Editor’s Note: You know we loved seeing animals in Africa, so when this guest post opportunity came up from African Wildlife Content we had to jump on it!  Love seeing how much the area has stabilized.

A mere 15 years ago, the Western Corridor of the Serengeti had been devastated by rampant poaching and uncontrolled hunting, leaving this stretch of wilderness nearly barren and dry. Visiting the area today would present you with a dramatically different view. In 2002 the Singita Grumeti Fund was granted the right to conserve and manage the area, which spans 350000 acres, and the animal populations in the area has rebounded significantly since then. In fact, it is hard to imagine the devastation, when we are presented with the thriving eco system we see today. The region once again boasts an impressive variety of wildlife, which makes for exceptional viewing. There is nothing quite like seeing these majestic creatures in the natural habitat from your African safari lodge. Here are some of the highlights we’ve gathered from the region’s recent wildlife reports.

Elephants                      

Elephants are sighted daily across the concession. Quite a large breeding herd, approximately 300 elephants, was spotted recently on the concession. Visitors were treated to some fantastic sights as the herd remained in the area for a period of 2 weeks.

Lions

The last few months have been exceptional for lion sightings with sightings in a single month totaling as many as 144. The prides in the area are thriving and none of the cubs have been killed or lost. Two prides in the area, the Nyasirori and Butamtam, has recently welcomed a few new arrivals. Each pride now has 3 new cubs, which are approximately 3 weeks old, and more are expected this year. There are several females who are pregnant and 4 active mating pairs have been sighted.

Leopards

Leopard sightings have recently been dominated by a mother and her 2 cubs. The family tallied 32 separate sightings along the Mbogo drainage, making up a large percentage of the leopard sightings. Two territorial males were spotted during the month. There were only a handful of sightings due to the sheer size of their territories.

Cheetahs

Conditions have also been ideal for viewing cheetahs with two families regularly spotted on the concession. A mother with 3 cubs (“mother with 3”) and a mother with one cub (“mother with 1”) were spotted throughout December. Visitors were treated to the holy grail of big cat viewing as the mother’s went out on several hunts, showing us just how hard these creatures work to take care of their young.

Special Sightings

We have also seen increased wild dog activity in general. The pack is on the move, on the hunt for prey, and are currently not denning. Denning is when a pack chooses a den site to remain at, while their new pups are born. Of the 12 wild dog sightings, 8 resulted in a kill, which is incredible given this species’ rarity and endangered status.

The abundance of wildlife here is something we are quite proud of, and it’s fantastic to see these beautiful animals gaining in numbers once more.

If  this has wet your appetite for safari and you’d like to see more animal pictures from our time in Africa, click the collage below: