The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men … a somewhat turbulent safari to Kenya

[KasperW]

I think I might go and get myself a camera here before next safari ultimo Nov.

twaffle Can I get a crash course?

[AKR1]

Just awesome pictures. An unspoiled view, perhaps similar to what the actual park was as recently as the 1990s or even early 2000. Brought back some wonderful memories. When I was there in 2010 they had just come off an historic drought with animal bones scattered throughout the area. How was rainfall this year and last? Are the elephant herds mostly without big tuskers with the godawful poaching that has plagued the park.

 

I recently read Nick Brandt's new book of images from Amboseli - "Across the Ravaged Land" with the iconic cover of a man knelling holding two enormous elephant tusks that make the image look like an elephants head. Depressing text.

http://www.nickbrandt.com/UserImages/11/11129/file/Across%20The%20Ravaged%20Land%20Essay%20%231%281%29.pdf

 

 

Thanks for posting this.

Edited October 23, 2013 by AKR1

[graceland]

I never thought dust could be so enticing...of course Twaffle's photos reign supreme...light or not. (As Mr. Twaffles!)

 

LOVED the cheetah series, the ellies and of course the lion cubs.

 

Always terrific to awake to an installment. Can't wait for more!

[michael-ibk]

When catching up with 3 weeks of unread ST posts I deliberately saved up this TR. "Save the best for last" indeed.

 

Love both your writing and the pictures. Highlights for me:

 

- b/w leopard in Shaba, really accentuate his rings and thereby the very essence of this beautiful cat

- Guenther´s Dikdik, the long snout is almost tapir-like

- the elegance of the jumping lesser kudu

- the majestic sunset over the nyumbene hills. Just want to be there.

- the dark eyes of the Impala at Laikipia Wilderness Camp

- the rhino-proof fence (found that very interesting, very simple but very effective)

- the shot of the golden grass at Laikipia

- the bewildered "How did you find me" expression of that lion

- the "blonde" reticulated giraffe

- swimming dogs!

- klippspringer and hyrax in one picture. Just love them.

- the stunning images of Lake Bogoria

- the almost fearsome jackal showing his teet

- and the cheetah cubs. Just adorable.

 

Thanks for all the time, work and efforts you have been investing in this report.

[Kitsafari]

Oh I hadn't gone through the previous page, and missed all these amazing pictures, especially the dessicated zebra. It looks so eerie and yet at the same time, it just draws you in.

 

Poetry in motion - both pictures and prose from twaffle.thanks once again.

Edited December 17, 2018 by twaffle

[Rainbirder]

@twaffle

Another compelling instalment beautifully written and illustrated.

 

I spent two days in Amboseli in July 2012 and was pleasantly surprised by what we saw. We found a cheetah and two half grown youngsters which at the time was deemed very unusual for Amboseli so it is very gratifying to see that you came across another family of these elegant cats. Despite our limited time there we also had numerous great elephant experiences revealing many facets of elephant life. It is disturbing to hear that some of the elephants have recently become very wary of close human contact.

Edited December 17, 2018 by twaffle

[Super LEEDS]

Light reflectors? Who do you think you are? Some kind of professional photographer?!

 

Truly awesome report with breathtaking imagery, even more so when catching up after a few weeks out of ST. The cheetah mum and cubs: such great luck!

 

Thank you for sharing, guys.

[twaffle]

Thanks for all the wonderful comments, much appreciated.

 

Michael, especially thank you for noting particular images, I've tried that with other people's reports and know how hard it is.

 

Super Leeds, the reflectors only travel with us when my husband comes, when I'm on my own I both can't be bothered and don't have the space. Amboseli lent itself to reflectors.

[pault]

Amboseli was made for you @@twaffle, or you made yourself for it. Great sightings and grreat shots, even when there isn't much light. Looking forward to the best day.... keep us in suspense.

[TonyQ]

Thank you for continuing with this fantastic report - great writing and stunning photographs

The jackal!, the cheetah series is wonderful

I love the one of the baby elephant safely under its mother's trunk and tusks

Thank you for a great start to my day

Edited December 15, 2018 by TonyQ

[twaffle]

Thanks Paul and Tony.

[twaffle]

And when they were too small to photograph? Words will have to do ……

 

We see spiders in many forms but rarely in wonder. For many they cause unreasonable fear and disgust and end their days flattened underfoot. For the few, they are creatures of fascination.

Who would believe that they could be the source of such beauty and delight. The rounded bushes outside our tent in Kitirua are bursting with the sparkling lights of a thousand spiders as their eyes glitter from the reflection of our torches. Both here and in Meru, the path sparkles as if scattered by fairy dust and we walk with care to avoid extinguishing the lights.

[twaffle]

I’d like to say that we drifted slowly into the final game drive of the safari, but I’d be lying. Our rhythm of 5.30 tea in tent, 6 am bowl of cereal or fruit (I had porridge) and out by 6.30 continued. We had considered a later start but luckily decided otherwise.

 

The morning was startlingly clear for the first time as most mornings had been hazy or cloudy. Feeling that we might have our best sightings of Kilimanjaro, we headed towards the lake bed. Before we had a chance to get half way there, I panicked a little, thinking that with our Kili record we might miss a photo op before she covered up again. I asked Squack to stop and Leyan graciously modeled for us in front of an almost snowless mountain. Relieved that I had an insurance ‘iconic’ photo at least, we moved on. Squack had seen a giraffe on the open lake bed so we headed towards it and stopped and did some ‘giraffe in front of Kili’ shots. We had hardly finished when Squack asked whether we wanted some ‘eles in front of Kili shots’ so we dashed off to get some of those as well.

 

[twaffle]

We were finishing these when Squack or Leyian (can’t remember now) noticed 4 lion cubs from the pride we had seen over the last few days, crossing the lake bed. So off we went and spent some time with them. As we watched them settle in a bare patch in the long grass and reeds, a small herd of elephants wandered through the grass making the cubs very nervous. We waited a while watching their reactions and preparing ourselves in case the elephants chased them. Despite 2 young bulls having a play tussle and one of the females trying to pick up the scent, the elephants continued on their way.

 

 

There appeared to be 3 Cheli & Peacock vehicles out in the conservancy which meant that there were only 4 vehicles in the area. When 2 C&P vehicles turned up to see the lions we left, not seeing where the rest of the pride might be. What a glorious morning we were having and it was only 7.20 am.

[twaffle]

Soon after Leyian spotted 2 cheetahs in the distance. Leyian and Squack both thought that they were from a previous litter of our female with the 4 cubs. We approached their position very slowly but they appeared very shy and were moving off quite steadily. It seemed strange given that they would have been exposed to many vehicles in the Park area, but we didn’t try to follow them as they really were nervous. It wasn’t until a little later that we would find that it probably wasn’t us at all who made them so skittish.

 

 

 

We met one of the C&P vehicles and mentioned the lions and they mentioned the cheetah with cubs was just around the corner, near the Park boundary but still in the Conservancy. It would be the crowning glory of the safari to see her one more time so we fore went our cup of tea (it was only around 8.30 am by this time) and set off to cover the short distance to where they were. What a truly magnificent cat she was. Watching her in all her glory moving through the bushes one last time made us all feel content. Her cubs were full of energy, bubbling around their mother and playing chasey through the bushes. Squack pointed out a herd of Grant’s gazelle grazing a little distance away and as he spoke the cheetah settled herself into a hunting crouch. There were 2 C&P vehicles in positions parallel to us and I was impressed that all vehicles kept a distance and didn’t try circling around the gazelles to get a better viewpoint of any possible hunt. I know many photographers would want to move to get a better viewpoint for a possible great photo, but a cheetah with 4 small cubs has enough trouble feeding them all and in this regard the cheetahs just have to come before photography. In this, Squack and Leyian were in full agreement. In fact, I think that even some of the very bossy, big name wildlife photographers would have had no chance moving Squack … just as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

She started trotting, slinking along from bush to bush, until Squack, sounding very excited, said “there she goes” and sure enough that beautiful cat just exploded through the dust. She was a little too far for any sort of successful photos and in fact it was quite hard to pick her up in the dust and bushes, but to witness such an event, especially in the last hours of our wonderful safari was the icing on the cake. A few short seconds later she had made her kill so we slowly drove around to where we had seen her take down the hapless Grant’s. When we reached the spot she was no where to be seen. We eventually found her under a bush, still gripping the throat of the animal, having dragged it there as she made the death strangle. She stood up and called her cubs to her, and they fairly flew through the grass and small shrubs with great excitement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The C&P vehicles and ours sat and watched from a respectful distance not wanting to stress her into moving away. Such a different approach to the one I’ve seen in the Masai Mara. The cubs were licking the carcass with great enthusiasm while behind us we could still hear the warning calls of the rest of the herd. Leyian must have had a sixth sense or had just naturally continued his 360° spotting as he suddenly announced to us that 2 big males lions were approaching behind us. Our hearts sank. This was the worst possible scenario for a cheetah who had just expended so much energy, had small cubs to protect and who obviously needed to eat.

 

 

 

 

 

Feeling desperately worried, Squack drove towards the still bleating herd of gazelles because their noise was as good as telling the lions that there had been a kill. Fortunately the cheetah hadn’t opened the carcass so there wasn’t an enticing aroma. With the herd moving off and abandoning their warnings, we decided to enjoy the lions for a while as the cheetah would need to rest and and would be wary when she noticed the lions. It appeared that the lions were heading to the Park in a determined manner and appeared oblivious to the small cheetah family sitting quietly in the shade of the bushes. We watched them cross into the Park and settle near a swampy patch, still too close for comfort but eventually they headed off in a different direction. We headed back to see how the cheetahs were faring and found the adult sitting, watching in the direction the lions had gone. Eventually, she and the cubs started to feed and we went off to have our tea.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 17, 2018 by twaffle

[twaffle]

It was only 9.20am, hard to imagine that so much had happened in such a short time. Kilimanjaro still stood high and proud over the plains. I felt in a daze, I had never had so much continual and varied action in such a short time.

 

I could quite safely say that, despite the other superlative morning game drives on this trip, this one topped them all.

 

Needing to get back to camp by 10am to ready ourselves for departure, we drove past the feeding family one last time then headed off to shower and pack. Terry and I would be spending our last night at Macushla.

 

I felt that it was impossible to feel sad at the end of the safari as it had delivered everything we could have wanted, and more. Apart from the hirola and the exploration of Ishaqbini, the lack of which had been accepted on day 1.

“Lionless Safari”? What was I thinking. Squack’s hard work in Meru found us lions; Shaba just rewarded my persistence to maintain it in my itinerary with a stray lion; LWC let us glimpse a couple of her many lions albeit it in the dark through the bushes; Ekorian shared its lions, even if shyly and Kitirua … well it served them up again and again.

 

If a photo is truly worth a thousand words, I hope these offerings have told the story of our wonderful journey.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 17, 2018 by twaffle

[twaffle]

IN THE END

 

The flight home is always arduous with long hours cramped in seats never designed for 14 hour non-stop legs. With another 4 hours until Melbourne, the long journey will soon be over and I'll be sucked back into the stress of my everyday reality. Watching the 'moving map' I can see Africa sitting in the midday light; Lake Victoria looks like Africa's eye with the Zambezi a sad mouth. I wonder how the casual tourist will ever understand how dire the situation is with the falling numbers of elephants and lions when they visit places like the Masai Mara and Kruger. Where all around them the animals seem to roam in good numbers. They return home to share their sightings and I can't help but wonder if people mightn't think it just a huge scare campaign, this talk of the decline in the wildlife of Africa.

 

 

I don't buy into the notion that everything that we want as individuals counts for more than what is best for the human species, and yet that is the expectation of so many. What is good for our species does NOT include the rape and destruction of everything else on this Earth.

 

Many of us feel helpless in the face of the decline of the natural world, looking for hope wherever we can. On this trip I found it in the attitude of young men like Abdi in Shaba who is convinced that when the elders die, the young with their enlightened attitude to wildlife will progress with protection of what wilderness is left. To the extent that he believes that rhino will be reintroduced into Shaba one day. I found it in the proliferation of ranches in Laikipia who owners are working hard to integrate their commercial farms with the naturally occurring wildlife, preserving their environment. I found it in the protected rhino sanctuary in Meru NP which is in the process of expanding to accommodate the rising rhino numbers and I found it in the way the Maasai in Maasailand are increasing their involvement in the Lion Guardians. No doubt that I could list many more experiences which were depressing and which bode badly for the future of wildlife, but I think everyone is well aware of those.

 

We gorge ourselves on the Earth, sucking all that is good out of it. Will the tide turn in time, I wonder.

 

Our flight has touched the coast of Australia and it feels good to reach home although I remain restless and displaced. Torn between two countries, one so empty of people and one bursting at the seams, but both with a sad reputation of decimating their wild and natural heritage.

 

My mind drifts to my return some day in the years to come because to contemplate a future without Kenya in it is impossible.

Edited December 17, 2018 by twaffle

[twaffle]

Thank you everyone who read and especially commented on both the writing and the photography, it has been greatly appreciated. Spending so many hours with a fellow safaritalker was fun and we caught up on lots of Safaritalk stories from the past few years.

 

Now back to dreaming.

[KasperW]

Is that a little tear I feel on my chin?

[Nick Wright]

Thanks for sharing the memories and photos of your trip. I greatly admire your dedication and hard work in putting this report together.

 

Asante sana @@twaffle 

[twaffle]

Is that a little tear I feel on my chin?

I shed many tears every time I leave.

[twaffle]

On 10/24/2013 at 12:32 PM, Nick Wright said:

Thanks for sharing the memories and photos of your trip. I greatly admire your dedication and hard work in putting this report together.

 

Asante sana @@twaffle 

Thanks Nick.

[Safaridude]

Epic. The disappearing giraffe photo -- epic. Epic wrap-ups from both of you.

 

Too damn bad you missed out on Ishaqbini... that alone should make your affair with Kenya last longer. @@twaffle

 

When I visited Amboseli (Kitirua, no less) in early 2012, I swore that was my last visit. It was indeed gloom and doom. Now having read your TR, I am determined to go back.

Edited December 17, 2018 by twaffle

[graceland]

 @@twaffle....I hated coming to the end of this marvelous reporting and photojournal.

 

BUT, what a "beaut" of an ending it was!

 

along with many choices for an "award winning year ahead" for Twaffle!

 

 

And, looking forward to that journey.....

Edited December 17, 2018 by twaffle

[Zim Girl]

@@twaffle 

 

Just wonderful.

 

What an exceptional trip report from you both - definitely a 'cut out and keep'.

Your 'final thoughts' paragraphs actually brought tears to my eyes.

Such a great way to put the less visited areas of Kenya on the map and I will certainly be referring to it in the future.

 

Now I can look forward to reading it all over again!!

Edited December 17, 2018 by twaffle