Duma Perch

Ngorogoro Crater Conservation Area, Tanzania

Swahili for Cheetah, this young male Duma perched high to survey the crater floor for prey, large and small, near or far. He was ready to run at over seventy miles per hour to catch the prey, often to have it stolen by lions or hyenas.

The conservation area spans thirty two hundred square miles and includes the truly amazing Ngorongoro Crater. The crater effectively captures abundant wildlife within its steep walls, which are often shrouded by clouds forming along the rim.

Traversing the crater floor along the rim, a variety of animals is easily viewed from close-up. There are birds like the regal African crane and large elephants. And humans lived as it is nearby the cradle of humanity, the Olduvai Gorge.