I’ve never been a big fan of zoos, this trip is only showing why keeping animals in small areas is just wrong.
Today was a drive through Serengeti National Park then into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area with a stop at a Maasi village. The Maasi are an indigenous people, originally nomadic. They raise cattle and don’t eat of otherwise harvest the wild animals; this is why they are allowed to live in the conservation area.
I’m not sure my list is complete but I noted seeing Impala, Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeast, Leopard Turtle, Black Faced aka Vervet Monkey, Crocodile, Olive Baboon, Hippo, Giraffe, Honey Badger, Hyena plus a number of birds.
The numbers of Zebra and Wildebeast were amazing; they covered the ground as far as one could see. These 2 animals travel together because they need each other. The Wildebeast has eye on the side of its head which limits its vision while the zebra has eye in front giving it forward vision. There will always be a zebra in the front of a migrating herd. Other senses of the Wildebeast help to protect the herd from predators.
The Maasi village we visited welcomes paying customers. The houses are very small, made of branches and dung. They are polygamous, the number of wives one is allowed depends on how many cows you have, 10 cows for 1 wife, 20 cows for 2 wives. Our guide listed up to 40 cows for 4 wives, he said he has 2 wives.
After visiting the village we continued on to our lodge which overlooks Ngorongoro Crater.
Today was a drive through Serengeti National Park then into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area with a stop at a Maasi village. The Maasi are an indigenous people, originally nomadic. They raise cattle and don’t eat of otherwise harvest the wild animals; this is why they are allowed to live in the conservation area.
I’m not sure my list is complete but I noted seeing Impala, Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeast, Leopard Turtle, Black Faced aka Vervet Monkey, Crocodile, Olive Baboon, Hippo, Giraffe, Honey Badger, Hyena plus a number of birds.
The numbers of Zebra and Wildebeast were amazing; they covered the ground as far as one could see. These 2 animals travel together because they need each other. The Wildebeast has eye on the side of its head which limits its vision while the zebra has eye in front giving it forward vision. There will always be a zebra in the front of a migrating herd. Other senses of the Wildebeast help to protect the herd from predators.
The Maasi village we visited welcomes paying customers. The houses are very small, made of branches and dung. They are polygamous, the number of wives one is allowed depends on how many cows you have, 10 cows for 1 wife, 20 cows for 2 wives. Our guide listed up to 40 cows for 4 wives, he said he has 2 wives.
After visiting the village we continued on to our lodge which overlooks Ngorongoro Crater.