The dew-covered grass flickered past my legs, and the cool morning air exuded a crisp, delicate fragrance.
Eventually, even my sleepy eyes responded, finally opening fully to appreciate the dazzling landscape overlooking Tarangire. Passing through several Maasai bomas, we could see young Maasai boys herding sheep and goats.
On a shrub of acacia (Senegalia mellifera) nearby, a lone dik-dik, a small bushland animal, stood still, chewing foliage and shoots. This animal gets its water from what it eats and lives in pairs. Its dusty-coloured coat helps it blend well into its surroundings, providing protection from predators. In the world of the dik-dik, a mature male is forcefully driven away by his father, and a female does the same to her daughter.
These unprotected areas harbour a number of wild animals as they act as a buffer zone. Animals and birds were scattered everywhere. We saw groups of zebra, impala, and wildebeest, some of which were en route to Lake Manyara.
My host, Mr. Makau, told me that the pleasure of birdwatching here is not restricted. He guided me to the areas where they graze and farm, and we spotted many birds, with him identifying them all—some even by their voice, calls, and songs.
We passed through watermelon farms and entered a series of shrubs and bushes. At first, we saw a family of four elephants with a calf. We immediately took a different direction as they disappeared further into the forest.
Then we heard a desperate call from a colony of weaver birds coming from an acacia tree. We slowly and cautiously moved towards the calls.
A dik dik
We were shocked to see a huge snake coiled around the thorny tree. It was an African Rock Python, its belly full, relaxed, and unperturbed by our presence. It appeared that it had already swallowed a large animal. We puzzled over what animal could be inside its stomach.
We watched the snake for hours, but it didn’t move. This was an incredible sighting we stumbled upon while just birdwatching, marking our third such encounter. The last one was in Nyasa, where the python had swallowed a monkey.
Pythons are non-venomous and may eat mammals, birds, lizards, and rodents, depending on their size. They constrict and suffocate their prey before swallowing them whole.
In the distance, we saw a breeding pair of leopards heading to drink from a shallow pool. We opted to retire to the lodge where we would spend the night. The sense of welcome was soothing, and one of the nicest things was that the food was excellent and plentiful enough to satisfy even the ferocious appetites of three growing teenagers who came for food at Osupuko Lodge.
Raphael Mbunda, Leganga Lodge at Usa River. Birding is his hobby. He can be reached at mbundarb11@gmail.com, +255756606070.
