Lewa conservancy and safari camp a place of the heart and soul

[COSMIC RHINO]

At  Lewa   you get to see  things which are only seen in documentaries  or mentioned in books

 

elephants get 6 sets of teeth over their lives , when the last set of teeth wear out they die

 

this one at Isilo  valley was dead a few months , family members came along to touch their bones

 

the hyneas had taken care  of the body and  only a bit of skin and a number of bone piles were  left 

 

I  had previously seen this sort of thing on BBC films about Amboseli  and Samburu elephants  

[Kitsafari]

@COSMIC RHINO i thought it was so interesting to hear that hyenas had to be translocated as they had taken to killing rhino calves. 

Lewa has a good size of prey - did you hear why the hyenas started attacking the calves? and do you know where the hyenas were moved to? 

we saw Sonya when we were there in December - she's gorgeous and so hard  not to recognise her. She had a calf with her but she stayed in a distance from the roads. 

 

 

[COSMIC RHINO]

SONYA  AND ANNA   move  around  some larger blocks  near  the wetland ,  they can move closer to the  tracks  if you are  prepared  to wait  , only some  of those blocks may be  driven  on   

 

HYNEAS  I  have no idea  where they were taken, perhaps to  Samburu or northern rangelands trust  conservancies  , to me impala  or grant's  gazelles  would  be the more obvious prey 

 

WHITE RHINO GREETINGS  the  young ones  were very keen on this, eventually   the adult females  walked  a short distance away with their respective young, these  families are seen often the he  area 

 

 

Edited June 17, 2019 by COSMIC RHINO

[offshorebirder]

Some more photos I helped @COSMIC RHINO convert and post

 

Anna and her calf - Black Rhinos

 

 

 

 

[offshorebirder]

Some Grevy's Zebras

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[offshorebirder]

A bachelor herd of Grevy's Zebras

 

 

 

 

 

[COSMIC RHINO]

GREVY'S   ZEBRAS  are   wonderful  at Lewa   whenever  you see them

 

2018 was great amongst so much thick fibrant  grass  and wildflowers

 

They looked  wonderful this year too 

 

post  232  

 

photo 4  was taken  as the vehicle  was pulling out of the siting,  I  really liked  how they were standing near the dead tree 

 

photo 5  they as using a natural salt lick  

 

post 233

 

these  are of a bachelor   group  amongst   a  creek crossing  

 

I  managed to get some hooves  in mid air  

 

the one with an open mouth  was loud and trying to be bossy  

[COSMIC RHINO]

I  keep on going back  to the  same wonderful  place  thinking of what  will be revealed  next  

 

on a good siting  ,  I just take it all  in there is  no reason to hurry  

 

I look for  everything  which  might happen  , animals  move a  bit   taking in  different  views plants,   other animals  and landscape

 

the grevys batchelor   crossing is something I had  never seen before  ,  it took a while ,  I was on nature's  time  no reason to rush,  it was grand     

[COSMIC RHINO]

the reserve  is very much an uncrowded private  experience  

 

• once  again this year  I  saw  both  elephants  and rhinos mud wallowing  

 

rhinos  take special care  to have mud  on their horns  as  insects  are a real pest  here  

 

mud is used to control both  insects and sunburn  

 

it smothers  the insects  and is then scraped of on   a tree, log or rock  

 

• There  are more cattle egrets  around  as I  was there  around  insect breeding time  

[COSMIC RHINO]

I  get used  to listening   to rhinos with calves  , low volume  sounds  similar  to a dairy cow  is  a request  for milk  

 

once  again I  saw  rhino calves  suckling multiple times  

 

the buffalo herds  are in good condition ,  I  can't  but  think  looking at  younger males  that they  might be destined to end up as mean dugga  boys

[COSMIC RHINO]

There are a number of small elephant  families   who at  times get close  to vehicles

 

Some of them  have  small  or no tusks  for  genetic reasons  

 

there  is a heard  with a tuskless matriarch  

 

at times  related  families come together  to  meet and get together  in a friendly way  

 

elephants  are inclined  to want their own space  , having no desire to share  a waterhole  and  will chase  other  kinds of animals  away

 

[COSMIC RHINO]

I  get  very much the sense  from the guides  that  they  are very  much keen on the  bush  and do not miss  sundowners  

 

why stand around  drink tea , ETC  , perhaps  they take  the attitude  I  was  not trained  to be a waiter

 

breakfast  of sandwiches, juice, tea/coffee , youghurt, baked  items   is taken in  regular  places  which are open and offer  some shade  

 

one   of the regular places  has a wonderfull  view down on the surrounding area with  a small waterhole  where  zebras  come to drink

 

once  again  the guides  are keen on the bush ,  not spending too much time  over breakfast  which  will not begin  before  9AM  then get  going again  

 

there  can be more elaborate  breakfasts with  fresh  omlets , folding  tables  and chairs  ,  not more than   once  per week  

 

I  did not get one  for the first  week , then  there  was one in week 2 

 

 

   I  arrived  later  than the  other  guests ,eat  and left before  they did ,we  were of to Isilo valley 

Edited June 21, 2019 by COSMIC RHINO

[Atravelynn]

Were you back again recently to Lewa Downs?  Those "mourning" elephants are just amazing. 

 

If I count the elaborate breakfasts that did or did not take place, I conclude you had a 2-week trip to Lewa Downs.  Fabulous.

[COSMIC RHINO]

yes  2 weeks from late APR 2019 , already  booked 3 weeks  for  next year

 

I  am 100% not a foodie  , food  is a medical / body support function   when  I  am in the African bush I  am there  for  the animals not to spend too much time eating 

 

I  regard  having  1 less elaborate  breakfast  as an achievement , more  time to spend with wildlife    

 

at times there  are zebras around for breakfast  ,  the breakfast  on my last full day  included  observing a territorial male white rhino who was  urine spray marking  his country and came to within about 15 meters  of where  we were eating

 

the  last morning is  always   game drive  and picnic box for me  , this year  I  saw an albino plains zebra  , never camp breakfast   and quick airstrip drive

 

Lewa   does   not allow driving after  dark   so  sundowners  make no sense for those who are  keen on the  bush and the  animals  ,they look lovely  in fading  light  

 

sundowners mean you can drive  past lovely things 

 

The trees  are delightful  in fading light  

 

a  small elephant  family  was lovely  , especially  a young  one  who was  kicking  a stick  along the  ground

 

we  also  came along at just the  right time to see  2 black  rhinos  greeting each other as friends , pressing horns together  

Edited June 21, 2019 by COSMIC RHINO

[COSMIC RHINO]

I  have  at last seen a  LBR  sitting  on a rhino  , although   it was  quiet distant  

 

2 black rhinos  were  together  , the male performed fleshmen testing , and she  allowed  him to get closer  

 

they  remained together  for an extended  period  of time and he was  licking  an oxpecker caused  wound

[COSMIC RHINO]

I  longer have them   but  looking in the mirror  when I got  back to  my city hotel  ,  I  could  see  a few  small brown bruises  on my back  ,evidence   that  the vehicle  had been bumpy  ,seeking  a good  bush experience  

 

rough ride  guaranteed  ,  no smooth  ride  just out  to  get some general scenery  and  whatever  animals  are nearby  

 

I  am here to bond  with wild nature  ,a few bruises  are guaranteed  to follow

[offshorebirder]

These latest PDF scans of prints that @COSMIC RHINO sent me to convert are the best ones yet, in my opinion.

 

He writes of this one "Tiny White Rhino with its Mum, just a few days old.   

 

 

 

A few days older - same calf

 

 

 

White Rhino suckling a calf

 

 

 

 

 

Black Rhinos greeting - I presume at dawn or dusk judging from the lighting

 

 

 

More photos of a mother White Rhino and her young calf

 

 

 

 

 

A white Rhino facing a stone signpost.

 

 

 

These photos appear to show a mother White Rhino rubbing off mud and parasites on a rubbing post (consisting of a fallen tree).  

 

 

 

[COSMIC RHINO]

# I  find very young  rhino calves  to be delightful, in the photo   at top  the calf was just a few days  old and wobbly on their feet  

 

mum chased  her reasonably grown calf to  about 5 meters  away  , so she will not accidently trample  the new calf  

 

they will stay  close for life  , so much better  to have a team  to scream  an chase  away unwelcome  frisky males  

 

the  photo  with  the rubbing   on the  tree is within a short  distance  of one of the  regular  breakfast  spots

 

these ones were taken a few  say 2 or 3 days     later  , the calf had  enjoyed a mud bath by then

 

# the  black rhino  greeting was taken with  high magnification  zoom  just before  dusk  , the  photos printer warned  low  resolution  but it looks  good , the texture is a bit like a painting 

 

so who said  that black rhinos were  solitary  and unfriendly  ?

 

# The mother  and calf with  the cattle egrets  and umberalla   thorn tree  were taken  at waist level for  a different view

 

# photos  4 and 7  are of a mother  and older calf who just happened  to be walking down the  track  , the  went down to a creek to drink

 

# all the signs at  Lewa   are made  of stone  like  the one  above  ,  there are no signposts  which look  like a city  street

Edited June 24, 2019 by COSMIC RHINO

[COSMIC RHINO]

relative  to  any other  place  I  have been   Lewa   is a whole  lot less  crowded   and   moister  than  any other  place I  have seen, it is  moister  regardless  of season  

[COSMIC RHINO]

There  are so many rhinos  in the reserve  , those messengers  from the past  , it is a total delight  

 

there  are good  photos  which  are not likely  to be posted  , that anyone  would  be pleased  to have, a black  rhino  with larger  calf   and multiple  oxpeckers  

 

I  decided to take  a closeup  of the lip  to compare  them with white  rhinos  , and then  the oxpecker  decides  to  put  the beak inside  her mouth

[offshorebirder]

On 6/24/2019 at 12:27 AM, COSMIC RHINO said:

the texture is a bit like a painting 

 

My thoughts exactly @COSMIC RHINO.

[offshorebirder]

More photos converted for @COSMIC RHINO:

 

He said this is "a male Grant's Gazelle who has lost control of a female herd and had his horn broken in the process"

 

 

 

Here are some photos of Loxodonta africana mothers and calves.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunset Ostrich photo (I am not sure if it is a Common Ostrich or Somali Ostrich)

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2019 by offshorebirder

[COSMIC RHINO]

# the  guide call is  Grant's  gazelle   unicorn and a half  ,looking  at the  photo  the  second  horn is more  like  one third  

 

being  alone  would  make him  more inviting  to predators , rejoing  a bachelor  group would  be safer

 

# it was  getting a bit dark  ,the elephant family  was delightful  and well worth staying with  , moving around to get  different views  

 

very  playful,  one of the little ones  was kicking  a stick  around   

 

# Somali  ostriches  are reasonably common at Lewa 

 

#the  common ostrich  has a different  range    

Edited June 27, 2019 by COSMIC RHINO

[COSMIC RHINO]

all the  guides  are well informed  ,very friendly  , great  at finding animals  including by tracking  , and safe  and careful  drivers 

 

For my first week  I had Daniel  , a Pokot  man  from  the north  who got out  of the  area  as it was very very   hot  , with  limited  opportunities  and many difficulties, especially  in forming  romantic  relationships  

 

he  explained  things  ,then  brought out  a video on his phone  WHEN  KENYANS  GO TO WAR  , I could not find it online,  it is easily understood without the soundtrack

 

well a man might think that lady  is the one  for me  

 

another man has  different  ideas  and works things out by violence

 

they gather  in the main street of the town  and fight  it out with  long sticks  sharpened  on both edges    aimed at the head  , this often  later goes on to  using long lengths of thick rope as a whip 

 

during  both   the stick   and whip  stages  there are a whole lot of men watching on 

 

Daniel  was the looser  in this situation  3 times  ,   then left the  district 

Edited June 28, 2019 by COSMIC RHINO

[TonyQ]

The photos of the elephants touching the bones are amazing 

Lots of great Rhino pictures