Tansania – Pirschgang mit Ranger

Walking safari in Arusha National Park

Inside the Ngurdoto Crater, which resembles a smaller version of the famous Ngorongoro Crater, you can catch a glimpse of buffalos roaming the swamps at the crater floor if fortune favors you. At least, that was what I had read online before our trip, so we were incredibly excited.

For us, it was a thrilling buildup, while for Elly, it was a race against the clock because the rangers were already waiting for us at Momella Gate.

Elly dropped us off with the rangers at Momella Gate in the early afternoon. We were buzzing with anticipation, having absolutely no idea what to expect from a walking safari like this.

A ranger, equipped with a hunting rifle and a knife, now led the way ahead of us, guiding our steps through the bushes and out into the Arusha plain. Our very first time in Africa, and within the first few hours, we were already exploring on foot. We walked the first few meters in complete silence behind the ranger. My eyes scanned frantically to the right, to the left, and straight down at the path. Would we actually see animals on this walking safari? Were there snakes hiding on the trail?

For our two-hour trek, we were out on a small loop. First heading toward the Momella Wildlife Lodge to the right of Momella Road, then curving over to the other side to visit the waterfall, and finally looping back to Momella Gate. It was just a tiny loop within the massive Arusha National Park, but it turned out to be a massive experience for us, packed with wildlife sightings all along the way.

Arusha: The green oasis

And so, we started at the gate, heading right through the thickets. Mount Meru was right at our backs, while Mount Kilimanjaro shimmered in the far distance ahead of us. Once we reached a lush, green clearing, the view looking back at Mount Meru was utterly imposing. We looked around in every direction, completely surrounded by the most beautiful shades of green. Vibrant hues from shrubs, trees, and grasses extended across the plain, up the mountain slopes, and all the way to the jagged peaks.

The ranger explained to us: „It is green here all year round. Arusha is known as a green oasis and provides a habitat for a wide variety of animals.“ Yes, Arusha National Park is famously known as a „Green Oasis.“ He added, „Elephants even migrate high up on Mount Meru, where they find enough to eat.“

During one of our next visits to Tanzania, we will definitely plan a proper trek with a ranger all the way up Mount Meru.

On foot among Cape buffalos

Still daydreaming about the green oasis, we stepped out across that very meadow. Our gaze swept across the grass. Just a few hundred meters ahead of us, we could make out the huts of the Momella Wildlife Lodge, and—whoops!—right in front of us stood a massive herd of Cape buffalos.

On our way to the gate, we had already spotted Cape buffalos in the distance within the „Small Serengeti“ area. But now, the herd was standing right in front of us, not far away at all. We would later learn a great deal more about Cape buffalos and just how dangerous they can be. But on this particular walking safari, they simply looked like a regular herd of cattle.

Naturally, we were fascinated and snapped away with our cameras. Every single buffalo got its own picture—young ones, old ones, females, males, some accompanied by oxpeckers, some chewing the cud, and others grazing. The herd seemed incredibly peaceful.

Many of them lay tightly huddled together, chewing the cud in total serenity. Alongside the countless little calves and mother cows, there were also older bulls. Are the older ones out here what they call the „Gagga Boys“? Amidst all these buffalos, common warthogs were scurrying around as well. Everything seemed perfectly calm, but then „Radio Africa“ went on the air. The warthogs suddenly bolted with their tails bolted straight up into the air—the classic „Radio Africa“ signal. That was the cue for our ranger to quickly move us along and disappear behind the next patch of bushes.

With the knowledge we have today, it’s clear: this was a moment where we had to be exceptionally cautious. Cape buffalos are entirely unpredictable, and the older males can turn highly aggressive from one second to the next.

Passing by waterbucks

Our foot march continued, leading us past mousebirds, bee-eaters, and a handful of waterbucks. One waterbuck had evidently detected our presence from afar. It stood frozen to the spot, staring directly in our direction. „Waterbuck so impressive, great photo model,“ the ranger told us, giving us plenty of time to capture some great shots. As the animal finally trotted off after a while, the ranger added, „It is a waterbuck with an elliptical ring.“ Elly later put it much more humorously, calling them „waterbucks with toilet seats.“ And yes, that ring on the back of the waterbucks looks exactly like a toilet seat.

Heading to Tululusia Waterfall

Our path now led us to the other side of Momella Gate. The ranger wanted to show us Tululusia Waterfall. In this part of the Arusha plain, a small stream meanders all the way to the waterfall. The stream and the damp meadows surrounding it practically beg the animals to wallow. It certainly invites the warthogs to wallow, and we were treated to a massive sounder of warthogs. The warthogs didn’t pay the slightest bit of attention to us, allowing us to hike right past them along the stream toward the waterfall—and snap plenty of photos of wallowing warthogs along the way.

The ranger paused for a moment near the warthogs. „Can you hear the noises?“ Yes, we could hear the sounds, but we couldn’t quite figure out what they were. It sounded incredibly comical. „A boar is making very amusing noises here, he is courting a sow!“

The spark of amusement instantly jumped over to us. From that moment on, every single encounter with these quietly loud creatures became an absolute highlight.

Many meters before we even reached it, we could already hear the roaring water. The ranger noted, „This waterfall is already part of the slopes of Mount Meru.“ Just a moment ago, we had been strolling along a peaceful little stream, and suddenly we were standing right against the rocky walls of Mount Meru, with water cascading down from above in a deafening roar.

Reading tracks in Tanzania

The impressive flora and fauna in Arusha National Park constantly had surprises in store for us.

On the trek back from Tululusia Waterfall to Momella Gate, the ranger gave us a quick introductory lesson in tracking and identifying droppings. „I show you a few things about tracks and droppings,“ the ranger said. Consequently, our gaze was no longer fixed straight ahead, but focused entirely on the ground right in front of us and beside us. We walked past a pile of giraffe droppings. „Sure, giraffes, they live here!“ And sure enough, just moments later, we spotted them: grazing giraffes.

Plant lore in Tanzania

A few years ago, we spent a day exploring White Pocket in the USA with Angie. She practically drummed it into our heads: „Don’t touch any plants under any circumstances!“ They could be highly toxic. Of course, the same rule applies here in Africa, but the locals possess such an immense depth of knowledge.

Together with the ranger, we passed a large shrub laden with green fruits. The ranger plucked one of the fruits and showed it to us.

This plant is used by the locals in a wide variety of ways. The fruit juice helps soothe toothaches, the stem serves as a natural toothbrush, and the leaves are used as toilet paper. Even the elephants eat the fruits and utilize them as a medicinal plant.

„These fruits are eaten especially by elephants, and the elephants spread the seeds throughout nature via their droppings.“ Unfortunately, I didn’t catch the exact name of the plant at the time, but it appears to be the Sodom apple(Solanum incanum).