Day Five - Leopard!! and the Grumeti Fund - Singita Sabora

A little later start today just to ease the pace. Our plan for the day was to visit RISE (Research and Innovation for the Serengeti Ecosystem) and EEC (Environmental Education Centre) before continuing to Singita Sabora Camp for overnight.

About 20 minutes out of the lodge Godson spotted a leopard in a tree just a short way off the main track. We drove to take a closer look and found it was a youngish female (probably  the same one that we had seen briefly slip into the grass near camp on our drive back last night.) 

She spent some time readjusting her position and watching a small group of impala in the middle distance until she rose and stretched, claws digging at the tree before effortlessly gliding down the trunk and into the fairly long grass below. Another stretch and then she started to move with a languid purpose in the general direction of the impala. 

We followed her slowly, keeping a respectful distance and sometimes pulling ahead to wait for her – she was obviously totally unconcerned about the vehicle as she walked close by and hardly spared us a look.

 In places she was lost below taller grass but her white tipped tail waved and bobbed just above grass height and led us in her wake. After some time she disappeared into a thicket not too far from the impala and it seemed that we had lost her. 

Then she reappeared on a felled trunk above the thicket and proceeded to wash her paws and doze. It seemed likely that she had plans later for the impala (at least one of them) but the chance of the action being imminent was low and we had visits to make so we left her dozing on the trunk and we drove past the oblivious impala back to the track and onwards.

RISE – Research and Innovation for the Serengeti Ecosystem

RISE is housed in a brand new, stunning building constructed from locally sourced environmentally friendly materials. It is the base for the Grumeti Fund’s multiple research and environmental initiatives. 

These range from

 Elephant collaring and monitoring

       Camera Trap Surveys

·        Conservation challenges project

·        Rhino monitoring an research on habits

·        Ecological data collection and analysis

·        Anti-poaching including canine teams and aerial support

·        Many other collaborations with international organizations.

EEC – Environmental Education Centre

We drove the short distance to the EEC where a group of 16 boys and their teacher were happy to greet us in an open-sided classroom. The boys interrupted the quiz they were taking to rise and sing a song in welcome (a little awkwardly at first but gaining momentum as the song progressed). Then their teacher gave a little talk on how the center works and its purpose while the boys all listened politely.

The Environmental Education Center is a Grumeti Fund initiative that hosts groups of 16 boys or girls for a week at a time. The center runs almost constantly throughout the year. The students are selected from the local communities bordering the Reserve and are chosen based on academic performance and/or a keen interest in conservation and the environment. They spend a week at the center (accommodation in bunk rooms)  learning about the wildlife, conservation measures, strategies for protecting the environment and then are tasked with returning to their villages, parents and schools to spread the word, create their own initiatives, clubs and projects to promote conservation and education. The hope is that these young people will become the leaders of tomorrow and will be ambassadors for the environment.

Then it was my turn to talk with the boys and I explained that I had lived here in Tanzania and had taught Tanzanian boys and girls just like them in Arusha and then explained what I do now in my job as a safari agent living in America. How, in a very small way, I am also working towards helping the environment since the tourism that comes to Serengeti and other parks is a major source of funding for all the conservation initiatives, park rangers, anti-poaching and projects just like EEC. We talked about how many people in many places are all part of a big team working towards the same goal but how they as Tanzanians are the most important piece of the team. They asked amazing questions;

“What challenges do you face in your job?” (Aaargh right now Covid!)

“What inspires you most?” I showed them the video I took yesterday this morning of the leopard moving so gracefully through the grass. I’m not sure if they were more impressed with the leopard or my iphone

“What is your favorite football team?” (since I’m English) then proceeded to all tell me theirs – lots of Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool but sadly no Newcastle Utd.

“How can I become like you?” yikes that one almost got me!

They were charming and earnest, shy at first but then growing in chatter and smiles and I left them with much waving, kwaheris and karibu tenas , very much touched by their young enthusiasm and potential.

What an absolutely fantastic project!

Thanks to Iza for showing me around - he is an assistant teacher at EEC and is himself a graduate of the program - just look at that smile!

We arrived at Sabora in time for lunch, then a little siesta before heading back out for a 4:30pm drive.

The sky was broody and threatening in several directions so we adjusted our plan to avoid impending rain – buffalo caked to the eyeballs in mud, gently grazing giraffe, scampering mongoose, rainbows and dramatic skies made for an enjoyable evening drive and then back to camp ahead of the rain.

Dinner was served ‘indoors as a relentless downpour pounded outside the canvas canopies and then to bed with the sound of rain on the roof for most of the night.