Good Times for the Predators and Scavengers

It was dry season in Tarangire National Park during our last ungulate survey in September and October, and that means good times for the predators and scavengers. Thousands of migratory wildebeests and zebras head into Tarangire from June until the rains start in November, because the Tarangire River provides a reliable source of drinking water when the waterholes elsewhere dry up. It is a great time for tourists to visit Tarangire National Park, as the predators (lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas) and scavengers (vultures, black-backed jackals, also hyenas) are out in full force.

Tarangire Hill makes a scenic backdrop when viewing the thousands of zebras and wildebeests that migrate here during the dry season.

The Tarangire River provides a critical source of drinking water for animals that migrate here from hundreds of kilometers away.

This baby zebra follows its mother across the Tarangire River.

As tourists enjoy watching the immensely popular lions and cheetahs, however, it is important to remember that these magnificent wild beasts would not be here if it were not for the ungulates (hoofed mammals). Ungulates are their primary prey. That is just one reason why we at the Wild Nature Institute are working so hard to protect habitat and migration corridors for the ungulates -- to protect an integral part of the food web of the African savanna.