In December, the rains came and soaked the earth, saturating the plains. The grass grew tall and lush, and as the tall grass spread, the smaller antelopes moved to places where the grass was shorter, making it easier for them to feed. Meanwhile, the elephants and buffaloes were happy, as the abundant grass was perfect for them to eat and enjoy. They roamed freely, taking full advantage of the rich food supply. The land was alive with movement, as each animal found its place in the changing landscape.

It’s truly amazing to see how things change each month and how animals adapt to these changes. Watching them adjust to the shifting seasons, weather, and available food shows just how connected they are to the environment. Each month brings something new, and animals adapt to match the new conditions. It’s a reminder of how nature always finds a way to maintain balance.

 A sightings snapshot for Grumeti and Lamai each, follows.

 December sightings snapshot for Grumeti:

 Lions

In December, lion sightings were exceptional throughout all the areas visited during the game drives.

• The Sabora Pride was mostly seen west of Sabora Camp the whole month, stretching all the way to the Marula Bush Breakfast site. Their seven cubs are healthy and doing well.
• The Kombre Pride stayed mainly in their territory, just east of Sasakwa Lodge and occasionally ventured close to the community grazing boundary.
• The Ridge Pride was seen a few times on top of Ridge Hill. Their new cubs were rarely seen, as they were kept well-hidden on a hill. We believe the cubs are doing well, even though it’s difficult to access the area.
• The Nyasirori Pride spent most of the month along the boundary between the Serengeti and Grumeti Concession, an area rich in prey availability.
• The Butamtam Pride has been moving around the Serengeti border south of Sasakwa Lodge.

Leopards

This month, we had some amazing leopard sightings despite their typically secretive nature:

• The Kombre male was often south of the albizia woodland, just east of Sasakwa Lodge.
• The famous mother leopard and her cub were seen frequently, around the Raho drainage near the Serengeti border. At times, the cub was seen alone while the mother went off to hunt.
• We were lucky to spot a new female south of Sabora Camp, and we believe she may have come from the Serengeti.
• The Mbogo drainage male showed up unexpectedly this month. He hadn’t been seen for several months, but was seen to the west of Faru Faru, and the next day, he was seen further north.

Cheetahs

Due to the heavy rains and tall grass in some areas, the general game has moved to higher ground across the reserve, which has led the cheetahs to these spots.

• The well-known Junior Veteran was seen on the southern side of Sabora, walking across the plains in search of food.
• The female cheetah and her nearly full-grown cub were seen near the Serengeti boundary. The cub is almost as big as the mother and we think she may soon be left alone.

Elephants

In December, we continued to observe vast groups roaming the expansive plains in significant numbers throughout the reserve. It was normal to view a group of about 300 elephants in one herd. The plains of Sasakwa, Sabora, Gambaranyera were alive with movement, and the Pofu plains are bustling with life with large numbers of elephants filling the area.

 Buffalos

• At Sasakwa Plain, there were two large herds, one group was to the south of the lodge, and the other was to the east.
• Further east, in the albizia woodland, there was a huge herd moving between the woodland and the marsh area just north of Sasakwa plain.
• Sabora plain also had a large herd seen to the north and east of Sabora Camp.
• As usual, Kawanga plain had the largest herd to the west of Balanitis Explore Camp.
• The Faru Faru area had a good-sized herd to the west of the lodge.

Rhinos

The male eastern black rhino was seen often by himself on the north-eastern side of the sanctuary, roaming around in good health.

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