An estimated 25 000 mammals are resident in the Crater, including large herds of resident wildebeest, 16 highly endangered black rhino and around 70 lions. Nomadic cheetah move in and out of the area and leopard are most often encountered in the Lerai Forest. Both golden and black-backed jackal are abundant, while the normally shy and nocturnal serval are frequently spotted during daylight hours. Vast numbers of buffalo, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle also occur. Large numbers of both lion and spotted hyena are also resident in the Crater.

The Lerai Forest, the permanent marshes on the Crater floor and the highland meadows provide the best sightings of elephant in the Crater area. The dense forest on the slopes and rim of the Crater provides shelter for the giant tuskers, which pass silently through the forest depths, some even visiting the lodge gardens after dark. Elephant are not the only visitors to the lodge, with buffalo occasionally taking a nocturnal stroll through the grounds. A triumph of conservation efforts, buffalo were once completely absent from the Crater floor but have returned in large numbers.    

While more often associated with the Great Migration in other parts of Tanzania, both zebra and wildebeest are permanently resident in the Crater. Thomson’s gazelle, which often join the wildebeest and zebras on their migration, are also more sedentary in the area, grazing the grasslands in the company of the larger animals. The saline waters of Lake Magadi attract both the lesser and the greater flamingo, with flocks of several thousand forming when the lake is low. Other bird species on the Crater floor include the ostrich and the Kori bustard, the world’s heaviest flying bird.

Recent Sightings from Wildwatch.com

NEW BORN - 25 January 2012
At about 07:15 around Ziwani area {lake magadi} we saw a new wildebeest calf being born which was about 5 minutes old. The calf lay down and the mother tried to get the calf to stand up. After about 2 minutes the calf started suckling and we left when...
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SMALL PREDATOR CHASES THE BIG ONE. - 25 January 2012
Just close to "Msalaba mkubwa", we were watching a Golden Jackal, when we saw a sub adult hyena coming on our side. When the hyena was about 2 metres away from the jackal, it started barking while the hyena didn't pay any attention. The jackal...
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OUR NATURAL LAWNMOWER AROUND CAMP - 25 January 2012
It has been over one year now since Kitoi, the bushbuck was first sighted at the camp. We reckoned he was about a month old when we first saw him, definitely too young to be by himself. Normally a female bushbuck gives birth in thick cover and calves...
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