The crater is a volcanic caldera, created when a volcano exploded and then collapsed, some two to three million years ago. Is about 610 m (2,000 ft) deep and about 20 km (12 miles) across. There are between 20,000 and 30,000 wild animals living in the crater.
The lake in the center of the crater is a salt lake, it doesn't have fresh water. I saw many of the large animals. There is a good population of African Bush Elephants (Loxodonta africana, german: Afrikanischer Elefant, french: Éléphant de savane d'Afrique) in the crater. I even did see a Eastern Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis michaeli, german: Spitzmaulnashorn, french: Rhinocéros noir), but it was very far away. There are no Giraffes in Ngorongoro.
The highlight of the crater tour was watching a Western White-bearded Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus mearnsi, german: Streifengnu, french: Gnou bleu) give birth. The process took over ½ hour. It then took the newborn 7 minutes to get on its feet, and another 10 minutes to get to the milk.
Western White-bearded Wildebeest all calve within a period of about three weeks in February. There are on the order of 500,000 births in the Serengeti area in that time period. Synchronized calving helps to ensure survival of enough calves. The young calves are vulnerable to predators, but since there are so many of them at the same time, the predators can't get them all, so sufficient numbers can grow up.
Grant's Zebras (Equus quagga boehmi, german: Steppenzebra, french: Zèbre de Grant) too calve all at the same time; their time is in December. I saw many young zebras as well.
There is a large population of Cape Buffaloes (Syncerus caffer caffer, german: Kaffernbüffel, french: Buffle d'Afrique) in the crater. I watched a couple of males have a fight. The buffaloes are pretty fierce looking. It is disconcerting that they always intently stare at you. They can be pretty dangerous because they are quite aggressive.
There are Southern Grant's Gazelles (Nanger granti granti, german: Südliche Grant-Gazelle, french: Gazelle de Grant) and Thomson's Gazelles (Eudorcas thomsonii, german: Thomson-Gazelle, french: Gazelle de Thomson) in the crater, but no Impala. I did see some East African Eland (Taurotragus oryx pattersonianus, german: Elenantilope, french: Éland), the largest antelopes.
Of the predators I did see Southern Lions (Panthera leo melanochaita, german: Löwe, french: Lion) and Spotted Hyenas (Crocuta crocuta, german: Tüpfelhyäne, french: Hyène tachetée), but no Leopards or Cheetahs.
Scene in Ngorongoro Crater with Spotted Hyenas (Crocuta crocuta, german: Tüpfelhyäne, french: Hyène tachetée), Western White-bearded Wildebeests (Connochaetes taurinus mearnsi, german: Streifengnu, french: Gnou bleu), and East African Crowned Cranes (Balearica regulorum gibbericeps, german: Südafrika-Kronenkranich, french: Grue royale). (701k) Mud wallows with Hyenas in the front and Cape Buffaloes (Syncerus caffer caffer, german: Kaffernbüffel, french: Buffle d'Afrique) in the back. (820k) Mud wallow with Hyenas and an Eastern Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus massaicus, german: Warzenschwein, french: Phacochère). The Hyenas are very careful around warthogs. It seems that the warthogs are quite vicious and can injure or kill a hyena. (1250k) Skull of a Cape Buffalo. (976k) Sparring Southern Grant's Gazelle males (Nanger granti granti, german: Südliche Grant-Gazelle, french: Gazelle de Grant). (885k) Southern Grant's Gazelle male (Nanger granti granti, german: Südliche Grant-Gazelle, french: Gazelle de Grant). (864k) Thomson's Gazelle male (Eudorcas thomsonii, german: Thomson-Gazelle, french: Gazelle de Thomson). (919k) Close-up of a Thomson's Gazelle male (Eudorcas thomsonii, german: Thomson-Gazelle, french: Gazelle de Thomson). (749k) East African Elands (Taurotragus oryx pattersonianus, german: Elenantilope, french: Éland). (649k) Western White-bearded Wildebeest herd (Connochaetes taurinus mearnsi, german: Streifengnu, french: Gnou bleu) with many babies. (1024k) Wildebeest herd on the move. The babies closely follow their mothers. (1105k) Nursing Western White-bearded Wildebeest baby (Connochaetes taurinus mearnsi, german: Streifengnu, french: Gnou bleu). (974k) Close-up of a Western White-bearded Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus mearnsi, german: Streifengnu, french: Gnou bleu). (1064k) Close-up of a Wildebeest. (932k) Grant's Zebras (Equus quagga boehmi, german: Steppenzebra, french: Zèbre de Grant). (1026k) Grant's Zebra with a baby. (1115k) Grant's Zebra baby. (1240k) Nursing Grant's Zebra baby (Equus quagga boehmi, german: Steppenzebra, french: Zèbre de Grant). (813k) Close-up of a Grant's Zebra. (1018k) Eastern Warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus massaicus, german: Warzenschwein, french: Phacochère) in a wallow. (1043k) Eastern Warthog in a wallow. (1045k) Eastern Warthog scratching on a rock. (1422k) Close-up of an Eastern Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus massaicus, german: Warzenschwein, french: Phacochère). (903k) Eastern African Black-backed Jackals (Lupulella mesomelas schmidti, german: Schabrackenschakal, french: Chacal à chabraque). (1022k) Eastern African Black-backed Jackals (Lupulella mesomelas schmidti, german: Schabrackenschakal, french: Chacal à chabraque). (1257k) Hilgert's Vervet Monkey mother with baby (Chlorocebus pygerythrus hilgerti, german: Südliche Grünmeerkatze, french: Vervet bleu). (544k) Cape Buffaloes (Syncerus caffer caffer, german: Kaffernbüffel, french: Buffle d'Afrique), as usual, all staring at us. (1000k) Cape Buffaloes. (1102k) Cape Buffaloes (Syncerus caffer caffer, german: Kaffernbüffel, french: Buffle d'Afrique). (850k) Cape Buffaloes in a mud wallow. (1118k) Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer, german: Kaffernbüffel, french: Buffle d'Afrique), fresh out of a mud wallow, staring at us. (826k) Fighting Cape Buffaloes. (920k) Winning Buffalo is chasing away the looser. (743k) Group of Spotted Hyenas (Crocuta crocuta, german: Tüpfelhyäne, french: Hyène tachetée) in a mud wallow. (720k) Group of Spotted Hyenas (Crocuta crocuta, german: Tüpfelhyäne, french: Hyène tachetée) in a mud wallow. (1103k) Spotted Hyena in a mud wallow. (914k) Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta, german: Tüpfelhyäne, french: Hyène tachetée). (1102k) Close-up of a Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta, german: Tüpfelhyäne, french: Hyène tachetée). (944k) Close-up of a Spotted Hyena. (800k) Is there food up there?? Spotted Hyena having a close-up look at me. (632k) Feeding Spotted Hyena. (1172k) Southern Lion couple (Panthera leo melanochaita, german: Löwe, french: Lion). (721k) Eastern Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis michaeli, german: Spitzmaulnashorn, french: Rhinocéros noir) in the distance. I didn't get any closer to a Black Rhino. (583k) African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana, german: Afrikanischer Elefant, french: Éléphant de savane d'Afrique). (930k)
Birth of a Western White-bearded Wildebeest
The birth had started a few minutes before. You can see the legs. (844k) The Wildebeest was laying down and standing up again and again. (1001k) Resting for a bit. (989k) Getting up again, more of the legs visible. (908k) Feeding a bit. (970k) Kneeling down for a bit. More of the legs is visible. (975k) Here is the newborn baby. (1115k) The baby immediately is trying to get on its feet. (1094k) After 7 minutes it was on its wobbly feet. (1115k) Trying to find milk, still on the wrong end. (1010k) It took the baby 10 minutes to find the milk and start feeding. You can still see the placenta on the mother. (1024k)
Miscellaneous
View of Ngorongoro Crater. (615k) View of the eastern part of Ngorongoro Crater. (419k) View of the western part of Ngorongoro Crater. (715k) North side of Ngorongoro Crater. You can see the migration paths that the animals take in and out of the crater. (632k) South side of the crater. The clouds seemed to flow over the crater rim. (581k) Dorippus Tiger butterfly (Danaus chrysippus dorippus, german: Kleiner Monarch, french: Petit monarque). (694k) Monument to Bernhard Grzimek and his son Michael, who were instrumental in creating Serengeti National Park with their film "Serengeti darf nicht sterben" (Serengeti Shall Not Die). (1104k)
Dr. Günther Eichhorn Travel Website
Soaring website