African Leopard (Panthera pardus pardus)
Fabled Serengeti was the main reason for the 2016 Tanzania safari. Until my 2007 trip to this region, Serengeti was the only place I had seen a leopard, one of the main treats of any safari. In 2007, I also saw a lot of other predators, especially in the Seronera region in Central Serengeti. And sure enough, Serengeti did not disappoint this time either. Just after arriving in Seronera, the driver was told by other guides where to find a leopard. We encountered the African Leopard relaxing in a tree. It had killed a Spotted Hyena, and was laying half asleep on a branch. Quite impressive of the leopard to kill what looked like an adult hyena. Often the hyenas are able to steal carcasses from leopards. Leopards prefer to stay away from the hyenas to avoid injury. Unfortunately, the tree was situated 30-40 meters away from the road, and the animal was partly hidden behind branches. So not optimal conditions for photography, as the safari vehicles are not allowed off-road in the park. But I still managed to get some decent images of the animal. I also got a glimpse of another leopard near some Simba Kopjes, but that animal hid in the bushes before I was able to get any photos. Serengeti also produced four cheetahs, of which one was feeding on a newly killed Thompson Gazelle. On the open plains we came across a mother cheetah with a half-grown juvenile, relatively close to the car. As during my last visit, we encountered numerous lions. But none with fresh kills, unfortunately.
Other highlights included fighting hippos in the Seronera River, and mud-bathing elephants. And a decent number of bird species. A night-time safari around the Mapito Tented Camp failed to give any good photos, but I got to see some of the savanna's nocturnal species, such as the Common Genet, the White-Tailed Mongoose and the Bat-Eared Fox.
All in all, the two full days in Serengeti produced the expected wildlife species, but we failed to find any of the rarer species I was hoping to see.
The only leopard I got a photo of deserves two images
Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta)
More spotted cats. A Tanzanian Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus raineyii) with a cub
Cheetah feeding on a Thompson Gazelle
The heroes are tired. An old king of the beasts
Tree-dwelling lioness (Panthera leo)
African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana) having fun in the mud
Mud-bathing
Serengeti Elephant
Drinking Elephant
Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer)
East African Hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius kiboko) in Seronera River
Unrest in the pool. Hippos in Seronera River
Hippo fighting
Spotted Hyena youngsters in the mud
Finished business
Western White-Bearded Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus mearnsi). Coming into Central Serengeti from the north and spreading out
East African Eland (Taurotragus oryx pattersonianus)
Masai Giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi)
Grant's Gazelle (Nanger granti)
Dark Chanting Goshawk (Melierax metabates)
Dark Chanting Goshawk
African White-Backed Vulture (Gyps africanus)
Hey buddy, where is our next meal ?
Nile Crocodiles in Seronera River
Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), Seronera River, Serengeti
Croc
In the hippo pool
A young hippo tries the yawn
Black-Shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris)
Amur Falcon (Falco amurensis). Breeds in south-eastern Siberia and Northern China and migrates in large flocks across India and over the Arabian Sea to winter in Southern and East Africa
Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer)
Abdim's Stork (Ciconia abdimii)
A Swift (Apus sp.)
Red-rumped Swallow / Amursvale (Cecropis daurica)
Bateleur Eagle (Terathopius ecaudatus)
Juvenile Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis)
Greater Kestrel (Falco rupicoloides)
Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni)
Rüppel's Griffon Vulture (Gyps rueppellii)
Tawny Eagle
Montagu's Harrier / Enghauk (Circus pygargus)
Pallid Harrier / Steppehauk (Circus macrourus)
I caught a big bug! Lilac-Breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus)
Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris)
Grey-Breasted Spurfowl (Pternistis rufopictus), a Tanzania endemic
Male Masai Ostrich (Struthio camelus massaicus)
Serengeti landscape
Serengeti National Park - Daybreak
Brubru (Nilaus afer)
Northern Fiscal (Lanius humeralis) and European Roller / Blåråke (Coracias garrulus)
Steenbok (Raphicerus campestris)
Serengeti landscape
Coke's Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus cokii)
Thompson Gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii)
Yellow-Spotted Rock Hyrax (Heterohyrax brucei)
Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis)
Topi (Damaliscus korrigum)
Grant's Zebra (Equus quagga boehmi)
Common Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula)
Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis)
Secretary Bird (Sagittarius serpentarius)
Female Masai Ostrich (Struthio camelus massaicus)
Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax)
Tawny Eagle. This is the most commonly encountered eagle on the plains
Mwanza Flat-Headed Rock Agama (Agama mwanzae)
Olive Baboon (Papio anubis))
Common Genet (Genetta genetta ssp. senegalensis). From a night-safari near Mapito Tented Camp
Black-Backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas) at night
East African Springhare (Pedetes surdaster)
African Savanna Hare (Lepus victoriae)
Senegal Lapwing (Vanellus lugubris)
Crowned Lapwing with chick (Vanellus coronatus)
Square-Tailed Night-jar (Caprimulgus fossii)
White-Bellied Canary (Serinus dorsostriatus)?
African Dusky Flycatcher (Muscicapa adusta)
African Grey Flycatcher (Bradornis microrhynchus)
Little Bee-Eater (Merops pusillus)
Simba Kopje
Rueppell's Long-Tailed Starling (Lamprotornis purpuroptera)
Vitelline Masked Weaver (Ploceus vitellinus)
Usambiro Barbet (Trachyphonus darnaudii usambiro)
Silverbird (Empidornis semipartitus)
Grey-Capped Social Weaver (Pseudonigrita arnaudi), Serengeti National Park Visiting Center
Rufous-Naped Lark (Mirafra africana)
Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis)
African Mourning Dove (Streptopelia decipiens)
Black-Headed Heron (Ardea melanocephala)
Black-Winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus), with a Spotted Redshank / Sotsnipe (Tringa erythropus) in the back
Spur-Winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus)
Little Stint / Dvergsnipe (Calidris minuta)
Marsh Sandpiper / Damsnipe (Tringa stagnatilis)
Ruff / Brushane (Philomachus pugnax)
Black-Bellied Bustard (Lissotis melanogaster)
Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori)
Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri)
Serengeti Spotted Hyena
Lioness yawning
Over-eating male lion relaxing