During the last century, Africa’s black rhino population plummeted by more than 90 percent, reaching an alarming low of just 2,300, but five were recently returned to the Serengeti National Park as part of an ambitious initiative to boost the viability of Tanzania’s rhino population.

“Six flights to deliver the rhinos to Serengeti National Park are sponsored by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Nduna Foundation and the Wildlife Without Borders program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

“The rhinos’ safe arrival is a remarkable achievement for rhino conservation and for cooperation between nations, according to the USFWS. During the next two years, a total of 32 eastern black rhinos will be returned as part of the Serengeti Rhino Repatriation Project, more than doubling the number of rhinos in the Serengeti.

“The 32 black rhinos destined for Serengeti National Park are descendants of animals that were taken from Kenya to South Africa in the 1960s. Originally kept in the national parks’ estate, they were sold into private hands in the mid-1990s. Meanwhile, in Tanzania, illegal poaching of rhinos decimated the native wild black rhinos.

“In recent decades, increased security efforts on private and public lands have helped black rhinos recover in some parts of East Africa. In preparation for welcoming the returning black rhinos, the Serengeti National Park strengthened security throughout the park and created an elite rhino-protection force trained to safeguard the rhinos and their habitat for years to come.”

Learn more at AllAfrica.com.

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By Claudio Bacinello

International Expeditions’ guests Claudio and Teresa Bacinello share stories and photos from their safari to Southern Africa.

So, here we are, on our fourth trip with IE and the furthest from home Terry and I have ever been. Following stops in London, Johannesburg and an overnight stay near Victoria Falls in Zambia, we’ve arrived at Chobe Savannah Lodge on the bank of the Chobe River in Namibia.

The air here is different. It’s clean, with a pleasant dry, woody scent. We like it. Our hosts, Brett and Roxanne welcome us like family, and, as we enjoy a cool drink, Roxanne points out a small group of elephants grazing across the river, in Botswana. She says the herd is moving to the river for water and we should see quite a few more the next day.

Next morning, we see that her prediction has come true. There are literally hundreds of elephants grazing and drinking along the river. Over the next two days, our river excursions allow us to observe the elephant’s behavior at close range and provide the opportunity for some spectacular photographs. In addition to elephants, we also see a large troop of baboons, impala, buffalo, crocodiles and hippos. I recall how utterly surreal it seemed as we sat in our boat with the engine off and watched and photographed these changing scenes as they unfolded before us. Who knew that a herd of elephants could be so quiet and that, normally cautious baboons and impala would go about their business as if we weren’t there. Terry and I split our photographic assignments for best coverage, with her using her compact camera for larger scenes and groups and me using my SLR for tighter groupings, individual shots and small details.

Two days and a thousand or so photos later, it’s time to move on.

Stay tuned for more stories and Claudio’s photo tips coming soon. You can see more of Claudio’s images from his Southern Africa Safari on the IE flickr page.

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Did you know that the giraffe was actually named for its speed rather than its height? Giraffes were once believed to by a mixture of a leopard and a camel. Although they may look rather slow-motioned, giraffes can actually reach speeds of around 30 mph.

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The longest elephant tusk ever recorded measured 11 feet, 1¼ inches, and the heaviest ever recorded tusk was 230 pounds.

If  you want to photograph wild African elephants (and the rest of the famed “Big Five”), be sure to check out IE’s Africa tours.

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Gerenuk means “giraffe necked” in the Somali language. So it’s not surprising that the gerenuk is relatively easy to identify on game drives because of its most prominent feature — a long neck!

If spotting a gerenuk is at the top of your wildlife wish list, head to Tanzania’s Lake Manyara or Tarangire National Parks in the Masai Steppe or Kenya’s Samburu Reserve.

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In Tanzania alone there are more than 30 ethnic groups, and International Expeditions’ East Africa safaris are the perfect time to glimpse the daily lives of the Maasai tribe.

The Maasai occupy most of the grasslands in northern Tanzania, including the area around the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater. These pastoralists migrated southwards along the Nile into East Africa some 300-400 years ago. By the middle of the last century they had established themselves as a powerful and ferocious people: their warriors raided hundreds of miles into neighboring territories capturing cattle and spreading terror wherever they went. War was life for them and before a raid they would sing:

Oh dear bird flying in the air,
Let us meet at the battlefield
In the land of the enemy’s striped cattle
And there you will feed well
For if I am not killed, I will kill.
You will feast either way, on my body
Or on the body of my adversary.

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Leopards were once believed to be a hybrid between lions and panthers, and the leopard’s common name derives from this belief; “leo” is the Latin word for lion, and “pard” is an old term meaning panther.

One other interesting fact: Leopards have the ability to see in 1/8th of the light required by humans.

You can see leopards and the rest of Africa’s “Big Five” on our Tanzania Classic Safari!

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The Egyptian goose was named for its coloring, not because of where it originates. We can observe these birds on safari in Kenya!

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Lions breed throughout the year, and when the female is in oestrus, the pair will mate two to four times per hour for up to three days. As the male tires, the lioness will move on to other pride males.

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Given a choice, a male giraffe will browse at the higher part of the tree or bush whereas females prefer to browse below six feet.

This is a useful identification tool in the field and helpful when you don’t have binoculars handy to see the male’s horns!

Ready to see giraffes – along with lions, elephants, leopards, zebras, wildebeest, rhinos, hippos and more? Check out IE’s Tanzania Safari. Travel in October or December and save $500 per person!

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