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

[marg]

We love our four legged family members, experiences in Africa and the trip reports.....thanks all!

[graceland]

Ah, Zamin you know labs so well! Thank you Kitsafari for the" high five..."

 

I promise no more hijacking of this fabulous tale. Twaffle knows of my love for my lab so I hope she and former member don't mind; I am thinking it keeps the thread at the top of the list...AS

 

everyone is waiting so PATIENTLY for the next installment

Edited January 6, 2019 by Tdgraves
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[twaffle]

Sorry folks for the delay. I have duties which have taken me out of the office so I'm not sure when the next instalment will be.

 

Keep watch over Gracie, Graceland, I'm thinking of you.

Edited December 16, 2018 by twaffle

[twaffle]

On the road 

 

 

After a leisurely breakfast on our last morning in Meru, we left the lowlands of the NP and headed towards the heart of the 10,000 sq km Laikipia Plateau.  We said goodby to the beautiful Baridi campsite knowing that we would see all of our camp crew in Kitirua within less than a week.

 

It was interesting to see how quickly, once we had left the park behind, the road starting to climb the foothills of Kenya's central highlands, leading us through the main region for khat growing along with neat agricultural fields and remnant patches of indigenous forests.

 

 

Walking through the gates of the Cape Chestnut restaurant, which can be found down a short, dirt laneway off the main road of Nanyuki, I felt immediately taken back to my childhood. The guest house of my parents’ great friends in a ranch near Naro Moru was made of similar materials and looked very much the same. When I went inside the memories almost overwhelmed me and in some ways it was a relief to go back into the garden.

 

 

We were all taken aback when we saw the beautiful flowers which decorated the garden where tables and benches were dotted around. Our first thought was that a wedding had taken place there on the previous day, a Saturday, however after Squack enquired we found out that they were for the memorial which had taken place for the local man who had been murdered on the Sunday we arrived. It dampened the mood somewhat.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2018 by twaffle

[twaffle]

 

After lunch, we proceeded north on a dirt road, broadly following the Ngare Nanyuki river, and finally entered Laikipia proper. As the main connecting road for the various ranches and conservancies we perhaps didn't expect to see so many animals. There were, however, sightings of many grazing and browsing on the side of the road including Gerenuk, lots of Reticulated Giraffe, large herds of Impala and Grant's Gazelle, small groups of both Common Zebra and Grevy's Zebra.

 

 

Greater Kudu that were approaching the riverbank and reacted rather nonchalantly to our intrusion.

 

 

 

 

We were now traversing M'pala Ranch, with flocks of Vulturine Guineafowl becoming more and more prominent, approaching the Ewaso Narok (meaning “black water”) river valley, and our destination: Ol Doinyo Lemboro, where Laikipia Wilderness Camp (LWC) is located.

 

 

Ol Doinyo Lemboro is arguably one of the wildest parts of Laikipia, a scenic wilderness of hills, rocky outcrops, cliffs, deep river valley, thick bush and some open plains on higher ground.

 

 

 

The terrain is ideal for leopards and boasts an enormous population of Guenther's Dik Dik that form the mainstay of the diet of one of the local attractions, the marauding packs of wild dogs.

 

Edited December 16, 2018 by twaffle

[twaffle]

Laikipia Wilderness Camp

 

I wonder if the casual tourist who plans a safari can truly visualise the reality that is the Laikipia Plateau. If you look at a map or read any information on the area, you would know that it is covered in ranches and if thinking about it in a modern, Western way, you would probably think it criss crossed in fences with neatly cropped pastures and attendant herds of cattle. To comprehend the vast Plateau is to visit it. Whilst the ranches continue to conduct their business, the land itself retains a magnificent wilderness feel, fences are few and far between and the wild animals themselves would appear to be on the increase. The country itself is quite unique with the rocky kopjes visible around the LWC, extensive bush which would have held, until recent years, significant populations of black rhinos and then the rich plains further North.

 

A few ranches still have and protect rhinos, an expensive exercise. Ol Jogi has intricate fences which both protect the rhinos and allow other wildlife including elephants to migrate through.

 

 

 

Our drive into camp included a stop to photograph a very young calf with its mother and other members of the herd.

 

 

 

 

LWC opened only in July 2012, but in its brief life has already gained an outstanding reputation for wild dog sightings.

 

Upon our arrival, in the late afternoon, we were greeted by the owners, Steve and Annabelle Carey, and their dogs, Boris and Buster. Steve and Annabelle are very good friends with Squack, so there was a fair bit of catching up on various things going on between them.

 

Steve informed us that the peace that had long reigned between the two resident wild dog packs (a third pack is vagrant in the area) had ended a few weeks earlier, and the pack that got the upper hand was pushing the losing pack, that had been disrupted in the process, losing their alpha female, further and further afield.

 

However, with five days in front of us, we were all fairly confident of some good sightings.

 

With the goal being the wilddogs we didn’t pay too much attention to the other attractions of the area at first, however, as each game drive and climb to the top of another kopje to search for telemetry signals failed in its mission, we began to focus more on some of the sights around us. I was surprised at how good our Grevy’s zebra sightings had been up to date and we weren’t disappointed here either. In fact, I was very impressed by the variety of wildlife we spotted, despite the thick bush in some places. Initially I had wondered how the dikdiks could support so many dogs but I have never seen so many of the small antelopes and although I felt a little sad for them and their fates, it was good to see them still in such healthy numbers. Just near the camp there was a porcupine den, currently occupied, so we had hopes of seeing the nocturnal inhabitant at some time during our 5 day stay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve suggested we have a night drive after Sundowners on our first day so we thought that a good idea. Before that, however, Terry and I took up the offer from Squack and Steve for a short “stretch your legs” walk around the knoll on which the camp sits, passing by the Ewasi Narok river. Accompanied by Buster and Boris, we enjoyed the fresh air and the sense of being alive you get when walking in the bush. Steve leads us into the scrub in search of a leopard he suspects is hiding in there, but sadly we find nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

Later that evening we all piled into Steve’s vehicle and went searching. Now I’ve never had much luck with night drives so I wasn’t particularly hopeful but I have to say that it was pretty productive. We found a young hyaena waiting nervously on its own by the den, 2 white tailed mongoose, 2 zorillas, many spring hares, dikdiks, nightjars, genets, impala and finally crossing the road a couple of lions. Quite a selection given the short duration of the drive.

 

The following morning we spent moving from high point to high point searching for dog signals without any luck. Steve explained that once he gets a faint signal, it is usually only a day before the dogs return to the ranch so we had fingers crossed for the telltale beep, but sadly it wasn’t to be. We did enjoy the view from one kopje as the landscapes in this part of the Laikipia Plateau are truly beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After another fruitless search for wilddogs but it was a lovely evening walk for sundowners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That evening we all retired to our tents feeling a little downhearted by the non appearance of the dogs, but the next morning we set off soon after 6am full of enthusiasm. It had been mentioned that we hadn't seen any hippos on the trip and didn’t have much hope of a sighting. Squack said that the Ewaso Narok held hippos so we went to see if we could find them and they surfaced just below camp giving us a good view for quite some time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, our intended goal with LWC was African Wilddogs and the reputation the area had gained in such a short time has been remarkable. Steve’s knowledge and ability to understand the varying packs on his property really assists clients staying in his camp to have the highest possible opportunity to see the elusive hunters. Obviously helped by the tracking collars scientists have added to a few individuals. However, a few weeks prior to our visit, the 2 major packs had a massive brawl and the alpha female of one pack was killed, sadly whilst heavily pregnant. The dominant pack disappeared, abandoning its normal pattern of traverse, and leaving Steve a little anxious about our chances to see the dogs during our 5 night stay. Squack came to talk to the 4 of us after chatting to Steve about the dogs disappearance, and we were offered the opportunity to drive to Ekorian’s Mugie camp, run by Josh and Donna Perrett. Josh is Squack’s cousin and brother of Roisin who runs Serian’s Mara camp with Adrian Allen. Adrian is Donna’s cousin, so it was all rather a close knit affair. I jumped at the chance, although I’m not sure what our fellow travellers reaction was, but in the end we were all convinced that it would make a nice change. Steve and Annabelle kindly let us leave all our things in our tents and we took just the necessities for an overnight stay. Squack was heading off to Nanyuki to oversee some vehicle repairs and to set up camp at our final destination. Barend, the excellent South African guide who had been working for several months with Steve and Annabelle, was given the job of driving and guiding us to Ekorian.

 

Always in the backs of all our minds was the thought that perhaps the dogs would leave us high and dry this time.

 

Edited December 16, 2018 by twaffle

[PCNW]

Really enjoying this report. Thank you. Is it safe to assume that a zorilla is an exotic breed produced by crossing a gorilla and a zebra? Just kidding, I'll Google it.

[Game Warden]

You thrilled me like my literary hero Jack Kerouac in his book by the same name

Edited December 16, 2018 by twaffle

[SafariChick]

I've been mostly away from ST for a bit while out of town for several days and also working on planning another trip myself (not Africa though). Just read this whole report (thus far) in one day - wow, really enjoying! I'm so taken with those vulturine guinea fowl, just gorgeous! The suspense about the wild dogs is palpable. How sad about the death of the pregnant alpha. Continue on, please!

[twaffle]

I have found a couple of my photos appearing on other people's blogs, nothing commercial yet but haven't had a full search. Very annoying as they have removed any copyright references so I do apologise but all the remaining images will be covered in a watermark and some of the images already posted will also be re posted with a full watermark. Waste of my time, but that's the world we live in.

[AKR1]

Thanks both of you for this wonderful trip report. Disappointed that people fall to such low levels that they steal pictures off this site. Sorry to hear that and for the extra work that you need to do.

 

I have a question on Laikipia, a place that is on my list to visit. In my limited safari experience I have liked each one for its individual unique qualities and locations. But a few things put me off. For example in the Sabi Sands in Souh Afriica the sight of animals against fences. In the Mara during migration the obvious overcrowding although I have not experienced the recent deterioration. Add to this tracking animals by radio collar which I have not fortunately experienced but something that I learned from your report occurs in LWC. I am curious to know how you feel about this. For me, and I realize this is just my opinion, I prefer a shared sighting with a few other vehicles on animals we found by tracking them diligently ( seeing Ping in action tracking elusive leopards earlier this year in the Olare Motorogi conservancy was just awesome) rather than solo sightings of collared animals found by following a radio signal. I find that spoils the sense of adventure and anticipation in finding game on your own. I would be interested in your views on this, especially since you both have scores of safaris under your belt.

[twaffle]

AKR, excellent question. I felt very much like you regarding tracking with telemetry prior to this visit however, whilst I still don't like the visual sight of collars I have altered my view somewhat regarding the tracking.

 

Here is why. We tracked the dogs with Steve Carey and lions in Mugie (coming up next) and it is nothing like I imagined, which was "Turn on the tracking device, hear the beep, follow the strengths of beep and there is your animal". When a signal is received, it covers quite a large area and you head in the direction the signal denotes. In the case of bush country, you can be faced with a large area where the ability to see very far is quite limited. So the tracking device can put you in the vicinity of the followed animal but that is all. Then you have to go to traditional methods of finding it. I would say it is similar in many respects to passing a vehicle in the Mara and having the other driver tell you that they just saw a leopard in Leopard Gorge, so you dash off there knowing one is about but not knowing where it might be. So you search and search.

 

In fact, the examples we'll use in Mugie will give you a better idea, I hope, of the challenges involved.

 

To your other points; I hope I've shown that it would be very unlikely to see animals against fences, or lots of vehicles or really any at all, and that there are lots of chances to track animals.

 

I will do my best to increase the detail in some of the upcoming days to give a better idea of that.

[Sangeeta]

Goodness, go away for a few days and it goes crazy here on ST with the new reports, new installments, new debates, new birds...aaargh!

 

The photos are insanely good, @@twaffle - really. There was a time when post-safari, I used to enjoy looking only at wildlife and landscape shots, but I think it tells a much fuller story when you include the people who actually saw and felt the things they're talking about. And not just the posing shots, but the thoughtful and happy and pensive and playful shots as well. You're really emoting through the lens this time - more than I've ever seen before, and this is from someone who has always felt that your photography was very emotional.

 

LWC is so special. And Buster and Boris are such great additions to the camp. What a treat that you guys were able to add in the Mugie visit too. Really looking forward to hearing about that in detail.

 

@@graceland - hope all well with Gracie and she's home now. Your episode reminded me of my scare earlier this year with one of my guys and I whiled away all those hours reading ST in the cage with him in the ER!

 

@@AKR1 - just seconding what Twaffle said about the telemetry tracking. It is not at all a given. In Mana, we used the equipment and it still took us many long hours to track the dogs. You still need a guide with great tracking skills because there are so many options and directions - especially when you're deep in the mopane. All it does really is indicate that the dogs are in range and in a general direction. Once you're on foot, you become ever so aware of the dips and rises and other topographical features on the ground - and you could easily walk right by the dogs and never find them, even with the telemetry equipment beeping loudly in your hand. Both Doug and Steve used them just to confirm presence. Rest was all tracking and legwork.

 

Talking of Zim guides, isn't it uncanny they all walk the same way? The manager at Lake Manyara Ranch was also a Zimbabwean guide and they all lead with the exact same gait, pace and posture!

 

Looking at this report so far, you're right, no one sees the slightest reason to feel sorry for anyone over Ishaqbini The ele encounter sounds really special.

Edited December 16, 2018 by twaffle

[FlyTraveler]

@@twaffle  Both photography and writing are out of this world and Northern Kenya is so beautiful... It is a sin to just glance through the report, I'll read it properly when I have more time. Thank you to both of you for sharing!

 

@@twaffle I already got the replies to my questions regarding location of photos and equipment by glancing through this report.

Edited December 16, 2018 by twaffle

[stokeygirl]

I spent 8 weeks in Tembe tracking lions with telemetry- probably 5 hours a day 5 days a week. We found lions 8 times. So I agree, telemetry isn't as easy as you might think. I think the dogs are easier than lions to find, as there are more of them, and when they are mobile they are spread out and moving fast so once you're in the right area there's more chance one will cross your path, but finding lions was really hard.

 

I also tend to agree about radios- it's just as much "cheating" to go to a sighting someone else has found and radioed around.

 

I didn't really see any fences in Laikipia, not in the area of the camp anyway- as I understand, all the ranches have taken down the fences between them. There is the occasional boma for domestic animals.

[twaffle]

I would highly recommend Stokeygirl's trip report on the LWC dogs and the tracking and time with them. I won't be able to put it any better. Don't think any of my photos of the dogs match hers either. Highly recommended.

 

http://safaritalk.net/topic/10973-going-to-the-dogs-in-laikipia/page-6

[stokeygirl]

I would highly recommend Stokeygirl's trip report on the LWC dogs and the tracking and time with them. I won't be able to put it any better. Don't think any of my photos of the dogs match hers either. Highly recommended.

 

http://safaritalk.net/topic/10973-going-to-the-dogs-in-laikipia/page-6

Thank you twaffle, that's quite a compliment.

 

It's good to hear you did actually find the dogs- I was starting to get a bit concerned, especially as "wild dogs" are notably absent from your trip report title!

 

I've had to cancel my revisit to LWC in Jan (see the end of my trip report for full circumstances), but if one of the pregnant alpha females has been killed, I guess my chances of seeing puppies was reduced by 50%.

 

I look forward to reading the rest of the saga.

[africapurohit]

I would highly recommend Stokeygirl's trip report on the LWC dogs and the tracking and time with them. I won't be able to put it any better. Don't think any of my photos of the dogs match hers either. Highly recommended.

 

http://safaritalk.net/topic/10973-going-to-the-dogs-in-laikipia/page-6

@@twaffle I was enjoying the suspense and you just let the dog out of the bag!

[twaffle]

I don't think that there was much suspense left as we had mentioned it elsewhere and anyway, the specifics of what we saw and where have not been revealed.

[twaffle]

Really sorry about your cancellation Stokeygirl, but hopefully you get back there another time. I'd love to see pups.

[TonyQ]

Great to pick up on the story again - I have been looking forward to this Laikipia section - it is spectacular country

God combination of writing, great photos -looking forward to seeing it unfold

[kittykat23uk]

 

I would highly recommend Stokeygirl's trip report on the LWC dogs and the tracking and time with them. I won't be able to put it any better. Don't think any of my photos of the dogs match hers either. Highly recommended.

 

http://safaritalk.net/topic/10973-going-to-the-dogs-in-laikipia/page-6

Thank you twaffle, that's quite a compliment.

 

It's good to hear you did actually find the dogs- I was starting to get a bit concerned, especially as "wild dogs" are notably absent from your trip report title!

 

I've had to cancel my revisit to LWC in Jan (see the end of my trip report for full circumstances), but if one of the pregnant alpha females has been killed, I guess my chances of seeing puppies was reduced by 50%.

 

I look forward to reading the rest of the saga.

 

 

What a shame! sorry to hear that @@stokeygirl

[stokeygirl]

Yes, I'm pretty disappointed.

 

Heard from Annabelle today. One pack denned on 29 Sept, the den is quite close to the camp. I guess the other pack won't be denning if the pregnant alpha female was killed.

[twaffle]

An apology to Barend …

 

Not sure what I was thinking but there I was up in Mugie, looking at ostriches in the distance and telling Barend with earnest assurance that the ostriches up here would be Somali ostriches. He said that they didn't look any different and he was right because they were Common ostriches and I'm just a dill.

 

So to set the record straight when he reads this, here is a photo of a Mugie ostrich showing the definite white ring of feathers around the neck before the black feathers start, and no sign of blue skin on the neck or legs.

 

Apologies come so easy to me because I'm ALWAYS making them!

 

[twaffle]

To find out what the sad tale of Mugie's rhinos is, the following link will take you to an interesting blog detailing the years that they were on Mugie Ranch and where they all went.

 

http://mugieranch.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/the-tale-of-mugies-rhinos/

 

 

 

Today, on an evening game-drive through Mugie’s beautifully unspoilt wildlife sanctuary, passing huge herds of eland and oryx, browsing elephants, Grevy’s zebra and prowling lions, Claus Mortensen, Mugie’s Ranch Manager, still distantly scans the horizon in search of Kenya’s most northerly population of black rhino. Yet only the ghostly shadows of Mugie’s rhinos remain.