Serengeti Calving Season 2016 - By Andre Cloete

A selection of images by trip host Andre Cloete, from our first week of the Serengeti calving season safari 2016.

Some feedback from Andre, "Staying in our private camp set up just for our group of photographers, we were able to be right in amongst the migration herds. This meant full on calving action from early dawn light each day. It also meant predatory action with the predators coming into to catch the young wildebeest."

The trip was perfectly timed with the arrival of the wildebeest herds, making for an action packed first safari.

We are looking forward to seeing what next weeks Serengeti adventure bring...

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Serengeti Trip report - By Albie Venter

After our very eventful predator Safari in the Mara we hopped across the border into Tanzania to go and catch up with the Migration which we met in the Seronera region. It really doesn’t matter how many times one has seen this spectacle it still remains an incredible sight.

After the migration it was across to the shortgrass plains and woodlands of Ndutu where the predators put up a spectacular show for us. From the first evening being kept awake by lions roaring though camp to the last morning following four playfull cheetah cubs the action never stopped. Highlights included a female Cheetah killing a Thompson’s gazelle in full view of everyone with four cubs in tow while for me sighting such as Golden Jackal (regular in the Serengeti) and a remarkably relaxed Striped Hyena mom and cub at a den was real treats.

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Masai Mara Predators - By Albie Venter

The nice thing about hosting Photographic safaris is that one gets to experience various regions during different times of the year. Most people flock to the Mara for the dramatic and action packed Migration. This year C4 hosted it predator safaris during February when the Mara put on a totally different face to the more familiar migration season. The first noticeable difference was the sea of tall grass waving from horizon to horizon. What at first seemed to be a photographic challenge turned out to be real blessing as the grass seeds provided superb mood to photograph the predators in.

In short we saw all three big cats as well as Spotted Hyena within the first 24 hours. Other highlights included a reliable leopard den where we managed to photograph the female every morning in superb light. Spotted Hyenas feasting on a hippo carcass which was later taken over by a pride of lions. The latter then provided more excitement as the young lions chased off the decending vultures.

But the highlight of our trip came when a female cheetah decided to use our game drive vehicle as a perch to scan for prey turning every guy in the car into a 16 year old. What an experience having one of Africa’s most charismatic predators sitting a mere arms length (literally) away from us oblivious to the excitement inside. A truly fitting apex to our predator safari. Join C4 in 2013 on our Masai Mara predator Tour.

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