A Sea of Siafu

📍 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.

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.

That day was a quick lesson: slow down, look around, and respect the locals — no matter how small.