The "Manhattan Optimist Club Bulletin" #36: 6-7-23
Program:
Mike Fincham introduced our speaker, Mel “Hunter” Hunt. Hunter joined the club in 1979.
Hunter’s presentation was on The Serengeti in Motion, The Great Migration, Tanzania 2022.
Both Hunter and his wife JR were given Swahili names: Hunter’s name is Bwana Ng’ombe, which translates to “Mr. Cow” and RJ’s Swahili name, Bibi Twiga, translates to Mrs. Giraffe.
Their Cowabunga Safari was led by Brian Hesse, from Paxico Kansas. His Swahili name is Mzungu Mrefu (The Tall White Guy). He is currently a professor at Northwest Missouri State University. Hunter suggests that if anyone is interested in visiting Africa, that they visit www.cowabungasafaris.com or contact Brian at 785-221-0309.
Tanzania is in eastern Africa. The Serengeti is in the north part of Tanzania, near Kenya. They were there in March, which is the rainy season when animals migrate. One place they visited, the Ngorongoro Crater, is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Ngorongoro Crater was once a volcano. It collapsed on itself 2-3 million years ago. The rim is ~7500 ft. above sea level: the crater floor is ~5500 feet above sea level. It is about 100 square miles. It is a large alkaline lake with a unique ecosystem. While at the crater, they saw rhinos, wort hogs and hippos. When exiting the Ngorongoro Crater, they saw a Maasai village with cows, goats, and burros.
Outside the crater they saw many animals. Hunter showed beautiful photos of the animals they encountered including antelope (impala, Grant’s gazelle, Thomson’s Gazelle, Dik-Dik, hartebeest, Topi), wort hogs, cape buffalo, cheetah, elephants, leopard, lions, smaller cats (serval and caracal), and wildebeest. There are an estimated 2 million wildebeest in the Serengeti. Wildebeest calves can stand within 3 minutes of being born and can run in 5 minutes! They also saw giraffes, Plains Zebra, spotted hyenas, Bat-eared fox, side-striped jackal, black-backed Jackal, olive baboon, black and white colobus monkey (a rare sighting since they are often poached) and banded and not-banned mongoose.
At Hidden Valley there was fresh water where many animals came to drink. They saw the Gong Rock, also called the “Bell Rock of the Serengeti” which is a granite boulder that you can hit with stones, and it will play “notes”.
Hunter and RJ also saw many interesting birds including Eurasian and lilac-breasted Rollers, crowned crane, marabou stork, Secretary bird, Kori Bustard, Hamerkop, yellow-billed stork, saddle billed stork, grey heron, tawny eagle (with 6 feet wingspan), flamingos, Ruppel’s vultures.
The only insect of note was the Dung Beetle. Ecologically, they are good servants of the environment. Hunter said that there are a lot of dung beetle jokes, for instance: A dung beetle walked into the bar and said, “Is this stool taken?”. He knew some other dung beetle jokes but didn’t tell them because they are “too crappy”.
Plants: whistling acacia (whistling sound when wind blows through it).
There is research going on in the Serengeti – they saw a lion with a tracking collar.
Hunter’s presentation featured many wonderful photos. They took over 6000 pictures on their trip.
Club Information: Announcements & Upcoming Events included:
The Chili Crawl Committee will meet on June 7 at 5:15 at 1125 Moro.
Manhattan’s Juneteenth Celebration: our club will hand out water on Friday June 16th from 4:30-8:30 PM at City Park - volunteers are needed – talk to Mike Fincham if you are able to help: water was donated by Pepsi.
The finance committee meeting will be held tomorrow June 8, 4:30 pm at Optimist Park.
Dime A Day pin given to Dan O’Neil.
June meetings:
Wed, June 14: noon; Flag Day at Optimist Park
Wed June 21: 7AM: Dr. Robert Smith, Ft. Riley Museums
Wed June 28: noon: Asia Sampson, Opioid Abuse
Meeting adjourned with the Optimist Creed.
Correction/Retraction:
In the May 24 bulletin, during the Member Spotlight it was reported that Bruce Spellman attended “Clark College” which should have read “Park College”.