the "Kingdom of Ngorongoro"
if ever there is a place on this planet to visit , this is it
Hi there,
Welcome back to InFocus, Saturday.
Most of you were jealous of the 2 ladies in the car in “Wild Encounters” of the closer kind. Having seen how coolly they clicked pictures & videos of the Cheetah in the jeep, most felt, why not them? and I understand and appreciate those feelings. The FOMO effect kicked in and almost everyone said they would surely like to be on a safari like that. As straightforward as it may seem, when and if the time arrives, nerves will jangle, your heartbeat will flutter, the pounding of your heart can sound like a thunderbolt striking in close vicinity and cold sweat will glisten on the forehead even in the hottest weather. But what is life without the thrills and spills?
The thrills of a different kind awaited us as we descended into the Ngorongoro crater.
Ngorongoro crater is the world’s largest inactive, intact and unfilled volcanic caldera (volcanic crater, formed by a large eruption leading to the collapse of the mouth of the volcano). The crater was formed almost 2-3 million years ago when a large volcano exploded & collapsed on itself. Its 2000 feet deep and about 260 sq km in area on the floor. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. Daily only a limited number of visitors are allowed, an effort which must be applauded to protect and maintain the ecological balance of this gorgeous paradise on earth. There live about 25000 wild animals comprising wildebeests, elands, zebras, hippos, rhinos, cape buffalos, Thomson’s gazelles, hyenas, and of course about 50-60 lions. The crater has a natural enclosure which means that the lions are largely inbred.
That’s why I called it the Kingdom of Ngorongoro.
We entered early morning in the crater and it was amazing to see the crater rim from inside and watch the sun emerge from behind the rim & the sun rays gently embrace the space inside as the sun rose higher.
Any such morning must be welcomed and paeans for our glorious planets are natural and there is no better than a lark to do that. We spotted this lark soaking it all in and expressing itself (as happy as a lark).
Seeing us, it turned our way and let out a more happy number (imagine what it was?)
Little drive ahead and we saw this cute little, excited zebra foal.
Zebras are born mostly with brown stripes and as they grow the brown disappears to black & white. (above picture of mine was featured by BBC Earth on their insta handle).
An ostrich walking against the backdrop of the crater rim was a sight to behold.
What is the kingdom w/o its main occupant? We soon spotted the lion's pride. Two mother lionesses and about 5 cubs, playing merrily and gorging on a kill.
Our eyes searched for the protagonist. We were looking on the wrong side, left of our safari where the lion pride was, but he was spotted far away from them on the right, enjoying himself on the lush green turf. His thick golden mane and huge hulk caused an immediate burst of clicks. It was morning and, not his time. He was half asleep, opening his eyes only once in a while.
A patient wait and he decided to look at us. A burst of clicks greeted that moment.
Ohh he was majestic. A look at him and one realizes why is he called the “lion king”. Can you think of any better name? He got more generous and got out of his slumber.
As he got up, he was a sight to devour. Golden mane, that body of a champion athlete with limbs so strong, no ounce of fat, those piercing eyes, on a green top against an azure sky, he was a sight to behold.
He walked towards us. Hearts in our mouths, we waited as we clicked.
The last few InFocus episodes covered a young male tiger, a gorgeous tigress, and the speed king cheetah, here is the “Lion King”. make your choice. Wo do you fall for ? Who do you vote for?
Really is there a choice, one has to make? The world needs each of these protagonists. It’s large enough to take and have all of them live.
We stayed on the safari track as he royally walked towards us. No screams, no shouts, just heartbeats, and shutter clicks could be heard as he stepped ever so close. Was there a danger? All he was wanting is to check on his pride (who were busy eating their breakfast on the other side)
Hw walked past, glancing up, almost saying a Hi.
Then on to the grass in the direction of the East, as the sun rays lit up a golden glow in honor of the king, from behind the crater rim and low lying clouds paused enveloping the crater surface in their cotton candy fluff. Time stood still as the king walked his gait.
Morning times are tough and one has to abide by nature's call, the king stopped to drop some weight as an Abdims stork flew in front.
We drove a little ahead and found a young prince in love. With that special feeling for her and love in his eyes, he tailed her.
looked at us for approval,
& then walked beside her,
& stood guard for her
Ohh love, it even gets the king to do strange things.
Meanwhile, the main protagonist decided to walk back to his side. The onlookers got up excitedly as he walked toward them.
He then realised I was on the other side and turned around to give me my final signature shot. I clicked obligingly. The king in the front, the limited visitors in the background, and the backdrop of the Ngorongoro crater with clouds and moist air with a hint of drizzle, it was a stunning time within the “Kingdom of Ngorongoro” with the Lion King and other inhabitants.
Excited at the thought of traveling to Ngorongoro?
I made a promise to myself, that I will be back soon.
So friends, how did you find the “Kingdom of Ngorongoro” ? a Visual delight? a Natures Marvel ? the ever Fragile ecosystem? with best efforts being made by the Tanzania wildlife body to preserve it by restricting daily numbers inside the caldera.
Do comment, share, and subscribe.
Also having witnessed, read, and admired this episode, do make a silent promise that in your own way, you would make the best effort (howsoever small it might be in your eyes) to conserve and protect nature.
That’s all InFocus wants.
Have a super Sunday. InFocus will be back next Saturday as always.
Ciao.
Gear details: Camera: Nikon D 750, Lens: Nikon 200-400 and Nikon 24-120
As usual.. Beautifully described Sir.. U make it feel out of the world. Your posts are both enthralling and at the same time informative. I loved the description of the volcanic crater. And after i read the post i googled a lot to read more about Tanzania and the adjoining Kenya. Do keep writing.. I really dont know if i will visit these locations.. But aleast i can do a virtual visit through your posts 🙂
As always beautiful scenaries and natural pictures Sir, from the cute Lark to the Lion King. Every week getting to know more new things through Ur journey and thanks for that Sir. I could really feel the nature by looking at the beautiful pics ......