April is undoubtedly one of the best and most beautiful months of the year at Ndutu! Officially it is now “Low Season”, but insiders know better. The buzz of tourists has slowed down, the plains surrounding Ndutu are full of animals, there are flowers everywhere, the light is beautiful offering great opportunities for photography… and there is peace and quiet..
The weather, though, has been unpredictable and different from most other areas in Tanzania, where there are reports of flooding and bridges collapsing, main roads blocked or closed and some nasty accidents… whereas here in Ndutu the rains have mostly circumvented the area… with showers on the other side of lake Ndutu but not at the Lodge! We hope that the rains will continue a while into May, so we can fill our drinkwater tanks to the brim, before the Dry Season starts.
The April skies can be majestic – with towering thunderheads and violent lightening storms – only to be followed by bright sunshine….and a very special ‘treat’, if one ventures out on an early morning drive. These are the mornings of misty dawns when thick fog, or even better, ground mist covers the plains and woodlands, shrouding the trees and vegetation. Once the sun breaks through, delicate works of art – intricate and beautifully woven spiderwebs of all shapes and sizes- become visible. They adorn the Serengeti grasses and bushes with silver strings of pearls, a wondrous sight!
On the animal front, most noticeable absentees have been the elephants. They seem to have scattered in all directions and only sporadically does a lone male visit the Lodge. The giraffes, on the other hand, have been around in numbers, and a delightful group of youngsters continue to roam around near the Airstrip, looked after by a few females. They are quite ‘approachable’ and calm and guests have been able to get good close-ups of these beautiful and elegant creatures!
I suppose the highlight of this month occurred during three days of controlled chaos, when the wildebeest gathered in and around the Big Marsh. Because of the rather unusual and locally dry weather conditions, the animals massed in the woodlands and the Marsh provided The Watering Place! 
An unforgettable wildlife spectacle unfolded with vast herds trekking to and fro and in long lines, often passing each other in different directions to drink in the Marsh. And, while calves searched for their mothers, and mothers looked for their calves, males were sparring and showing off! It was pandemonium! On the fourth day in the morning there was only a flattened, muddy swamp left with the sudden silence broken by the bleating of a few calves, lost and alone, and as it turned out, an easy and welcome prey for the resident leopard, cheetah and some hyenas.
Finally, having lost Horatio the Hippo (who had to give up the Ndutu waterhole to daily visiting herds of elephants in February/March) and, rumour has it, returned to Lake Masek, we can now introduce our two new temporary residents: Mu and Hanga! Well-known Kenya artist Kioko creates all kinds of animals from scrap metal and nuts, bolts and left-over bits and pieces.
“Muhanga” is the kiswahili word for “Aardvark” and these are two of a kind. It turned out to be quite a struggle to get Hanga out here. Firstly, she had the opportunity to fly in by Cessna Caravan, but despite the 10-seater plane being almost empty her considerable girth prevented her from travelling in style. In the end she had to contend with a lift in a 10 ton lorry whilst Mu travelled in state by landrover….and they now are happy amidst the aloes in front of the Lodge, their coats turning a beautiful rusty red after the recent rains! Full of zest, they face the dining room and their cheerful presence brings a smile to our visitors’ faces.
Aadje Geertsema
Ndutu Safari Lodge
