Tanzania is home to a few of Africa’s most renowned wildlife, and there’s nothing rather as heart-melting as seeing baby animals growing in the wild. Across Tarangire National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the Serengeti National forest, young animals browse the challenges of survival under the watchful eyes of their parents.
We just recently visited all 3 parks with a skilled guide and observed all of these animals firsthand. Without further ado, let’s take a better look at some of the most adorable and fascinating child animals in Tanzania.
Elephant Calves: Growing Up in the Herd
Picture Credit: Jenn Coleman. In Tarangire National Park, elephants are a dominant existence, and seeing elephant calves learn from their matriarchal herds is a heartwarming sight.
Born weighing around 250 pounds, these mild giants depend on their moms and aunties for assistance, using their trunks to explore their environment even before they know how to use them properly. We saw baby elephants in Tarangire nursing from their moms and discovering how to take a proper mud bath. However, our most indelible memory of elephant households was enjoying the entire herd protect the young as they crossed the open savannah of
the Serengeti. Lion Cubs: The Future Kings of the Savannah
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman. The Serengeti is popular for its lions, and lion cubs are often seen play-fighting, refining their abilities for future supremacy.
Cubs stay with their moms for about 2 years, finding out the art of the hunt through observation and practice. These spirited bundles of fur have plenty of energy but remain susceptible to predators up until they grow stronger. We had an exceptional lion encounter near a spring in Ngorongoro Crater. We stumbled upon a female resting on a fallen log, and, one by one, cubs emerged from the bush to join her. After a short catnap, the pride dispersed into an extremely arranged hunt on the surrounding plains. We never saw them engage the grazing herds, however the young lions took their positions and observed the techniques required to catch big victim. Giraffe Calves: Tall from Day One Photo Credit: Deposit Photos. Giraffe calves are born standing six feet tall and need to quickly find their footing within hours of birth to avoid predators. Outdoors landscapes of Tarangire and the Serengeti, mom giraffes keep a close eye on their young, frequently forming nursery groups where calves can mingle and remain protected. We checked out Tanzania in the fall, so we didn’t see newborn calves, but we did see calves in family groups finding out how to eat acacia trees with their long tongues.
Wildebeest Calves: Running with the Herd
Picture Credit: Jenn Coleman. Timing is whatever for wildebeest calves. Born during the Great Migration in the Serengeti, they can stand within minutes and run together with the herd within a
day. This quick development is important to leaving the ever-present hazard of lions, cheetahs, and hyenas. It ends up that there isn’t one Excellent Migration but a consistent motion of the herds as they follow the growing season. In the central Serengeti around Serona, there sufficed watering holes to have regional herds stay year-round. We missed out on the calving season, but we saw adolescent wildebeest running stride for stride with the herd.
Zebra Foals: Acknowledging Mama by Stripes
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman. In the Serengeti and Ngorongoro, zebra foals imprint on their moms within hours of birth by memorizing their
unique stripe patterns. These strikingly patterned babies stay close to their moms and depend on the safety of the herd, which employs a zigzag running technique to evade predators. We were interested by how well zebras incorporated with wildebeest. It’s as if they were one herd moving with a single function. Zebras, however, were always blazing a trail across new terrain, consisting of road crossings. The young zebras were running together with their moms and dads at the front of the pack, leading totally mature wildebeest through the savannah.
Hyena Pups: Playful however Intense
Image Credit: Deposit Photos. Hyena puppies are born almost blind however quickly establish their place within the clan’s strict hierarchy. Found in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro, these mischievous pups participate in rough play that helps them build the skills they’ll need as they grow into their effective roles within the clan. Our premier hyena encounter was at the fresh carcass of a giraffe who passed away over night. The puppies were finding out which pieces of food to consume very first and participating the continuous effort to
chase away vultures. Hippo Calves: Water Children with Attitude
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman. Hippo calves are born undersea and instinctively paddle to the surface area for their very first breath.
In the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti’s waterholes, these rotund babies stay close to their moms, even nursing undersea while remaining safe in the pod’s protective social structure. There’s an outstanding dominance when you’re near a hippo hole. The noises and smells are inescapable. It’s inconceivable that a predator might permeate their defenses. Our guide made certain we never left the protection of our jeep whenever there was even a single hippo close, so we felt sure that the children we saw were well protected.
Baboon Infants: Holding On To Mother
Picture Credit: Jenn Coleman. Baboons are a common sight in Tarangire and Ngorongoro, and their small, wide-eyed infants stick tightly to their mothers as they navigate the
social hierarchy of their troop. These intelligent and social animals show strong family bonds, and viewing young baboons engage with their senior citizens is constantly amusing. We experienced a troupe of baboons as we descended into Ngorongoro Crater. Some of the infants hopped onto their mothers for a trip, and others bobbled along with the group. Our guide mentioned an anomaly where a male baboon was looking after a young one, most likely since a mishap befell their mother.
Warthog Piglets: Tiny However Hard
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman. Warthog piglets may be small, however they are surprisingly resistant. Found across the Serengeti and Tarangire, these little packages of energy invest much of their time playfully dashing after their parents; tails held high like little flags. In spite of their comical appearance, warthog piglets should remain alert, as they are a favorite target for predators. We saw a big brood of newly birthed piglets following their mother in Ngorongoro without a care in the world. Numerous miles away on the Serengeti, we saw an eagle with a baby piglet in their talons, highlighting the need for vigilance.
Leopard Cubs: Stealth in the Making
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman. Leopard cubs are among the most elusive young animals in Tanzania. Hidden away in dense plant life, they rely on their mothers for months before becoming independent. Found in the Serengeti and
Ngorongoro, these spotted children establish their signature stealth and climbing up abilities early on, getting ready for a singular life in the trees and shadows. Our preferred animal encounter in Africa was with a mother leopard and her cub. We watched her catch not one but two antelopes and bring them up into a tree. She left and returned with her cub for a lesson in tree climbing. Ultimately, kid followed mother into the canopy and had terrific fun exploring, but they declined to consume aloft and selected to return to the ground for their meal.
Impala Fawns: Born to Flee
Picture Credit: Jenn Coleman. Impalas are a few of the most graceful antelopes in Africa, and their fawns are born all set to run. In Tarangire and the Serengeti, these delicate yet fast-footed babies should rapidly master their capability to sprint and leap to prevent predators. Mothers hide their fawns in high grass throughout their early days, providing an essential possibility at survival. Impalas have a fascinating social structure where there are two kinds of herds: a household herd of all females with one alpha male and a bachelor herd of only males. With numerous women in the herd, we came across big groups of children frolicking and resting in the grass.
Cheetah Cubs: Speed in Training
Image Credit: Deposit Photos. Cheetah cubs, with their fluffy mantles that mimic the look of honey badgers for camouflage, invest much of their early months learning from their mother. In the Serengeti, cheetah moms move regularly to safeguard their susceptible cubs from lions and hyenas, teaching them the essentials of speed and stealth.
We saw a cheetah with a newly caught gazelle. They might be not only the fastest land animals but also the fastest eater. I reflect to how frequently my mother informed me to chew my food and imagined a cheetah mother providing the opposite directions of consuming faster and taking bigger bites.
Rhino Calves: Rare and Valuable
Image Credit: Deposit Photos. With black rhinos being seriously threatened, identifying a rhino calf in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a rare and unique sight. These calves remain close to their protective moms for several years, as rhinos have no natural predators other than for humans. Every birth is a success for conservation efforts.
Our guide informed us Ngorongoro was among the few places where black rhinos strolled complimentary because the rangers could keep poachers out of the crater. We saw numerous groups of rhinos wandering complimentary in the crater, however they were far and without any children.
A World of Baby Wildlife
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman. Tanzania’s wilderness is bristling with young animals finding out the methods of the wild. From the safety of a lioness’s pride to the towering defense of a giraffe mother, these child animals provide a glance into the fragile balance of nature. Seeing their early battles and accomplishments is a suggestion of the resilience of life in the African savannah. Seeing wild animals being wild was one of our greatest travel experiences ever.
Hi! We are Jenn and Ed Coleman aka Coleman Concierge. In a nutshell, we are a Huntsville-based Gen X couple sharing our stories of fantastic adventures through activity-driven transformational and experiential travel.