So where else do you find a giraffe in the distance as you exit the international airport parking lot? Yes, this is East Africa – Nairobi, Kenya specifically. After some much needed $US replenishing at some “real and recognizable” UK banks, we were ready to pay for our 4 day national park safari, leaving the very next morning.
We drove for a bit over an hour before descending into the rift valley and a quick stop to join in with a couple from China (by way of Saudi Arabia – where they are grad students, yeah, we were a bit perplexed as well). Three more hours of bumpy, potholed “highway” and we were at our tented camp home for the next three days and two nights at Masai Mara National Park (a large canvas tent under a permanent lien-to with zippered access to a concrete and tile bathroom, an actual wood frame bed / mattress and generator electricity from 7 – 11pm and 6 – 9am…luxury).
Then it was time for our late afternoon / dusk game drive – and our Safari intro was no disappointment. Seconds into the gate we encountered Zebra, Impala, Masai Giraffe, Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Topi, Buffalo, Elephant, the small but necessarily fast Thompson Gazelle, and a myriad of birds (Guinea Fowl, Vulture and Secretary Bird).
The CB radio then started buzzing with Swahili excitement and we took off in the direction of dust clouds (it seems the best way to find wildlife in National Parks here is the same as in Canada – check for the cluster of cars at the side of the road, only difference is that here the cars are 4WD safari trucks). We approached more slowly and promptly established what all the fuss was about – a family of Cheetahs sauntering about virtually ignoring the throng of vehicles and simulated digital camera shutter snaps, and then a second “coalition of Cheetah” (hey that’s the name) emerged nestled on a rocky outcrop.
Our Chinese friends were still recovering when we heard a loud gasp - a small pride of lions wished us well en route to the park exit, a fitting way to end our first day.
We spent the next day exploring the nether reaches of the park with the following new animal encounters:
- Bat-Eared Fox, Mongoose, Warthog, Hippo, Crocodile, Tortoise and for the fowl - Ostrich, Eagle, and Crowned Crane.
- We stumbled on a sleeping pride of Lions – this time with an adult male and his magnificent full mane.
- Two Masai Giraffe started entangling their necks – which we mistakenly believed to be affectionate, but based on the increasingly aggressive neck whacks we determined that they were two males actually competing for the affection of a nearby female.
That evening we took a short stroll over to explore the nearby Masai village where many of the young men in traditional garb performed a traditional dance (more like a grunting and jumping contest that they couldn’t resist having me compete in). Being invited into one of their mud huts was eye opening, as this 150 square foot abode was actually subdivided into four living quarters, housing as many as six family members with one of the rooms reserved for the animals at night. Moreover, the useful life of this modest accommodation is only six years.
We couldn’t have imagined anything fresh on the final dawn game drive (pre-dawn the next morning), but we were wrong, dead wrong. Oh great, another two lions, ho hum, but what’s that carcass doing there? Yes, right out of National Geographic, a lion was dragging one of two freshly killed Topi behind some bushes for safe keeping. The first had already been consumed, as evidenced by the White Headed Vultures finishing it off a few metres away. Other notable additions include: Dik Dik, Black-Back Jackal and Servile.
Another 6 hours of driving was required to reach Lake Nakuru National Park, an alkaline lake supporting a vast aviary population and a few more animals to add to the checklist, including one more of the Big Five – a White Rhino, as well as
- Olive Baboon, Waterbuck, Rock Hyrax, Rothschild Giraffe, Vervet Monkey as well as Flamingo (pink and white), Stork (Mariboo, Yellow-Billed, Saddle-Billed), Pelican, Egret, Heron and Plower.
Four out of the big five – maybe Tanzania will provide the elusive Leopard.
We also learned that most of these Savannah fauna are herbivores, but it was the carnivorous cats that left that lasting impression. So, we returned to Nairobi and immediately had a dinner of as much meat as possible – at least we didn’t have to hunt and kill it ourselves.
Safaris really are all about the photos - check out our faves on flickr at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thegoobers_pics/sets/72157625975419724/
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