Zu Besuch am Tarangire-Fluss

A visit to the Tarangire River

After watching the giraffes following our lunch break, we continued a little further along the Tarangire River. Since it was January, the river didn’t carry much water, allowing the numerous animals to trudge through the riverbed quite smoothly—just like the lone giraffe bull we had observed from high up at the Tarangire Safari Lodge.

Right here, on a large sandbank in a bend of the river, stood a small herd of elephants. They were still dozing in the midday sun. „When the river runs completely dry during the main dry season, you can actually see the elephants digging for water right here on this sandbank,“ Elly told us.

The symbiosis between elephants and baboons

Particularly during the dry season, many other animals form a vital symbiosis with the elephants. While the elephants search and dig for water, the other animals, such as baboons, act as an early warning system. The baboons will sit a short distance away from the elephants, waiting patiently for the water to appear. This symbiosis ensures survival across all seasons here in Africa.

The elephant herd had clearly just emerged from the water, as many of their backs were still glistening wet. Here on the sandbank, they had created a few mud wallows, using their long trunks to hurl the thick mud over their backs.

Some of them stood in the shade, while the many little calves kept close to their mothers or aunts.

One particular elephant must have only just escaped an attack by a predator, as its tail had been completely bitten off. That, too, is nature for you. They have to be incredibly tough in the constant struggle for survival.

Who is that hammering?

Along the riverbanks, numerous lapwings could be found. Elly pulled out his encyclopedia and flipped to the page featuring this specific bird. „In German, this lapwing is called a Schmiedekiebitz (Blacksmith Lapwing),“ he noted. Naturally, my mind immediately jumped to a blacksmith, though I really didn’t connect horseshoes or trimming hooves with a lapwing. A moment later, however, it became clear why this bird rightly bears its name. Elly took his binoculars and tapped them against a metal pipe. As if on cue, the lapwing answered. Its call hammered away repeatedly, sounding distinctly metallic. Such a small bird, yet so impressive and unique.

And as if that weren’t enough, a few beautifully colored birds were perched to our right in a sausage tree. „You will encounter these gorgeously colorful birds very frequently right here in the tree savanna,“ Elly explained to us. „Did you catch a glimpse of the tail? Doesn’t it look exactly like a fork?“ And indeed, that is precisely what the tail looks like, which is how this vibrant bird got part of its name. It is a Lilac-breasted Roller—the one with the forked tail.

Baboons enjoying their midday rest

In the shade of an ancient baobab tree right along our path, and not far from the Tarangire River, sat a large family of baboons. It was a scene we had already observed multiple times. Baboons can sometimes cause traffic jams on the road or act as roadside guests, but they are always sitting peacefully. Over the years, baboons have learned that Land Cruisers pose no threat to them. So, we cruised along the track, and the baboons by the wayside didn’t let us disturb them in the slightest. They sat there in the high grass, and right at the front of the path sat a tiny, adorable male baboon. He was completely preoccupied with a single blade of grass, while the others were busy grooming each other’s fur.

The baobab: A witness to several centuries

And now, a word on the baobab tree itself. It appeared old, incredibly old, already boasting a circumference of more than 15 meters. Over the years, elephants had repeatedly sharpened and cleaned their tusks against its massive trunk. Yet, the baobab remained entirely unfazed by all of this, quietly enjoying its old age.

„A baobab tree can store several thousand liters of water inside its fibrous bark. During the dry season, the baobab serves as a vital water reservoir for the elephants,“ Elly explained.

Ah, I see—so an elephant will deliberately damage the bark because it wants to get to the water.

Elly then added, „With a circumference of about 15 meters, this baobab is easily over 300 years old!“ Man, how incredible is that?

Here in the Tarangire National Park, there are so many of these ancient baobab trees. Each of them is a water storage unit holding thousands of liters, and even the fruits are extremely nutritious, often referred to as a superfood. The baobab truly is the elixir of life for both humans and animals.

Without our guide, Elly, we wouldn’t have truly appreciated these „trees of life.“ Meanwhile, a few hornbills remained completely unimpressed by it all. They simply use the baobab as a convenient place to perch. That works perfectly fine, too.