Kenya Part 2

11/9/13

We had 2 vehicles and 2 driver /guides for the 9 of us plus Clive. Every day we divided into groups of 5 and changed the combinations of people usually daily. It worked well.

The next morning we got up early and left at 6.15 while it was still dark. 
We were on a big cat hunt. After a fruitless search for them the day before I wasn’t too hopeful. We saw flamingoes in the morning mist – gorgeous. 

The African drivers / guides communicate with each other on radio and share sightings.

As became a common practice during the trip we would be driving slowly along and then suddenly we would increase speed or turn around and hurtle off towards the action. On this occasion we were supposed to see lions. Then we slowed down because Norman heard that they’d gone. We kept looking anyway. Then all of a sudden we saw them. 5 young ones just off the road wandering around. They went back and forward across the road and let us look at them for several minutes. 

Then we reversed to where there was an old magnificent male lion lying about 3 metres off the side of the road. Glorious mane and not the least disturbed that we were parked nearby. He watched us and we watched him for several minutes. Eventually he got up and we could see that he wasn’t walking very well and had quite a limp. He seemed to walk easier after a few steps and walked a few meters and then lay down in the bushes. (my thought was that some glucosamine might help!) Then we saw that there was another male close by. They lay down quite close to each other, looked like they were settled for the day, and we couldn’t see them well so we left.

He's still got his tonsils I think!

I put this in because it sort of shows how difficult it can be to spot animals. This lion on the left is comparatively easy to spot when you know what you're looking for. I was constantly amazed at how skilled and quick Clive and the guides were at finding something irregular and identifying it. It can only come from a lifetime of practice. We all got better as the days went by but could never really compete with their expertise.
Quite soon after we saw some more lions – again quite young ones walking around. Clive thought they had had a kill because they looked quite full and smelt of what might have been an old carcass. Eventually they lay down and started licking each other which is what they do after a kill apparently. Amazing to see.

Back at 9am for  breakfast and then off again into the park.

Baboons hang around the waterhole near the restaurant at Lake Nakura Lodge. Sometimes they try to come inside and get food. We’ve been told not to leave our room doors or windows open because they could come in. 

A Masai man – Jeremiah has been employed to stop them getting into the restaurant. He stands with a stick and frightens them off. They are building an electric fence at present and he will be able to go back to his normal work with his cattle when this is finished, which he told me he’s looking forward to. The male baboons recognise he is the barrier to their food source and sometimes ambush him together. He said if he shows any fear they will smell it and attack him. So far he’s winning.

On the next drive we saw lots of buffalo – many who’d been swimming in mud - some very small baby impala, lots of giraffes and zebras, warthogs, jackals etc. We were looking for leopards but didn’t find any.

                                                               Pretty muddy buffalo eh!

    These cattle egret love to hang around grazing animals and eat the insects that are disturbed.

                                                  Our first rhinoceros. A lone large male.

This cute little impala was very young. They are very vulnerable to predators when they're so young but the herd tries to protect them and surround them if they sense danger.

In the afternoon we went out again and saw lots of game but no leopards until we were nearly ready to return and the drivers heard on the radio that some people had seen leopards. Well did we move! Driving up to 80 – 100 kph on dirt roads with lots of potholes is exciting! It was worth it because we saw 3 leopards. 2 were a long way away but visible with binoculars. They were lying on a log. Bob got this photo with his long lens and maximum magnification. Can you see there are two? Difficult I know but an exciting first sighting for us. The third was walking through long grass and only partially visible. Their camouflage is amazing. We knew where this leopard had walked to and it wasn’t far away from us but it just seemed to vanish – probably by lying down.

Kenya part 1

Nairobi

8/9/13

We arrived in Nairobi late in the evening after a flight from Barcelona via London to catch a British Airways flight to Nairobi.  It didn’t seem the most direct way but it worked. We sat next to a very interesting American man who runs a Non Government Organisation (NGO) delivering water by digging wells to villages in the Sudan. Of course he and Bob had a lot in common and Bob may do some work with him in the future.

We had heard about the recent fire at Nairobi airport and were prepared for long delays but this was not the case. There were several tents around the airport where we were processed by customs and immigration with relative ease.

We were met by staff from Safaris Into Africa – the tour group we had chosen to use and taken to our Hotel – The Norfolk in Nairobi.

Safaris Into Africa is owned by Clive and Ann Arnold who are originally from Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. They left during the troubles there and resettled in Australia. They now live in Toowomba in Queensland and run tours all over Africa. They are both expert photographers and passionate about African wildlife. We were lucky to see Ann briefly when we arrived before she returned to Australia.

Clive is a larger than life – Steve Irwin type character – who has had several adventures in his life ranging from being shot 3 times to motorbike accidents and close encounters with animals. He has had photos in National Geographic. He is writing a book about his life which will make interesting reading when it comes out. Underneath he’s a big softie and we grew very fond of him and now count him as a friend. He is utterly committed to everyone in the group experiencing Africa and the animals and does all he can to make this possible. His knowledge of African wildlife is amazing.

9/9/13

We had a day in Nairobi before the safari started so we took the opportunity to go on a tour with another couple from the group who had also arrived early. We started by going to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Centre. Some of you may have heard about this place where they bring baby elephants who are abandoned, for various reasons and care for them. Often their mother has died because of poaching or illness. They keep the elephants and care for them until they are about 2 years old and then take them into wildlife areas and try to assimilate them to the wild. This can take up to 5 years. They are kept in an enclosure and let out during the day. They need to integrate to another elephant group and be accepted by them before they can be freed. It was lovely to see so many small animals together and they sure knew where to come for their food!

                    These school girls enjoyed watching the young elephants like we did.

We went to an African tribal dancing centre in the afternoon. It was the first time we had heard African drumming which is good but in my book only for a few minutes!

The dancing was from different Kenyan tribes. It was again interesting at first but a bit of authenticity was lost when we realised it was the same people dressing in different costumes and not actually real representatives from the tribe!

That evening we had a safari briefing and dinner at the Norfolk Hotel.

11/9/13

We left Nairobi early in the morning on day 1. Normally we would see flamingoes later in the trip but because it’s been a very wet season the flamingoes are not where they would normally be as the lakes are too full. Flamingoes need shallow marshy water so they can get small crustaceans and algae.

Our plans were changed and we went to Lake Naivasha on the way to Lake Nakuru Park and Lodge. We went out on small boats of 5 each and went around the edge of the lake. We saw thousands and thousands of lesser flamingoes. The boat driver drove them so we got them flying and in every position possible. 

                         We also saw hippos with their eyes looking at us above the water.

Then to lunch at Joy and George Adamson’s house from Born Free. It is much the same as when they left although it’s changed hands a few times. 

                              This is the car George Adamson was in when he was shot.

We sat outside under the trees with the black and white Colobus monkeys in the trees and incredible bird life.

We then drove to Lake Nakuru and almost immediately went out on a game drive. This park was a cattle farm previously. During the Kenyan civil war most of the game parks in Kenya were destroyed and the government is now recolonizing areas with wildlife because they know it is good for tourism. This area is fenced off so the animals are enclosed. It’s supposed to be good for cats – leopards and lions. It has become over populated with buffalo. There are no elephants as the eco system would not support them.

We had a couple of false alarms about wild cats being sighted and hurtled through the countryside after them to no avail. We ended up seeing giraffes, zebras, impala and buffalo in abundance but no cats.