Dace's Journal | What Do a Tanzanian Safari and a Zoo Have in Common?
A game drive in Tanzania’s national parks is not a visit to a zoo. Here, the animals are truly wild. They go wherever they please. There are no fences in the wilderness to restrict their movements, and they do what they consider right. Nobody feeds them so that they can put on a show for tourists at set times.
Wild animals find their own food and know very well that they are part of the natural food chain — you can be a hunter, but you can also become prey. Mothers with young are especially aware of this.
There are many different zoos around the world where you can see animals up close, as well as private nature parks where you can go on a one-day safari. In these places, animals are usually fed by their keepers, and in some locations visitors can feed them too, hoping to get better photographs — selfies and close-up shots. In private parks, animals are sometimes given extra food to increase the chances of tourists seeing them hunt. It is an industry in which animal life is adapted to human entertainment — so that people can see animals up close, feed them, photograph them and take home beautiful pictures.
But everything is different in Tanzania’s national parks.
Here, nature is wild. Nobody feeds the animals. Here, you can witness the scenes and games of wildlife, as animals find their own ways to play, explore and survive. There is “who hunts whom”, “a mother protecting her young”, “teenage games” and “freedom as essential as the air we breathe”. You can observe fascinating scenes within a single animal family or between different groups. And you never know what will happen next.
If you only want to see what a lion, elephant or giraffe looks like in the wild, a few hours may be enough. But if you want to see how these animals live in their natural environment, be prepared to spend a long time driving around the park, searching for animals and waiting. Sometimes you may spend hours watching one animal family, while at other times you may cover a considerable distance without seeing a single animal.
That is why a safari in Tanzania may not be for everyone. You can see elephants in both Tanzania and India, but they will be completely different elephants. Safaris in different countries can also be very different. To each their own.
If you are heading to Tanzania’s national parks, be prepared not only to look at animals, but also to wait, search and observe their lives. Because here, you are not a spectator watching a show put on for you — you are a guest in the wild.
More about safaris in Tanzania:
Safari or Game Drive: What’s the Difference?
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About the Author:
Dace Zandfelde is a Northern European entrepreneur living in Tanzania. Together with her Tanzanian husband, Roman Shirima, she co-founded Tanzania Safari Experts – ROM & DACE SAFARIS. Through Dace's Journal, she reflects on the ideas, people and unexpected connections she discovers while living between Europe and East Africa.