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Tsavo West, Amboseli, Meru & Samburu — January, 2015


Tom Kellie

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Vervet Monkey Seeking Fruit



While parked to photograph the Fork-tailed Drongo, we heard a rustling sound overhead, as if there was a commotion. Looking


upward it became clear that a Vervet Monkey was seeking small fruit on branches. It had found a fairly stable perch from which


it extended its arms to pull branches with the desired fruit. Vervets are throughout the Samburu area but never in large groups.


It's the one location in Kenya where it's frequently possible to spot a solitary Vervet. The mischievous


playfulness of Vervets appeals to my sense of life's inherent absurdity.




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Seeking Fruit



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Clutching Branches





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Merops pusillus



Were there ever a bird more aptly named than Merops pusillus, Little Bee-eater? Diminutive to the point of being hard-to-see,


the Little Bee-eater might be easily overlooked, were it not for its habit of regularly flicking its tail-feathers. This bee-eater


had perched in the midst of especially fearsome acacia spines which would deter most mammals from any sort of direct


engagement. Yet the Little Bee-eater found it to be a congenial perch, relatively safe from predators,


unoccupied by others. The intense blue above its eye-mask was striking.




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Merops pusillus



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Little Bee-eater on a Spiny Acacia





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Dazzling Grass



Going around a smooth curve on a track a wondrous sight greeted our eyes — the angle of early evening sunlight was illuminating


dried grasses in such a way that they glistened. Anthony stopped so that we might capture the transitory phenomenon, which


we'd seldom previously observed. In certain respects, it looked like fireworks going off, with sparkling grass stalks brightly


contrasting with the dark background. We'd been on the same track before, but never at the optimal


moment to observe such a glowing grasses phenomenon. Utterly beautiful!




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Shine On



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Botanical Fireworks



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Light from Light



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Sparkling Nature



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Embers in Grass



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At the Ideal Moment



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Glittering Band





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Upupa epops



At last! Ever since childhood I've been fascinated by the binomial nomenclature for the Eurasian Hoopoe. Upupa epops triggered


giggles in me as a gawky teenager interested in birds. In later life the drollery subsided but the name remained in memory. When


this hoopoe landed on the dusty Samburu track we were following, I had to restrain the urge to shout, as it was the first time to be


so near. The hoopoe surprised us by remaining still in place, facilitating a number of images. It's a species like no other. I'm very


glad to have finally observed it in the field, rather than solely on the glossy pages of a field guide.




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Upupa epops



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Eurasian Hoopoe





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Doum Palm Remains



What happens after one of the towering Doum Palms in Meru and Samburu loses its life force? The fronds turn brown, become


desiccated and drop to the ground. Insects and lizards crawl around the hulk, accelerating decay. The tall support stalks remain


standing for some time, gradually falling earthward as supporting fibers and tissues lose their tensile strength. These images


show the remains of a once thriving Doum Palm. The elephant near the base provides a sense of scale. There's a quiet


dignity in death, with the remains providing raw materials for living organisms.




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Remains of a Doum Palm



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Doum Palm Snag and Elephant





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Buteo augur



While we parked to watch elephant babies interacting, a Buteo augur, Augur Buzzard, was perched atop a tree, watching the area


and the pachyderm hijinks below. As with other Augur Buzzards I've observed, this bird was alert, frequently turning its head to


look in different directions. The early evening light was filtered into a reddish-orange glow, which gave a tint to the buzzard's


otherwise white ventral plumage. Although we remained stationary for around half an hour, the buzzard


never flew away, seemingly content to retain its vantage point.




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Augur Buzzard



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Buteo augur



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Buzzard's Downward Glance





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A Spurfowl Family and a Male Dik-dik



When I spotted a mother Yellow-necked Spurfowl with chicks, I asked Anthony to stop for a few photos, despite the waning


light. What I didn't expect was the sudden appearance of a male Kirk's Dik-dik who leaped into the camera frame and


proceeded to make himself part of the photo story. The mother spurfowl remained calm, despite having a large camera


lens pointed at her brood and a surprisingly curious male dik-dik who approached her for a closer look


at her chicks. Such an improbable pairing resulted in this unusual photo series.




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Spurfowl and Leaping Dik-dik



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Dik-dik Watching a Mother Spurfowl



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Spurfowl Chicks Approached by a Dik-dik



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Mother Spurfowl, Chicks and Dik-dik



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Spurfowl Family and Male Dik-dik





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Baby Elephants at Play



A small herd of elephants was browsing in the shade of closely growing trees a short distance from the river. It's an area where


Anthony and I had driven many times in the past, often on the trail of big cats. Two small, tuskless male elephants were


together. They showed no interest in eating, unlike their mothers, but instead were inclined to play. Their initial play


consisted of challenges to one another, mutual gripping with their tiny trunks, and considerable noise. Their


mock combat was ritualized at times, at other times out and out fighting.




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They Begin



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Child's Play



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Setting Up a Challenge



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Intertwined



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Swinging Trunks



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I Dare You!



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Let the Combat Begin!



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Contending, Trunk to Trunk



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Combatants



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Headlong Pursuit



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C'mon, It Was Only Play





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Uber-cute babies, great photos. Must have been wonderful watching them play. :)

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Uber-cute babies, great photos. Must have been wonderful watching them play. :)

 

~ @@michael-ibk

 

Thank you! It was certainly one of the most extraordinary experiences that I've ever had on safari.

There's more!

I divided the images in half, as I've been uncertain since January exactly how to handle images of certain behavior.

Perhaps I'm a bit old-fashioned and something of a prude, therefore I've been wrestling in my own mind about the next set of photos.

Nonetheless, I'm working on them and hope to post them later this evening.

Baby elephants are far more complex than I'd ever imagined them to be.

Tom K.

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A prude? Nah, you´re just trying to build up the suspense. Successfully. ;)

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Elephant Babies – Intense Interaction



For more than six months I've thought about these images, which show in still photos what we saw in live action. Being old-fashioned


and having been raised to avoid overly awkward scenes, I was unsettled by what we observed. With an adult female elephant


standing nearby, one of the young male baby elephants appeared to force the other male baby into submission and all


evidence and action suggested direct rather than simulated sexual interaction. This shocked me, considering the


baby's age. Hoping not to offend, these images depict what we observed. I hope that they won't be


distasteful to anyone. Nature is what it is, with raw action of all sorts.




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Mothers and Babies



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What Are You Two Doing?



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Stop Pushing Me Around!



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Exhausted or Submission?



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Are You OK?



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No Longer Fighting



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All-encompassing



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That's Enough, Now



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Mother Checking on Baby



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Return to the Fray



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Temporarily a Biped



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Trumpeting



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Trunk-Wrestling



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En Garde!



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A Mother's Work Is Never Done



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Baby Boys Will Be Baby Boys





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A prude? Nah, you´re just trying to build up the suspense. Successfully. ;)

 

~ @@michael-ibk

 

There was a point during the elephant baby interaction where I stopped taking photos, as it was all too graphic for my sensibilities.

For that reason, based on what we observed, I'm more or less certain that the action was real rather than simulated.

I'm not at all very progressive about many aspects of contemporary life, thus such scenes deeply unsettled me.

As much as I'd have preferred not seeing what we observed, nature's ways are beyond any human values, including my own old-fashioned sense of propriety.

As is fairly clear throughout my trip report, I shy away from photographing animal body functions. For that reason I'm satisfied that I've almost never come across any kill in progress.

Everyone has their own self-imposed limitations. One of mine is a distinct preference for the decorative and pleasant, as opposed to the brash or avant-garde.

I'm frequently reminded that my instincts run to the middle-brow, homely and I'm somewhat philistine by temperament.

Within that framework I live my life, which means that occasionally there are situations wherein I wince.

The elephant babies and their interaction was one such occasion. Only after prolonged thought and consultation with several others did I finally decide to upload the images.

I'm glad that it's over.

On to other sights, including the rather dramatic final hour of the safari, which was the day after the baby elephant photos.

Please do pardon my outdated outlook. It's a relic of times long past.

Tom K.

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According to wikipedia, homosexual behaviour is nothing unusual with elephants:

 

Such encounters are often associated with affectionate interactions, such as kissing, trunk intertwining, and placing trunks in each other's mouths. Male elephants, who often live apart from the general herd, often form "companionships", consisting of an older individual and one or sometimes two younger males with sexual behavior being an important part of the social dynamic.

 

But these two seem very young for any form of sexuality indeed. Did your guide give you an age estimate for them?

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According to wikipedia, homosexual behaviour is nothing unusual with elephants:

 

Such encounters are often associated with affectionate interactions, such as kissing, trunk intertwining, and placing trunks in each other's mouths. Male elephants, who often live apart from the general herd, often form "companionships", consisting of an older individual and one or sometimes two younger males with sexual behavior being an important part of the social dynamic.

 

But these two seem very young for any form of sexuality indeed. Did your guide give you an age estimate for them?

 

~ @@michael-ibk

 

Yes. Anthony agreed that the one was somewhat older than the other.

The smaller one showed various indications of being 6 to 8 months old.

The older one just under one year.

They were both highly sexually aroused, over many minutes.

The penetration of the smaller one occurred with an adult female eating nearby.

I was told by an expert guide that such play activity is within the normal range, albeit seldom seen on safaris.

It certainly altered my view of the nature of elephant babyhood.

I've seen a pair of baby female elephants during this most recent safari, and nothing comparable occurred.

Could it be related to the stirrings of dominance and submission feelings among future adult male elephants?

I don't know. I hesitate to assess what I observed, due to my reluctance to conjecture without adequate background understanding.

Suffice it to say, I'll never again presume that baby male elephants are sweet little toys, devoid of primal instincts.

As @@graceland told me, she learned something new about animals on every safari. I'm with her on that.

Thank you for your most helpful quote from Wikipedia. I was wholly unaware of that. Vielen dank!

Tom K.

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Sunset Vultures



Our long day of two game drives at an end, we were ready to return to the Samburu Sopa Lodge, as the final day of the safari


awaited us on the morrow. One final sighting awaited us — a group of vultures in the dry bed of the Ewaso Nyiro River, feeding


on morsels attached to the remains of a lion kill. First one, then another vulture ate from a skull, their mutual antipathy self-evident


from the photographs. We were near enough to them that the low light of early evening didn't impact the image quality. The


vultures’ actions and plumage were yet another high point in a day full of wonders.




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Waiting Their Turn



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New Arrival



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Hello, World!



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Scouting for Competitors



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Caught Unawares



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Faceoff Over A Skull



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An Uninvited Dinner Guest



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Possessive



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Renewed Challenge

Edited by Tom Kellie
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Samburu Twilight



We'd driven back to the Samburu Oryx airstrip and were thus nearly at the gate of the Samburu Sopa Lodge. Anthony asked


us if we'd like to stop to photograph the deep-hued dusk colors which followed sunset. These images were taken in the lowest


light, capturing the dark shades of rosy-red and deep blue which were visible. Having had an especially fulfilling day, closing


with such richly colored images was a benediction on the day's events. The heavens of Samburu revealed


the richness of their visible light spectrum, if only for a few minutes.




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Layers in Blue



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Far Ranges



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Tree by Twilight



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Fading to Rosy Hues



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Samburu Twilight Reds



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Day Bows Out





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Waterhole by Night



After we returned to the Samburu Sopa Lodge, night arrived. Before walking to my room to freshen up, I made an image of an


outdoor light set in a stone cairn which illuminates the area near the waterhole. Later, at dinner, I used the flash on the Sony


RX1 R camera to show the area between the dining room and the waterhole. The staff told me that during a year's time, a wide


variety of animals visit the waterhole by night, ranging from smaller mammals to elephants, giraffes and the occasional predator.




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Light Near the Waterhole



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Venus Above the Waterhole





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Ichneumia albicauda



In each of the four separate visits to Samburu National Reserve that I've made, the gracious restaurant staff at the Samburu Sopa


Lodge — Ceasar (sic.) and Abdi — have seated me for meals at the same table, with a waterhole view. On this evening nothing


of note visited the waterhole. However, a commotion at another table tipped us off that a solitary Ichneumia albicauda, White-tailed


Mongoose, was passing by. I seldom use the flash in the Sony RX1 R camera, but in this instance it facilitated these


two images of a species which I'd only previously observed at the Mara Sopa Lodge in August, 2014.




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Ichneumia albicauda



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White-tailed Mongoose





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Columba guinea



One wonders how observant one truly is on safari. Concerning numerous species, field guides state that they're widespread and


commonly seen, yet where are they? I rather suspect that I'm not nearly as observant as I might be. A case in point is Columba


guinea, Speckled Pigeon, which is purported to be widespread. Yet this single sighting atop a roof structure at the Samburu Sopa


Lodge is the sole sighting of this species in my Kenya safaris. Was it always around, in the background, with my negligent vision


overlooking it? Very possibly. Nonetheless, it was a pleasure to see and photograph it before the morning game drive commenced.




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Columba guinea





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Female Eupodotis gindiana



The announcement of “a bustard!” is welcome on any game drive. The final morning game drive's first sighting was a female Eupodotis


gindiana, Buff-crested Bustard, stalking in tall grass behind a small bush. She took one mechanical step, then another, truly stalking


in an exaggerated style, as bustards often do. her head remained tilted up at an angle, evidently aware of our presence, yet not


so alarmed that she ran away. Bustards have such handsome plumage, which the camera lens likes!




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Buff-crested Bustard in Tall Grass



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Female Eupodotis gindiana





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Very nice uodates Tom. I really like the young elephant interaction. It's wonderful they were so relaxed so close to you and the shots where they in the light are wonderful - isn't it amazing how the colour drains when they go in the shade? Special. The hills at sunset are lovely too and I am glad you shared the shimmering grass. One case where video might have told the story better, but words and stills do a job.

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Very nice uodates Tom. I really like the young elephant interaction. It's wonderful they were so relaxed so close to you and the shots where they in the light are wonderful - isn't it amazing how the colour drains when they go in the shade? Special. The hills at sunset are lovely too and I am glad you shared the shimmering grass. One case where video might have told the story better, but words and stills do a job.

 

~ @@pault

 

That's very nice of you to notice and comment that.

The camera sensor switches depending on subjects being in full light or shade.

Saturation, white balance, contrast — it's all up for grabs when subjects reposition themselves.

Yours truly struggles to keep pace with their action, typically neglecting to adjust camera settings to suit changed shooting conditions.

There's a list of ‘someday’ items for my photography.

• Burst shooting

• Raw shooting

• Night star photography

• Flash photography

• Videography

In each case I've made a mental note that such techniques need to be explored.

Not yet.

In due time, should my lifespan allow.

As I literally don't ever watch films or television for any reason, I'm less accustomed to filmed ongoing action.

I'm not closed to the idea, but also not yet ready to embrace it.

I'm still at the point where using Manual shooting mode is a challenge requiring all of my limited alertness!

The grass sparkling in late day's sunlight was an out-of-the-ordinary experience which Anthony acknowledged as constituting exceptional conditions and timing.

How would Andrew Wyeth, John Constable, or El Greco have handled the scene with their brushes and oils?

I'm finally on the last day of the safari, beginning the morning game drive. As it happened, most of the drama and action of the entire multi-day safari occurred towards the close of the afternoon game drive.

Thus...more to post!

With Appreciation,

Tom K.

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Adult Male Gerenuk



Our morning game drive route took us into the less explored back valley of Samburu. When we'd originally driven in, I'd asked


Anthony if we might return, as acacias were in full bloom. I realized that our unspoken objective was a cheetah sighting, as that


area is cheetah territory, as we'd seen in the past. It's a quiet, peaceful area where few safari vehicles drive. A male


gerenuk walked near us, crossing the track with measured footsteps on its small black hooves.




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Spotted in the Bushes



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Adult Male Gerenuk



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Stepping Onto the Track



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Careful Crossing





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Peter Connan

@@Tom Kellie, thank you for not holding back. I have learnt through your observation behaviour that was unknown to me before. I guess I am glad not to have seen it myself (as I am also a bit old-fashioned), but i guess our attitude toward intercourse is unique to humans. And let us admit that it is rather strange. Movies, television, newspapers etc. show gruesome death and many depraved forms of murder and violence all the time, never batting an eyelid, but heavens forbid, just let somebody disrobe! We must admit, we are a rather strange species...

 

Also, thank you for showing me just how large a Doum palm is. I had never imagined, and doubt whether I have ever seen a tree so tall.

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