Serengeti National Park

Tear Lines

Tear lines give the cheetah a distinctive and adorable face. These marks are dark (in contrast to the tawny fur of this fast feline) and connect the corner of the eye to the mouth. But they are not just for looks.

Specialists refer to these lines as malar stripes. Malar is Latin for "cheek." It is believed that these lines reduce glare (like the lines that football players put under their eyes) and help cheetahs and falcons and other tear-lined creatures spot and pursue prey.

We found this cheetah and (heard her) cubs in the central Serengeti.

If spotting a fast feline in the wild sounds fun to you, join us on an African safari.

Secretarybird

It's the body of an eagle on the legs of a crane!

The secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius)is a mishmash of parts, designed for hunting snakes, rodents, and insects. It often captures and kills its prey by stomping. Those legs make it a fierce snake-fighter!

With their ornate feathered headgear, secretarybirds are easily identified. They lope about sub-Saharan grasslands with speed. It also helps that they can stand more than one meter in height.

Sadly, habitat loss is pushing this marvelous creature toward extinction. It was added to the endangered species list in 2020.

See a secretarybird for yourself in 2026. Join us on an African safari.

A Petite Treasure

This dwarf antelope (Raphicerus campestris) is one of Africa's petite treasures. Identified as a steenbok (from Afrikaans for "brick," because of its reddish-brown color), a mature adult stands about 20 inches at the shoulder and may weight 25 pounds. Steenboks are known for large ears, and in the case of males, short upright horns.

If threatened, a steenbok will first crouch and hide. If that fails, it sprints in a zig-zag fashion.

We spotted this female in the Serengeti.

Snake Killers

A pair of steppe eagles (Aquila nipalensis) devour a python.

While snakes do not feature largely in their diet, they are powerful and opportunistic eaters who dine on reptiles, small mammals, insects, and even carrion.

Loss of habitat has rendered the steppe eagle an endangered species. They migrate seasonally from Asia to Africa.

This pair was photographed in the Serengeti.

See eagles (or pythons!) for yourself. Safari with us in 2026.

Poor Table Manners

This bad-tempered fella would have preferred to dine alone on the Serengeti. Unfortunately, he couldn't drive everybody off at the same time. As soon has he chased off one friend, another moved in for a bite.

We watched, amused, as this greedy game of "get your head out of my cape buffalo" went on and on.

Rüppell's Vulture (Gyps rueppelli) is an efficient garbage collector of East Africa. While preferring fresh kills, this scavenger will fuss over rotting ones too.

Yuck.

How many are there?

When it comes to antelopes, no place on earth has a greater variety than Africa. Some 72 native species have been identified on the continent. Antelope are smooth-haired, hollow-horned, grass-eaters. They are nimble and known for their speed.

Below is a juvenile Coke's hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus cokii), spotted on the great plains of the Serengeti. The hartebeest is one of Africa's larger antelopes. Mature adults can run at speeds up to 55 km/h (and turn on a dime!).

Dagga boy

African or Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in stream, West Tanzania.

Vicki and I were drifting off to sleep the other night when we were startled by one of these Dagga Boys ("Mud boys") scratching against the wood frame of our tent platform. From inside the canvas, we listened to him breathe heavily and munch wet grass. Eventually he wandered off. We slipped away under the covers. All's well that ends well.

Never mind the lions, an excommunicated old bull is the most feared animal of the Serengeti. Its power, speed, and unpredictable nature have given it the nickname, "Black Death."

Bush Camp, Serengeti

Bush camps like Ang'ata provide a quality lodging for our groups during game drives in the Serengeti. Don't be fooled by the canvas, wood, and bamboo. The service in these camps is wonderful, the food excellent, and the night sky has no rival. All seats for this year's excursions are reserved, but we still have open spots for 2026. Experience God's good creation for yourself.

Kirk's dik-dik

Would you believe that this tiny antelope (common to East Africa) is only about 12 inches tall? It has a long tubular snout through which its blood is pumped to help cool its body (nasal panting). That snout can also be used as a whistle; the shrill noise it makes sounds like "dik-dik" hence its popular name.

I believe this species is Kirk's dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii). I captured this image in the Tanzanian Serengeti last year.

Chasing Cheese

It is hard to imagine a more elegant and agile creature than the common impala (Aepyceros melampus melampus). Long legs give it the ability to sprint up to 55 mph, jump over an obstacles more than ten feet high, and leap a distance of 33 feet.

We often encounter groups of these gregarious creatures in East Africa. They are easily identified due to their medium size, reddish-brown coat, lyre-shaped horns, and black markings on the hind-quarters. Imagine the black marks on the rump advertising the letter "M." See it? Don't blink. That's an iMpala!

Something else that might be of interest: note the black marking on the "ankles" (metatarsals) of the impala's rear legs? Those are scent glands. The impala is the only member of the antelope family that has these features. Some think that the impala leaves a "chemical trail" for others to follow in a chase! What's more, that trail has the smell of cheese! Cheese chase? Of course!