Safari in Arusha National Park

We had Sunday free in Arusha, so we scheduled a safari to Arusha National Park which is centered on Mount Meru. Arusha National Park is not as well known as the safaris we will go on later this week, but it was certainly worth the visit.

Our driver was here to pick up us up at 6:00 AM so we drove most of the way out to the park in the dark. We got into the park around 7:00. The first place we visited was a meadow with plenty of grazing zebras.

The first animals we saw are Kim's favorites - zebras!

As you can see from the picture, the sky was overcast as it was all day. Not great for viewing scenery, but the animals don't care.

Our driver, Benjamin, said all of the roads in the National Parks are dirt - no tarmac at all. Benjamin popped the top up in the back of the Toyota Range Rover and we drove like that all day. I spent a lot of time with my head out watching for animals. (I ended up with chapped cheeks the next day.

 The view from standing and looking forward down a typical dirt road.

Here is the Range Rover. All of the safari vehicles are required to carry two spare tires and extra fuel. If you look closely you can see that the roof is popped up.

We saw many giraffes and waterbucks. The giraffes are very alert and will stop grazing and watch you. 

 This is a waterbuck. Kim remembered from our membership at the San Deigo Wild Animal Park, they have a bullseye on their rear.

 One of the first giraffes we saw.

This is a very typical view. Giraffes are very alert animals. In contrast the waterbucks would just ignore us.

Giraffes usually stay in family groups. Here are two, but they were a part of herd of a dozen. It felt like Jurassic Park because just when we were watching some giraffes, several more would surprise from a different direction.

What is more adorable than a baby animal?

Flamingos!

There are several lakes in the Park that have flamingos. We stopped and watched for while. The flamingos noisily congregated. The ones in the foreground were wading with their heads upside down and swinging their heads from side to side while they walked. The guide said they are filter feeders, so they swish a lot of water through their beaks while they feed.

Here are more zebras. 

This view has a bonus giraffe in the background!

We also saw suni and dik-dik's, both very small antelope. The suni are a distinctive red colored with large hindquarters, and the dik-dik is the smallest member of the antelope family.

A suni antelope.

A dik-dik antelope.

There are a lot of birds too. Here is a crowned crane.

A crowned crane.

We also saw baboons and monkeys. 

This is a blue monkey. They do not have a striking blue color, but their hairless faces can have a blue tint.

Our Mammal and Bird List for Arusha National Park

• Masai Giraffe
• Zebra
• Cape Buffalo
• Waterbuck
• Bushbuck
• Suni
• Dik-Dik
• Warthog (In Swahili poomba)
• Baboon
• Colobus Monkey
• Blue Monkey
• Bee-Eater (bird)
• Crowned Crane
• Blacksmith (bird)
• Flamingos (I am not sure if they were the Greater or Lesser Flamingos)