A Sea of Siafu: Driver Ants in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Scope: Photography, writing, & graphics

📍 Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

We almost walked straight into them — a living river of siafu (Dorylus), also known as driver ants, cutting across the trail. Thousands of them, jaws out, on a mission. Our guide stopped us just in time — before things got uncomfortable.

What Are Siafu (Driver Ants)?

Siafu aren’t your average ants. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, they form colonies that can number over 20 million individuals. When food runs low, the entire colony moves as one, creating aggressive “raiding columns” that clear out everything in their path — insects, small animals, snakes, and perhaps the exposed ankles of a distracted hiker.

Their soldiers, equipped with scissor-like mandibles, can latch on so tightly they were once used as makeshift sutures in emergencies. In East Africa, tales of their unstoppable marches are part of local knowledge, passed from one generation to the next.

Driver Ants in Ngorongoro Crater

That day in the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and a UNESCO World Heritage site, was a quick lesson in paying attention. Slow down. Look around. Respect the locals — no matter how small.

For travelers in Tanzania, spotting wildlife often means lions, elephants, or rhinos. But encounters like this — a living river of ants on the move — are reminders that nature’s dramas happen at every scale.

Why Driver Ants Matter

Though intimidating, driver ants are a crucial part of the ecosystem. Their movements aerate the soil, recycle nutrients, and control populations of other species. In many ways, they are the unseen architects of the savanna, shaping balance through sheer numbers and coordination.