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


Tom Kellie

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Morning Giraffe



Encountering a giraffe early on a morning game drive is a positive omen! One doesn't climb into the safari van with hopes


for a giraffe sighting, but welcomes the favorable portent should it occur. After the brief sighting of a male gerenuk, we


were in a cheerful mood, with the pleasant morning temperatures enhancing the feeling that our final day would be special.


A reticulated giraffe was beside the track in an area where we'd never previously spotted giraffe. It walked along with a


sprightly gait, on its way to whichever acacias looked especially delectable.




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And A Very Good Morning to You, Too!



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Beginning the Day



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Honeycomb Pelage





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@@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.

 

~ @@Peter Connan

 

For various reasons, I've been slow to change with the times. I'm not progressive by temperament, tending to remain complacent with what's been satisfactory in times past.

The social upheavals of the contemporary era haven't resonated much with me. Old-fashioned or outdated, I've been reluctant to accept changes others apparently felt were essential.

After observing and photographing the baby elephant behavior, I was unsettled, considering whether or not it would be appropriate to post such images anywhere.

What may be natural to sub-adult elephants may not seem natural to me. Yet what do I know? My experience is necessarily limited. Others generally feel that they know better what's right or wrong.

During the two safaris in 2015 since this safari, I've never seen any comparable behavior, hence faced no dilemmas about what to post or not post in future trip reports.

***************************************************************

Doum palms are IMMENSE! They tower over other vegetation with unrestrained grace.

Their presence in Meru and Samburu gives a sense of spaciousness, reducing elephant herds to a smaller scale than usual.

That Doum palms branch out adds to their bulk. Highly impressive, they're one of the reasons I so enjoy safaris in Meru and Samburu.

Were you and your missus and step-daughters to ever consider a Kenya vacation, I'd strongly urge taking a look at both Meru and Samburu as possible safari destinations.

You might do much better than I in capturing the unique beauty of soaring Doum palms.

Tom K.

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Valley Landscape



The Sony RX1 R camera with a built-in Zeiss 35mm lens was used to photograph the landscape of the small valley in Samburu National


Reserve where we explored during our final morning game drive. I'd requested a visit there, despite it being less popular than areas


nearer to the Ewaso Nyiro River, as the blooming acacia trees were exceptionally attractive. The sparse vegetation, deep red earth


termite mounds, distant mountain vistas and clear air all were characteristic of the valley,


where hornbills flew, ground squirrels ran and gerenuks gathered.




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Entering the Valley



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Morning Has Arrived



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Deep Red Earth Termite Mound



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Sparse Foliage



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Quiet Samburu Track



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Valley Landscape



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Green Trees Along a Dry Riverbed



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Where Hornbills Fly and Ground Squirrels Run



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Classic Valley View





Edited by Tom Kellie
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@@Tom Kellie

 

"....glancing up at the camera lens with the jaded insouciance of an experienced courtesan."

 

Your metaphors are laudable. Reminds me of an US author named James Hadley Chase ( i think a pseudonym) who used metaphors such that one could vividly visualise the scene- as i am trying to visualise this agama agama (?) as a courtesan; albeit an indifferent one. :rolleyes:

Has a lizard ever been described in such vivid terms. That's the look, perfectly depicted.

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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.

Eurasian Hoopoe

 

You have given the Hoopoe its due! Nice to meet another Hoopoe fan!

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The pink flowers contrast beautifully with the dark pollinator. The Grevy provided you many poses and antics for your wondrous sight in an arid land.

 

Your dazzling grasses descriptions, even without the courtesan, are as intriguing as your agama comments.

 

Glad you were able to see the Speckled Pigeon posing as a weather vane.

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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.

 

~ @@Peter Connan

 

For various reasons, I've been slow to change with the times. I'm not progressive by temperament, tending to remain complacent with what's been satisfactory in times past.

The social upheavals of the contemporary era haven't resonated much with me. Old-fashioned or outdated, I've been reluctant to accept changes others apparently felt were essential.

After observing and photographing the baby elephant behavior, I was unsettled, considering whether or not it would be appropriate to post such images anywhere.

What may be natural to sub-adult elephants may not seem natural to me. Yet what do I know? My experience is necessarily limited. Others generally feel that they know better what's right or wrong.

During the two safaris in 2015 since this safari, I've never seen any comparable behavior, hence faced no dilemmas about what to post or not post in future trip reports.

***************************************************************

Doum palms are IMMENSE! They tower over other vegetation with unrestrained grace.

Their presence in Meru and Samburu gives a sense of spaciousness, reducing elephant herds to a smaller scale than usual.

That Doum palms branch out adds to their bulk. Highly impressive, they're one of the reasons I so enjoy safaris in Meru and Samburu.

Were you and your missus and step-daughters to ever consider a Kenya vacation, I'd strongly urge taking a look at both Meru and Samburu as possible safari destinations.

You might do much better than I in capturing the unique beauty of soaring Doum palms.

Tom K.

 

 

Perhaps I should have made it more clear that i am also not necessarily in favour of the current direction of social change...

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@@Tom Kellie awwww those baby elephants are so cute, play-fighting with their little trunks and flaring their little ears.

 

it's not uncommon for some animals of the same sex or even when they are young, to try and mount another. it happens with dogs as well. there's nothing sexual about it, it's more a show of dominance to show that they are the boss and to try to push the other animal into submission. well, at least this is for dogs, i just extrapolated this behaviour into a far larger mammal!!

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@@Tom Kellie

I have finally caught up!

I have really enjoyed the landscapes which give a real feeling for place - and the layered, coloured hills were very atmospheric.

Very fine pictures of the gerenuk - a beautiful animal which we hope to see when we visit Meru.

The two baby elephant sequences were superb - the play fighting with the real essence of baby elephants, and the second sequence - behaviour I have never seen - fascinating.

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Chanting-Goshawk on a Snag



During safaris it occasionally seems as though certain species appear more frequently than usual. This phenomenon occurs across


a large geographic area in widely separated parks or reserves. During this particular safari it was Melierax poliopterus, Eastern


Chanting-Goshawk, which was the unexpected signature species. We's observed them in Tsavo West and In Amboseli as well


as in Meru. Thus it was with minimal surprise that we noted this Chanting-Goshawk perched atop a snag,


reassuring us that it would be a normal game drive, filled with the unexpected.




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The First of Several



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Chanting-Goshawk Atop a Snag





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Blooming Acacias



The unspoken reality of the final morning game drive was that Anthony was assiduously seeking the one major species which


we hadn't observed throughout the safari — a cheetah. The valley we were in has a known cheetah population, which Anthony


and I had previously observed. The ostensible reason we were there was to photograph the blooming acacias. I'd been


impressed by them when we saw them on the day that we arrived, asking to return for a closer look. Their beauty


outstripped my superlatives, with evanescent loveliness radiating heavenward.




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Acacia Blooms on High



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Light Upon Light



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Samburu Acacias in January



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Acacia Glory!



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Buffalo-Weavers Perched Amidst Acacia Blooms



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Weaver Nests and Blooming Acacias



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Avian Nirvana





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Beisa Oryx and Grevy's Zebra



While admiring the blooming acacia trees in the valley, it became apparent that we weren't alone. A mixed herd of Beisa Oryx and


Grevy's Zebra was passing through the bush between our vantage point and the blooming acacias. They were thoroughly intermingled,


with the oryx slightly more reticent than the zebras. Their stately progress was neither hurried nor drawn out, moving onward at a pace


which facilitated continuous grazing. The privilege of observing two relatively rare species was enhanced by the morning's clement weather.




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Oryx and Zebra Approach



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Oryx and Zebra Herd



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Grevy's Zebras and Acacias



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Mixed Species Herd



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Placid Grazers





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I've never seen acacia trees look so enchanting as you've puctured them. The acacia were the first trees I saw on my first safari when our guide Freddy taught us about the various acacias. And it remains one of my favourite African trees.

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I've never seen acacia trees look so enchanting as you've puctured them. The acacia were the first trees I saw on my first safari when our guide Freddy taught us about the various acacias. And it remains one of my favourite African trees.

 

~ @@Kitsafari

 

Like you, on my first safari, in August, 2011, the acacias observed on the road leading out of Masai Mara made a deep impression on me.

Their graceful beauty, sometimes sinuous, other times substantial, lends anywhere they thrive the air of hope for continuing life.

I'm so pleased that you liked the blooming acacia images. They were so lovely that I couldn't stop photographing them.

There are a few more acacia images of possible interest, taken later on this final morning game drive.

With Appreciation,

Tom K.

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Cliff Face



During two prior Samburu safaris I'd looked up at the steep cliff face on the west side of the valley, wishing that it were possible to drive


nearer. To my great happiness, Anthony turned upwards to the track nearest to the cliff. The layered metamorphic rock exposed there


was stained in places by slowly seeping material. One wonders how many eons came and went with this very rock exposed to the


elements. The tectonic and volcanic geophysical forces which produced such gnarled stone


must have been colossal. I was thrilled to observe it firsthand!




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Far Up the Mountainside



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Reptile and Invertebrate Habitat



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Cliff Face



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Gnarled Geology



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Metamorphic Layers



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Evidence of Ages Long Past



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Compression Over Eons



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Dripping, Draining, Staining Over Millions of Years



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What Tectonic and Volcanic Forces Caused This?



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Botanical and Geophysical Reality Meet





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Close Range Melierax poliopterus



In all nine safaris in Kenya, there have only been a few instances where ideal portraits were possible. For lighting to be right, a subject


to be closer than usual, no distractions and a touch of stardust scattered about, one must wait until such a rare moment presents itself,


an unexpected boon from the tutelary spirits of safaris. In this instance an adult Melierax poliopterus, Eastern Chanting-Goshawk,


was perched on a snag immediately beside an old track. It never left its perch, allowing us to take especially


close range portraits. It was easily one of the nicest experiences on any safari.




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Approaching



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Engagement



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Side-View



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Vigilance



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Unmistakable



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Perched





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Capacious Nest



We drove for many minutes, crossing the valley from west to east. A dry riverbed was lined with trees, many of them acacias in bloom.


Anthony was inclined to explore the area, which was fine with me. Shortly after we crossed the dry riverbed and began driving


northward, I spotted a larger than usual bird nest high in a tree. There was no bird present. Whatever species built it must


have been fairly sizable, as the individual branches weren't twigs. My purpose in photographing


it was to illustrate the sizes nests may reach in Samburu.




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Capacious Nest





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in the 5th picture of the cliff face, there seems to be a fossilised tree trunk folded right in the middle of the cliff. could be my imagination run wild, but it's interesting to see the strata layers of history in a cliff face.

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I finally caught up! I loved the elephant babies playing and found the other behavior interesting, so thanks for sharing it!

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After a long day of travel, the past few pages were perfectly calculated to ease me back into a routine.

Lovely images, as always. I enjoyed the elephant calf sequence (as well as your candid thoughts on the matter) and the landscapes and acacias.

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Beisa Oryx



After wending our way up the old track beside the dry riverbed, we encountered a small herd of Beisa Oryx. What was noteworthy was


their placid reaction to our arrival. There was no indication that they wanted to move away to a more secluded location. To our


considerable surprise, several oryx walked closer to us, unlike typical behavior. It was thus possible to make fairly close range


portraits, showing facial details and the texture of their immense horns. The experience was soul-enriching, in the sense that


there was a purity about the encounter, without undue stress for them or for us. An especially lovely safari moment.




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Shaded Oryx with Oxpecker



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Retreating Oryx



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Classic Samburu Oryx



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Oryx at Close Range



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Oryx Portrait



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Twin Spires



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Iconic Oryx



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Is This a Smile?



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Beisa Oryx Under a Tree



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There Is Nothing Else Like an Oryx





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Excavation



When we paused to look at a large nest, XU Ni noticed activity on the ground immediately beside the track. A series of small pits with fine soil particles were


close together. In one of them periodic explosions of dust and dirt indicated that an animal within was excavating a chamber. We watched, intrigued by the


bursts of material being expelled in rapid succession. As it turned out, after several minutes of observation we never saw which species was responsible.


That's OK as I've previously noted, it's fine to not see everything, leaving animals a bit of privacy mingling with mystery.




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Mini-Volcano



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Excavation in Progress






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Euphorbia and Rock Outcroppings



The heights of the mountain ridge to the west featured rock outcroppings at irregular intervals. The layered nature of the outcroppings provided shaded crevices


of adequate size for reptiles, invertebrates and small mammals. Alas, we were confined far below on a dusty track, unable to peer into a shaded recess to


observe any denizens. What required no proximity to appreciate were the numerous euphorbia trees scattered across the lofty landscape. Gazing upwards


to the inaccessible landscape, one wondered what species thrived there, undisturbed by passing safari vehicles.




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Specialized Habitat



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Enticement to Exploration



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What Species Might Thrive Up There?



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Euphorbia Predominate





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Blooms Aplenty



I admit to being enthralled by the spectacle of tens of thousands of acacia blooms arrayed overhead. The sprays of acacia flowers along the dry


river captivated my interest as much as the sighting of any predator. The massed floral display attracted pollinators as well as my camera lens.


The lushness in an arid region was as much a promise of continued life as the rainbow Noah beheld. For how many millennia has Samburu


been graced with the flowering of acacias? It was more beauty than my limited eyesight could fully savor.




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Peak Blooming



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Acacia Blooms



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Blooms and Seed Pods



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Nature's Dalliance with Eternity



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Westward View of Blooming Acacias



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Profusion





Edited by Tom Kellie
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Samburu Elegance



The Sony RX1 R camera has a fixed Zeiss 35mm f/2 lens. It was used to make these wider angle landscape images of the blooming acacia


trees along a dry river. The decorative effect of the blooming trees sharply defining the edge of the dry river channel was pleasing. As stark


simplicity of design catches my attention, the acacias were a bit of heaven laid out along an Africa stream bed, uncompromising in their


ravishing beauty, vivid in their appearance, wondrous that they existed at all.




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Near the Dry River



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Dry River View



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Acacia-shaded River



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Blooming Acacias Mark the Dry River



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Samburu at its Finest



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Riparian Acacias



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Very Special Sight



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Samburu Elegance



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What Our Most Ancient Ancestors Cherished





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