Submitted by Julia Tortu on the 2018 winter session program in Tanzania sponsored by the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology…
During our last week in Tanzania, we were able to spend time in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) including the famous Serengeti National Park. We started in the Ngorongoro Crater: the remains of a collapsed volcano that is home to a large density of wildlife. I got more and more excited as we drove past beautiful views of the massive crater and as we eventually descended into the wildlife. The bottom of the crater was essentially flat, but you could see the rim of it in every direction. It was like we were in a bowl. I was shocked by the amount of animals in sight. The density of animals was incredible and we never drove too long without seeing any animal. There were of course many wildebeest, zebra and gazelle, but we also saw hyena, hippopotamus and even some black rhino in the distance.
We also spent time with the Maasai People in the NCA. One day, we drove to a nearby boma where we met a few dozen kids. A boma is a Maasai enclosure where several families and their cattle live. With the flies swarming around us, we showed them how to take pictures with our cameras. They got so excited once they understood how the camera worked. I ended up with about 100 new pictures after some kids walked away with my camera for a few minutes. The kids also got excited when I showed them my sunglasses. They were passing them around the entire time, striking a pose with them on upside down.
The last few days spent in the national parks of Tanzania have been absolutely beautiful. I am still in constant awe of the amount of wildlife we were able to see in addition to the immense beauty of the country. It is not often in the U.S. that we are somewhere without any buildings or man-made structures in sight. Serengeti National Park is a very flat area and yet there is only the natural world for miles in every direction. That is probably one of the things I will miss the most upon returning to the United States. Especially being from NYC, I am not often surrounded by this much wildlife, but that just makes me more excited to return here one day.
