Night Drives in the Tarangire

You've spent the day walking with your guide or covering distance in the safari vehicle. You'll have seen great wildlife, the big herds of elephant and buffalo, lion snoozing in the shade and leopard slumbering up a tree. But night is when the bush really comes to life, this is when wildlife groups close together, eyes straining into the darkness, trying to pick up movement, a sound, an unfamiliar smell. The bush is full of tension, and then alarm calls, panic and the rush of movement as the predators make their move.

On a calmer note, night drives also provide an opportunity to see wildlife you wouldn't get a glimpse of during the day. Out come the porcupine, the honey badgers and the hyenas. Nightjars lie in the tracks on the road, the bush is a different world under darkness.