Chapter Three: Lions, Elephants & the State of the Jungle

Good Morning, Mr. Elephant

The next morning, we discovered why escorts sometimes accompany guests around safari camps.

There was an elephant in our backyard.

A very large elephant.

He was wandering through camp, shaking trees so berries would fall to the ground and become breakfast.

We watched from a safe distance as the staff carefully escorted us toward the dining area, making sure we never crossed the elephant’s path.

And suddenly something our guide had explained about the landscape became real.

The trees weren’t scenery.

They were breakfast.

I have stayed at hotels with impressive breakfast views.

But watching an elephant have breakfast while you’re walking to yours?

That’s difficult to beat.

And Then Came the King

Our morning drive began with birds.

Eagles soared above us. Black-headed Gonoleks, Grey-headed Kingfishers and Red-and-yellow Barbets introduced us to the extraordinary birdlife of East Africa.

Then came zebras.

Antelopes.

And then…

the King.

A male lion appeared ahead of us.

He wasn’t hiding.

He wasn’t running.

He was walking directly toward us.

Confident. Fearless. Completely aware of who owned this place.

Our vehicle stopped.

The lion kept coming.

Closer.

And closer.

He eventually walked right past us without giving our presence much importance, continued into the bush and finally climbed onto a raised rock.

There he sat, surveying the landscape around him.

The Lion King had found his throne.

For a few moments, nobody needed to say much.

We simply watched.

This was the Africa I had imagined.

Except imagination hadn’t come close.

The State of the Jungle

The wildlife encounters continued throughout the morning.

Different species of antelope appeared across the plains. We saw buffalo, ostriches and enormous herds of elephants.

One particular elephant group included several females accompanied by babies.

They moved through Tarangire with such confidence that it looked less like a morning walk and more like an official inspection.

I joked that they appeared to be checking on the State of the Union — Tarangire edition.

They stopped periodically for breakfast, tearing through fresh vegetation before continuing their patrol.

Nearby, impalas grazed while constantly scanning for predators.

Zebras stood close beside them, seemingly contributing another pair of eyes to the neighborhood security system.

Then came warthogs.

They rarely seemed to walk anywhere.

They ran.

Always looking slightly late for an appointment.

More elephants headed toward water.

Ostriches appeared.

Buffalo wandered through the landscape.

Birds flashed between the trees.

At some point you realize something extraordinary about safari:

What seemed unbelievable yesterday slowly becomes part of your morning.

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From Our Trip

This chapter is based on our firsthand Tanzania journey. Safari schedules, park conditions, lodge services and wildlife sightings can change, so confirm current details with your operator before traveling.

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