Tanzania Pillows

Zebra. Plains or Savanna or Common Zebra, Equus quagga, Serengeti National park, Tanzania, East Africa. Zebras are African equids best known for their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds. (1612 views at 3 May 2015) Canon 500D, zoom lens. (Featured in a Wilderness Somewhere.)

A rare sighting. Serval Cat, kitten, Leptailurus serval hindei, Serengeti National park, Tanzania, East Africa. Servals have the longest legs of any cat, relative to their body size. Most of this increase in length is due to the greatly elongated metatarsal & tarsal bones in the feet. They are unusually mobile, helping the animal to capture partially concealed prey. Another distinctive feature of the serval is the presence of large ears and auditory bullae in the skull, indicating an acute sense of hearing. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (Featured in The World as we See it, or as we Missed it, & Other Groups. (3076 views at 16 May 2015)

Drum Rock, Tanzania, East Africa. This rock has a distinctive sound when hit with a small rock. Over the centuries depressions have formed where it has been used by the Datoga people, of the Southern Senengeti, as a gong. The Datoga are forerunners of the Maasai, Masai. The groups of rocks in this location are known as Kopjes. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (Featured on The World as we See it, or as we Missed it.) .

DeHavilland Canada Dash 8-300/Q300 - Air Tanzania digital artwork by The Art of Flying. http://www.theartofflying.biz

Earlier that morning we watched the same lions on a kill. Now when we returned we found them washing down their breakfast.

Granite outcrops called Kopjes are typical of a large part of the southern Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa. It is not uncommmon for prides of lions to rest on these, using them for a lookout. (1138 views at 1 May 2015) (Featured in Afrikaans & Other Groups.)

Portrait of a Maasai Moran, a member of the warrior class. He is dressed in red and his traditional jewellery. The Moran are unmarried men who act as the protectors of a village and go through lengthy initiation. They live in Kenya and Tanzania, East Africa. In many ways the Masai have managed to retain their traditional culture, though pressures have been put on their society by land laws & National Parks rules, however they maily dress in traditional clothing & jewellery & practice a rural lifestyle centred on cattle. (Canon 500D, zoom lens) (1568 views at 24 June 2015)

Airbus A220-300 - Air Tanzania digital artwork by The Art of Flying. http://www.theartofflying.biz

On a game drive on the Ngororongoro Concession we came across a large elephant family. Most of them completely ignored us except one curious baby who came over for a closer look.

Portrait of an African Elephant, Loxodonta Africana, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa. Eating on the move. Elephants spend most of their time eating. Elephants must have access to water and enjoy spending time washing, playing and cooling off. African Elephants are classified as endangered. They are victims of large-scale poaching and habitat loss due to rapid human expansion. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (Featured in Afrikaans is my Mother Tongue & Other Groups.) (1120 views at5 27 May 2015)

This lion cub has been feasting on a kill, has a face covered in drying blood and its belly is bulging with food. African lion, Panthera leo krugeri, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa. Lions are now endangered. About 30 years ago there were about 400,000 across Africa, now the population is estimated to be about 20,000 and decreasing. Canon 500D. zoom lens. (Featured in Amazing Wildlife, & Other Groups.)

Dry Season Sunset, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (atured in The World as we See it, or as we Missed it.) (1058 views at 14 May 2015)

Thomsons Gazelles, Eudorcas thomsonii, Serengeti National park, Tanzania, East Africa. Tommies as they are known are one of the most common antelopes in Africa. Thomson's gazelles are 53 to 67 cm tall and weigh 13 to 24 kg, females, 17 to 29 kg, males. The males have slender elegant horns. They are prey for all the great predators, especially cheetahs. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (Featured in Amazing Wildlife, and Other Groups.) (1145 views at 17 June 2015)

African lion portrait, Panthera leo krugeri, female, keeping watch as the pride prepares to hunt. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa. Lions are now endangered. About 30 years ago there were about 400,000 across Africa, now the population is estimated to be about 20,000 and decreasing. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (Featured in Love These Creatures, and Others.)

African lion portrait, Panthera leo krugeri, one of a pride resting on a grassy hillock, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa. Lions are now endangered. About 30 years ago there were about 400,000 across Africa, now the population is estimated to be about 20,000 and decreasing. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (Featured in Love These Creatures, & Others.)

Salt Lake with hippopotamus skull, Serengeti National park, Tanzania, East Africa. The impact of global warming is all too evident. Canon 450D, zoom lens. (Featured in Our Planets Scenery.) (2788 views at 18 May 2015)

When the engine was turned off, the only sounds were of the gentle sigh of the breeze and this gentle giant grazing on the plain. Plus the clicking of cameras!

Lilac Breasted Roller, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa. (Featured in Pictures with the WOW Factor & The Birds & Others.)The group gets its name from the aerial acrobatics some of these birds perform during courtship or territorial flights. They are monogamous and nest in an unlined hole in a tree or in masonry, and lay 2–4 eggs in the tropics, 3–6 at higher latitudes. The Lilac Breasted Roller is the national bird of Botswana. Canon 500D, Canon 100-400mm lens

There are several species of Red Colobus Monkey, but this one lives only in Zanzibar Island, Tanzania, Africa.

Thomson's Gazelles in the landscape with waterholes left by the drying up of the Moru River. Thomson's Gazelles, Eudorcas thomsonii, Serengeti National park, Tanzania, East Africa, Tommies as they are known are one of the most common antelopes in Africa. Thomson's Gazelles are 53 to 67 cm tall and weigh 13 to 24 kg for females, 17 to 29 kg for males. They are prey for all the great predators, especially cheetahs. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (1223 views at 18 May 2015)

Yellow fronted Canary, Serinus mozambicus, Serengeti National park, Tanzania, East Africa. (Featured in the Wonder of Wings.) The Yellow-fronted Canary is a common, gregarious seedeater in the finch family. Canon 500D, Tamron 28-270mm lens. (2551 views at 19 June 2015)

Dry Season Sunset, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa,

A lone African lion, Panthera leo krugeri, female, crossing the land, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa. Lions are now endangered. About 30 years ago there were about 400,000 across Africa, now the population is estimated to be about 20,000 and decreasing. This individual is wearing a radio collar so is part of a lion study. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (Featurein The World as we See it, or as we Missed it.)

Long-tailed Shrike, Urolestes melanoleucus, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa. (Featured in The Birds and others.) They are unique in their vocal duets, their cooperative breeding behavior, and their gregariousness. Canon 500D, 100-400mm Canon lens (1039 views at 13 May 2015)

Defassa Waterbuck, female, Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa. The waterbuck is a large, robust animal. Males are generally about 25 percent larger than the females. Only the males have horns, which are prominently ringed & as long as 40 inches. They are sometimes used with lethal results when males fight one another over territories or females. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (Featured in Love These Creatures & Other Groups.)

Profile portrait of a Lilac Breasted Roller, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa. The group gets its name from the aerial acrobatics some of these birds perform during courtship or territorial flights. They are monogamous and nest in an unlined hole in a tree or in masonry, and lay 2–4 eggs in the tropics, 3–6 at higher latitudes. The Lilac Breasted Roller is the national bird of Botswana. Canon 500D, Canon 100-400mm lens (Featured in Amazing Wildlife, & Other Groups.)

Dar es Salaam city map in light minimalist typography. This white urban cityscape is a memorable gift to a Tanzanian friend or African family who lives or travel to Tanzania, Africa

Dar es Salaam city map in vector typography. This cartoon urban cityscape is a wondrous gift to a Tanzanian friend or African family who lives or travel to Tanzania.

Rare sighting of a Serval Cat, female, Leptailurus serval hindei, Serengeti National park, Tanzania, East Africa. (Featured in Wild Cats in their Environment.) This Serval was accompanied by her kitten. Servals have the longest legs of any cat, relative to their body size. Most of this increase in length is due to the greatly elongated metatarsal & tarsal bones in the feet. They are unusually mobile, helping the animal to capture partially concealed prey. Another distinctive feature of the serval is the presence of large ears and auditory bullae in the skull, indicating an acute sense of hearing. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (2377 views at 14 June 2015)

Hildebrandts Starling, Lamprotornis hildebrandti, Serengeti National park, Tanzania, East Africa. The diet of Hildebrandts Starling is a combination of insects and fruit, with insects apparently being the more important constituent. Canon 500D, Canon 100-400mm lens (Featured in The World as we See it, or as we Missed it, & Others.) (1507 views at 15 June 2015)

African lion, Panthera leo krugeri, female, keeping watch as the pride prepares to hunt. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa. (Featured in Wild Cats & Their Environment and others.) Lions are now endangered. About 30 years ago there were about 400,000 across Africa, now the population is estimated to be about 20,000 and decreasing. Caon 500D, zoom lens.

Superb Starling, Spreo superbus, Serengeti National park, Tanzania, East Africa. The diet of the Superb Starling is a combination of insects and fruit. (Featured in Artists Universe and others.) Canon 450D, 18-270mm Tamron lens. (3087 views at 14 May 2015)

Portrait of a Thomson's Gazelle, Eudorcas thomsonii, Serengeti National park, Tanzania, East Africa. Tommies as they are known are one of the most common antelopes in Africa. Thomson's gazelles are 53 to 67 cm tall and weigh 13 to 24 kg, females, 17 to 29 kg, males. The males have slender elegant horns. They are prey for all the great predators, especially cheetahs. (Canon 500D, zoom lens) (Featured in A Photographers Craft, & Others.) (3459 views at 17 June 2015)

African Elephant, Loxodonta Africana, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa. Part of a large herd of elephants crossing the plains and heading for water. Elephants spend most of their time eating. Elephants must have access to water and enjoy spending time washing, playing and cooling off. African Elephants are classified as endangered. They are victims of large-scale poaching and habitat loss due to rapid human expansion. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (Featured in several groups.) (1073 views at 22 May 2015)

African lion portrait, Panthera leo krugeri, one of a pride resting on a grassy hillock, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa. Lions are now endangered. About 30 years ago there were about 400,000 across Africa, now the population is estimated to be about 20,000 and decreasing. Canon 500D. zoom lens. (Featured in Closeups in Nature, & Other Groups.) .

African lions, Panthera leo krugeri, part of a pride resting on a grassy hillock, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa. Lions are now endangered. About 30 years ago there were about 400,000 across Africa, now the population is estimated to be about 20,000 and decreasing. This pride is part of a study on lion populations as can be seen from the radio collar. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (Featured in The Power of Photography, and Other Groups.)