Cats

Tanzania is known for big cats.

We counted the number of lions we saw. The total was exactly 100. We saw lions eating, lions sleeping, lions playing, lions mating, adults, and cubs. 

We saw nine leopards in the north, two in Tarangire and seven in the Serengeti. Most were too far away to get good photos but this one was about 17 meters (55 feet) away in a tree in the Seronera area of the Serengeti.

And we saw one leopard in Selous. He was on the ground, near the end of the day, with a kill hidden nearby.

We saw 23 cheetahs in the north. They are not found in Selous. We saw two mothers with cubs, three pregnant females together, two males hunting together, and many lone cats. 

Serval cats are shy and often nocturnal so we did not expect to see any. We spotted one in the distance. Paul got this photo. His next photo showed only the tail. The cat was gone before he could get a third shot.

There were genets at Ndutu Lodge which are used to people, so we got to see and photograph them. They are nocturnal and so are normally hard to see. These animals are not actually cats, but they look and act very much like long-nosed, long-legged, long-tailed cats. They are related to civets, binturongs, and linsangs. They have soft fur and retractile claws, are good climbers, hiss when they are upset, and purr when they are content.

We saw two wildcats but they were gone before we could photograph

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Last modified 5 November 2019