawn.

Kilombero River: Trip II

It has been over five years since we last visited Kilombero River (Trip I) and we were excited to get back on the river. Unfortunately the area was struct with a deluge of rain that is not typical for the year and thus the river was pretty quiet in regards to wildlife. We were lucky to have no rain the day we went to the river though it threatened throughout our trip.

We headed down to the bridge, which was a ferry crossing when we last visited. We parked our car at a police check point nearby and took a bijaji to the river. We met a group of fisherman and negotiated hard for a good price on a big boat to take us out for a few hours. There were four of us and we found a big boat with two boatman. We even managed to get the seats (in actuality they were just pieces of wood nailed to together) so we didn't have to sit on the floor of the leaky boat. From our previous trip we remembered it could be both sunny and rainy and brought along umbrellas for cover.

We headed west on the river and enjoyed the calmness. We saw a crocodile carcass that the guys claimed died of natural causes. We saw several fisherman that were fishing from boats as well as from the shores. The river was very muddy and high but was relatively calm. We puttered around in the boat until mid-day and then headed back to the boat landing, dry and satisfied!

At some point we stopped and our lead boatman bought a bunch of fish. He plopped this poor bottom feeder right in front of me and it occasionally flailed around. You get what you pay for!

Mikumi National Park: Trip II

Vultures stopping for a drink.

This weekend we took our second trip to Mikumi National Park (Trip I). Mikumi NP offers something different than Ruaha National Park and being only 3 1/2 hours away it's a doable trip on a weekend. On our last trip to the park we explored the northern part of the park which mainly consisted of flooded grassland and some man-made pools of water. On this trip we decided we'd drive the northern section in the morning and in the afternoon head south to the Miombo woodland hills.

We left Iringa mid-afternoon on Friday and arrived to our guesthouse Friday in time for dinner. It was only a half hour from the gate so we were ready to go at 6am on Friday and spent the morning on the main tourist game drive circuit in the north. We didn't see any carnivores but managed to see wildebeest, elephant, zebra, giraffe, eland, warthog, Bohor Reedbuck, and stunning views of a male Bushbuck and an up close encounter with a big crocodile. My favorite part of the morning was getting stuck between a herd of over 100 buffalo. All of them skittishly faced us and smelled for us. It was a bit unnerving to have them all focused on us!

Ana watching a croc slide by.

We lucked out and found the cottages/headquarters with some dining options. We were a little early at noon but had a coffee and some overpriced (15,000tsh) chips and chicken, then headed back out. All the bandas and campsites that we visited were quite well done with a range of amenities from cottages to camping sites.

The real highlight of the trip was venturing into the less visited Vuma Hills part of the park. We explored the southern side and found a waterhole with over 70 vultures drinking. We followed the road along east and saw a half-constructed and dilapidated lodge overlooking a waterhole with loads of waterbirds. We then headed south and up into the hills passing through some gorgeous Miombo woodland. The landscape shifted from a mosaic to a well developed Miombo woodland surrounded by rolling hills. The area was quiet and felt very wild. We ended up on the far western side at a lodge and were unsure if we were in our outside the park. We took a road that had likely been used no more then once this season and it proved adventurous with detours at treefalls, and unexpected termite mound holes.

When we arrived to the lodge we weren't sure how to get out. We shouted for assistance but no one came and we kinda checked out the lodge until 15 minutes later someone came to point us in the right direction. We took a road straight down and managed to get out of the park by 630pm. After a long day it was nice to get out and the vastly different landscapes of the park made it feel like we had done two days in one!

Lone Zebra in the grass.

At man-made waterhole with some other wildlife.

In the Miombo woodland.

Iringa: Basketball

View of the courts to the east with the event hall and other buildings in the background

When I was younger I was very active in team sports and I've found it's a great way to connect with people abroad. Much like language, I am forced to pick up whatever the locals play. I remember learning to play cricket in Jamaica and soccer in Nigeria. But a sport that I am familiar with is basketball, though it's difficult to find a court and enough players given the lack of popularity for basketball. When I was living in Uganda I was lucky enough to find access to a basketball court and enough players for full court. And luck strikes again as I've found a regular spot in Iringa.

There is a basketball court in a large complex of a Lutheran church. The area is labeled a student center but there is a large event hall (I attended a meeting there with 1,000 people), several buildings, and a large field where people also play football. There have been events there such as a DSTV fun day and a medical outreach activity. Every day there are around 50 kids that meet at a building and practice church song and dance. It's really a fantastic recreation center and the court is in decent shape. It also has a beautiful view of the hills on the east and west of Iringa with a nice sunset every evening. 

Kichangani basketball is a loose group of around six regulars and 15 people that rotate. There are usually enough players for full court and the skill level is typically enough for the game to be fun. The thing I love the most is although the guys play hard they are not fouling hard or driving the lane recklessly, the type of stuff that leads to injuries. Everyone plays safe and respectfully and more importantly, plays to have fun. We meet around 5:30pm and play till it's dark, around 7pm. The majority of the guys are probably between 20-25 with one other guy around my age.

At the end of every game we gather in a circle and take turns giving feedback of the days game. Then we hold hands in a circle, say a little prayer, and then do an old school call and response where one person says "Kichangani" and the others shout "basketball!". It's all rather wholesome!

View to the west

Ruaha National Park: Dry season trip

View east from a hill.

One of my favorite things about visiting Ruaha in the dry season is the unique palette of colors the landscape displays. Viewed in isolation the orange sandy soil and grey leafless trees seem unimpressive but as a whole a myriad of oranges, browns, yellows and greys provide an unexpectedly beautiful landscape.  Depending on the time of the day the sun might illuminate the brown grasses or bounce off the orange soils with the light affecting the landscape in subtle ways. I'm always taken aback at how much I enjoy the aesthetic in the brutal heat even with no wildlife present. There is something alluring about all the dormant plants just enduring the hardships of no rain, harsh sun, and wind.

We were lucky enough to be able to explore the park on foot this trip but unfortunately had to work through the hot day. Wildlife was sparse around Msembe and Ruaha River Lodge but we did manage to see a pair of Wild Dogs early one morning, which makes ANY trip a success!

Checking out the river.

Giraffe in the riverbed

Classic dry Ruaha landscape.

Sunrise on the hill.