{"id":53776,"date":"2021-07-27T14:37:18","date_gmt":"2021-07-27T20:37:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/isobaresoffit.com\/?p=53776"},"modified":"2021-07-27T14:37:20","modified_gmt":"2021-07-27T20:37:20","slug":"magical-experiences-in-the-serengeti-national-park-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/isobaresoffit.com\/2021\/07\/27\/magical-experiences-in-the-serengeti-national-park-part-i\/","title":{"rendered":"Magical Experiences in the Serengeti National Park – Part I"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After spending the day in the Ngorongoro Crater, we continued north to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. We would spend two nights in the park where we spend two full days driving around and seeing so many amazing sights. We would see the one missing animal to complete the Big Five as we would have several incredible encounters with Leopards that was the only animal missing as we’d seen lions, water buffaloes, rhinos, and elephants already. We would see much more than just the big cats and we would have many encounters that were up-close and personal. The Maasai word Serengeti means “land of never ending plains”, which is certainly apt as you can see the endless grasslands in every direction that you look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We Were This Close to the Male Lion<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Zebras Aren’t Snuggling, It is a Defensive Mechanism to See Both Directions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Elephant in the Grasslands<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A Pride of Lions to Start Our Day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Giraffes on the Move<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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View from the Camp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We stayed in the central part of the Serengeti National Park, which made it easy for us to get out and spend full days exploring the park. The sheer number of animals that live in the park is at times almost overwhelming. We were there as the wildebeest began the migration north towards Kenya, so there were times when thousands of wildebeest and zebras crossed the road in front of us with a distinct mission to reach their next destination. There were so many incredible experiences with wildlife that it is definitely a place that we will remember and cherish our time there forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The First Leopard Sighting <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Hippos Charging Into the Water<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Called a Sausage Tree Because of the Seed Pods<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Lion Relaxing by the Road<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Elephants and Beautiful Scenery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Leopard Climbing Down the Tree<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We started seeing giraffes as we neared the park, but since the giraffes eat the leaves of trees, seeing them inside the park is limited to when they go from one location to another. We also saw a variety of elephants in the park, which didn’t use to be the case, but they have naturally migrated to the Serengeti over time as the populations in surrounding parks increased. It was, however, the encounters with the large cats that would be the highlight of our first day in the park. At one point, we saw a lion so close to our Land Cruiser that we could have literally reached out and petted him, but that would not have been a good idea. For the most part, the animals could care less about the people who drive up around them to take their photographs, but occasionally they shy away from our presence. We spent about twenty minutes admiring the lion before any other vehicles arrived, at which point he decided to wander away into the tall grass where he disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Dik-Dik is One of the Smallest Antelopes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Secretary Bird on a Tree<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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