Tanzania, Africa - 2

Hi, On the second day of our safari we had morning and afternoon game drives in Tarangire National Park.

Immediately after leaving the lodge we encountered a Dikdik.  These very small antelope are very shy and therefore very hard to photograph.

There are still thousands of elephants in Tanzania and it seemed like we saw most of them.  They eat 18 hours a day in order to provide enough nutrition.  Our guide told us they only absorb about 40 percent of the food value in the vegetation they consume.

Vultures in an Acacia tree.  The nests hanging on the right are constructed by a family of birds called Weavers.

This young male lion stayed hunkered down in the grass.  He was not happy having us close by.

There were lots of young elephants.  This one is trying to nurse was but a few days old.

This is a Lilac Breasted Roller.

I am not sure what these birds were.

This Vervet Monkey has come down to a river to drink.

African Wild Dogs are extremely rare.  Our guide learned of this pack over the radio and we hurried to find them.  When we encountered the pack the dogs were lying in the shade.

Eventually the dogs began to move around some, probably a little upset by our presence.  A few even wandered out onto the road.

This is a massive bee hive.  Bees can be seen massed at the center (brown area).

Wildlife frequently came onto the grounds of the lodges and camps at which we stayed.  Here a Vervet Monkey sprints through our lodge area at lunch time.

These Guinea Fowl were very common.

Here is a bachelor group of Impala.

We encountered large groups of elephants.

And where does an elephant go?  Anywhere it wants.

A Striped Mongoose family crosses the road.

Giraffes also were very common (above and below).

As a vulture surveyed its surroundings from its perch on a dead tree another day came to a close.

Thanks for looking.