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Horns, Spots and Stripes - Happy Days in Lewa&Ol Pejeta Dec 2018


Kitsafari

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On the far hillside, a line of cape buffaloes was grazing and ignoring a crash of rhinos but the rhinos were hardly crashing anything. they were lying down, resting. I was surprised to see at least six of them resting close to each other, while another three were browsing close by. My memories could be vague, but I doubt if I had seen a crash of rhinos this many. It was a far distance from us and in the haze it was not clear, but they did look like white rhinos to me. 

 

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We started to search for breakfast venues, but some reason, the conservancy seemed pretty crowded today. There appeared to be a large crowd of guests at other camps, and at one point, we passed a vehicle of passengers with Joseph quipping that they were going to Nanyuki to shop. Hmmm. Ok, to each his/her own priorities.

 

we spied some elephants slowly coming down from a hill. another safari vehicle was ahead of us. I had forgotten from which camp it was. we stopped at a distance and watched them, scattered as they were coming down the rocky paths gingerly and browsing as they came along. while we were watching a group with young ones, two other adult elephants - one with a beautiful set of tusks - came down the hill near the other vehicle, which had a couple of lady guests. I then noticed the vehicle following so closely a larger elephant and wondered annoyedly to Squack, Herman and Joseph why the guide felt it necessary to tail the elephant so closely, when they weren't even that far from it. Sure enough, the elephant half turned and flapped its head, a clear warning to the vehicle. I sort of prompted Joseph that he should report that guide to that camp. I'm not sure if he did but he did have some words with one guide in another vehicle from the same camp. I wouldn't expect such behaviour from camps from a conservancy, who should know better, and I was very disappointed with that camp.

anyway, that didn't detract us from enjoying more elephants. 

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still in search of a breakfast venue, our route was well entertained by a wonderful variety of birds.  we passed by some white browed sparrow weavers,  a fork tailed drongo and a beautiful rosy patched bush shrike with what looked like a bleeding heart. 

 

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we stopped briefly to watch a stunning dung beetle rolling its perfectly precious round ball on the side of the road. the brilliant green insect glistened in the sunlight. 

 

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as we rolled up a hill, we stopped to look into another green valley where black creatures were gathered with scattered impalas. those "tiny creatures" turned out to be white rhinos, all gathered around a patch, and a baby rhino was running rings around them, as all youngsters who have found their legs do. the cute little rhino was chasing another large adult rhino and it was super cool to see how tolerant those adults were. 

 

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we decided to move on. the rumblings weren't from the elephants nor from the grunts of the rhinos. they were echoing in my empty stomach. 

 

But a roadblock loomed at the rise of the hill. Perhaps the rumbles were real after all!

Mr Big Elephant couldn't quite decide what he wanted to do. He looked like he was ready for a nap, but wanted to take the mickey out of us. he twisted his trunk this way and that way, but finally decided we weren't worth the effort to fool around with and walked a bit away, giving us space to get to the top of the hill. 

 

 

 

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more elephants were revealed and the attraction was soon clear - a waterhole. we watched a breeding group of greyish elephants with calves and young ones quenched their thirst, as on our right, some elephants were making a  beeline for the waterhole. a couple of young ones tussled to test their strength, while others were just tossing mud and water to cool their bodies. 

 

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we soaked in the tranquil scene until it was disrupted by a herd of brownish elephants that crested the top on our left. The matriach was intent on moving all the current group out of the way as her herd came rushing in. the matriach first chased off a mother and her calf, then pushed her way to the other end, with the greyish group giving up the waterhole for the new and bigger group. the new arrivals were very thirsty and the young ones rushed forward to the water. As a whole, the group moved in a wave sweeping into and through the waterhole. It was all done quietly and not violently, but it was clear that the new matriach was a fierce leader whose group's interest was her top priority. 

 

I've found it truly a wonderful experience just to sit and watch the elephants. Their calm energy, their intelligence shining through their eyes as they study you, their silent ways as they move about - I always feed on that, and those moments of just observing them simply quench my thirst for serenity. and so these were such moments, we thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.  

 

More elephant pics follow. 

 

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Edited by Kitsafari
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@Kitsafari a day of rhino and eles, had to watch the video twice and then Stephanie had to see your report so watched it again. Magic was her word for the video, and the photograph of the white rhino is stunning. What a superb way to spend a Sunday morning, reading a thoroughly enjoyable report. 

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Wow- the whole positioning of the adult rhinos was almost like they were providing a safe circle for the young one to run in. How joyful to watch the exuberance. And the whole elephant interaction....oh, I just love elephants. Their interactions, chats, wisdom.....all visible....and so lucky you got to watch. Thank you for this TR.

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Love, love, love these photos and the video....and your descriptions of the action.

They're just wonderful!!

 

 

 

 

 

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@CDL111 the action for the morning drive was not over yet.

 

we finally moved off to the top of the hill with vantage points. There we looked down to the waterhole where there were still elephants milling and relaxing in the water and around the water. On the other side of the hill, was a vast plain where a single elephant bull was walking along a path that was trodden by hundreds of elephants and other wildlife that uses this critical corridor between Samburu/Meru and Lewa/Borana. The bull had walked all the way from the other conservancies and seemed intent to making its way to the popular waterhole. Just seeing that lone elephant walking was heartening, its historical route still opened as other routes close. It's a testimony to the hard work by the respective conservancies and local communities to sustain that vital lifeline for wildlife to thrive and flourish. 

 

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From tusks to horns.

 

we turned to our way back to the lodge. this time, we took the low route which took us past the valley where we had seen the gathering of the rhinos earlier. An adult white rhino was munching her way close to the track, while her shy and nervous baby hung close to her. 

 

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behind them, a larger female rhino started walking into the area. She was a beauty - not only was she slightly larger than the first female, her front horn curved into a thin fine scimitar. and she also had a baby in tow. we recognised this little fellow - the energetic little male that had run rings around the other adults earlier. 

The little newcomer came out, curious about us and another vehicle that also had come by to watch them. 

 

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He was also interested in the other baby rhino - perhaps a playmate for him? he went closer, and the two babies - curious about each other - decided to take a close sniff of one another. but the little boy panicked a little and ran off, causing his mum to turn around and snort at the other adult and the nervous baby. the latter two quickly moved off to a nearby bush. 

 

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it was a great interaction to observe. we spent quite a bit of time watching both pairs, particularly the second mum and baby as they came grazing quite close to the vehicles. 

 

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Edited by Kitsafari
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More birds came out for us on the road back to the lodge. 

 

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barn swallow

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african hoopoe - we were pleased to see this bird. it wasn't our first time, but the hoopoe is such a beautiful bird and not easy to see. 

 

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superb starling

 

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fork-tailed drongo

 

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A hive of activity at the black-capped social weaver nests

 

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Lemon butterfly

 

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i was told this is a swallow-tailed butterfly

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and a leopard tortoise hiding from us. 

 

 

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and a curious conical shaped tree

 

other birds at the lodge during lunch: LHB-138.JPG.41c8b454d030c7b76165b5a90a796f71.JPG

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baglafecht weaver

 

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Slaty boubou

 

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marico sunbird

 

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amethyst sunbird

 

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waterhole at the back of Lewa House

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Edited by Kitsafari
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So glad you got to see "Sister Leopard" of Lewa!  Nice job on the horns, spots, and stripes.  I hope the two dogs at Lewa brought you fond  memories of your dear Rosy.  Looking forward to your 5+1 quest!

 

Those were some swiftly moving giraffes you captured in the video and I see some good birds in flight photos, despite your concern about these.

 

How fortunate with the cheetah--only 12?  With the right mix, maybe they will produce more. 

 

Hey hey for Hoopoe!

 

When a safari interrupts the safari report, you're living the life!!!

Edited by Atravelynn
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very pleased to see you back again @Atravelynn!

 

1 hour ago, Atravelynn said:

So glad you got to see "Sister Leopard" of Lewa!  Nice job on the horns, spots, and stripes.  I hope the two dogs at Lewa brought you fond  memories of your dear Rosy.  Looking forward to your 5+1 quest!

 

 

yes they did. and here's a couple more photos of the other dog. When it guided me back to my room, I felt so comforted and reassured, since I miss Rosy very much still: 

 

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Some great chapters adding to your Kenya trip, lovely! I especially love the two Rhino calves, what a precious sighting.

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Great view from the vantage point, amusing reaction from the baby rhino and enjoyed the photographs of the birds.

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Thank you @michael-ibk and @CDL111 that rhino calves sighting was very precious. it was just heartwarming to see them so relaxed and so comfortable with human presence. 

 

 

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After such a buzzing and bustling morning drive, it was no surprise that the evening drive was quiet and uneventful.

 

But....

Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase

Hakuna Matata! AIn't no passing craze

It means no worries for the rest of your days

It's our problem-free philosophy

Hakuna Matata!

 

we are in Africa, and in the bush - that is what mattered!

 

But it was not as if the bush was empty of creatures. on the contrary. 

 

a herd of beisa oryx was making its way through the rolling hills. it was quite a sight with all those splendid horns grouped together and moving in sync. Oryx are beautiful - with their masked faces looking like Zorros, and big sturdy bodies and topping that all with a pair of thin murderous horns. There are four sub-species of oryx : oryx beisa, gemsbok or oryx gazella, arabian oryx and the scimitar oryx. Now that I'm back from Botswana I can see the slight differentiation between the beisa oryx and the desert oryx-gemsbok. the oryx in Kenya gemsbok appears slightly larger, has a black patch on its rump that flows through to its tail which is fully black. The oryx beisa - which has the common oryx beisa and the fringe-eared beisa - has no black patch on its rump and its tail is light at the top of the body and black at the lower end. 

 

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a flock of white storks flew past - winter migrants from up north in Europe and being long-term guests in the warm climes of east Africa

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Lewa's pretty green rolling hills

 

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we were heading into a valley to look for lesser kudu, which unfortunately yield no results. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the stillness and the tranquillity of the lovely valley. The advantage of being interested in birds is that while mammals take their break from their busy scheduling performing for tourists like us, you can count on the birds to take up the slack. 

 

a rock hyrax watching us descend into a valley in our continuing quest for lesser kudu...

 

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Into the valley of layered rocks...

 

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a pair of little bee-eaters hunt for their meals

 

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while we stopped for an African gold-breasted bunting hopping on the road for its meal. 

 

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As we emerged from the valley, a handful of vervets were making their way through long grasses back to their roosting places as the day wound up its work-day. they stopped with every few paces to stand and look out of the tall grasses to peer for threats. 

 

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and with the sun shrouded by clouds, the rolling hills turned dark and it was time to return to the lodge for our dinner. 

 

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Edited by Kitsafari
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Camp dogs are a nice bonus.  So are camp cats.  But the cats know they are a bonus. 

It is nice to be back on the forum.  I just got involved in other stuff and was out of the Safaritalk habit.

 

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The encounter of the two baby rhinos is precious.  What were those little guys thinking?

Edited by Atravelynn
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I'll put up one more instalment before travelling later today for work and will be out for a week. 

 

Day 3: 

 

Early morning rise and shine with the wake-up call which came with coffee and cookies. we seldom start a day with targets since we know we would just be setting ourselves up for disappointment. So it was for this day, although at the back of my mind, I was thinking we had not really seen the lions properly. But we had seen the two spotted "sisters" (as @Atravelynn called them ) which I was very pleased with, especially the cheetah since I didn't expect to see that species. 

 

Birds greeted us as we headed out in the sky that was getting pretty brighter. A northern white-crowned shrike was the first to call good morning, while the intermediate egret was intent on its reflection in the waters and a common fiscal shrike with its black cap watched us go by. 

 

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a handful of defassa waterbuck was early up in the bush, but were jittery when our vehicle came into view. I'm always struck by how large the waterbucks are and how beautiful they are, although sometimes they get passed by without a second glance. we saw the species twice within a short space of time, and the second time, they were in better light. 

 

 

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In the distance, a heavy layer of mist shrouded the horizon and striking a post against that white mist was a herd of cape buffaloes. 

 

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LHM-113.JPG.e5de21f087b00e9adbd87334fee595b3.JPGLHM-114.JPG.f0a0571ef68b3183f772562f49795547.JPGLHM-116.JPG.1e952226cf4c84a0876391bcac625c24.JPGDSC06410.JPG.799f2690df085b85cb8a43398f3bb18e.JPGDSC06435.JPG.2969b395330f9ee12494f81d66dde07a.JPGDSC06451.JPG.eb6b7d7e086ca1ab7622b80bae5aa947.JPGDSC06458.JPG.bb708ad62120236e7eaddc37f4b424b0.JPGDSC06453.JPG.989121a9624206fb6ffade45a1bfc5cc.JPG

 

Edited by Kitsafari
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1 hour ago, Atravelynn said:

Camp dogs are a nice bonus.  So are camp cats.  But the cats know they are a bonus. 

It is nice to be back on the forum.  I just got involved in other stuff and was out of the Safaritalk habit.

 

0n14f Namibia 1 143 Rusty Bagatelle.jpg

The encounter of the two baby rhinos is precious.  What were those little guys thinking?

 

Awwww great photo of the cat against those books!

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Amylovescritters

I love how the kitty matches setting and is in great, safari colored coat! Camp dogs are always a plus. Dogs and cats in general are fantastic. Any camp kitty must be very sly and bad ass to survive the African bush, hell, they need to be above average to be outdoors here in the states! 

Fantastic report and photos but omg those mini rhinos! ❤️ 

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Do like the photographs of the waterbucks, especially the one that give the impression that is has 3 horns. Never managed to get near to oryx for a close up photograph, it's another reason to add to the list as to why we need to go on safari again.

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Just catching up on this report @Kitsafari, what a nice variety of sightings you’ve described so far.  But to me it’s hard to beat the rhino gathering with the little one, so special to see!

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got back yesterday from an overseas biz trip and best to get a move on this slugglish report!

 

we stopped on a hilltop for a good lookout on the land. the views were stupendous,  framed by thick clouds hiding the lands beyond but keeping what laid ahead in total mysteries. 

 

DSC06488.JPG.7d6dff072492c1c499ff34ce869e0de6.JPGDSC06507.JPG.841ba41d360bb1a56d27156df9b4844e.JPGDSC06490.JPG.89ae30a80419857b65e58dd892850615.JPGDSC06492.JPG.b90fa1aa9d2ba5b30a02363c41128fb5.JPGDSC06494.JPG.a4fbbec5ae17da6155584e2882016798.JPGDSC06527.JPG.4923730364653ba6321a4c50ab7b83b5.JPGDSC06523.JPG.8372edd63f4bee26beff23b2150e0b43.JPGDSC06532.JPG.97953ad03630b0b2ffa15a5e829134a6.JPG

 

There is a pride of lions that resided in the valley below us and Squack had witnessed a hunt once. But not today. Today, it was all quiet in the land except for an adult giraffe and its calf. The calf could see us from that far distance, and it moved to spots behind bushes in an effort to hide. 

 

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More reticulated giraffes and grevy's zebras as we pushed on for the morning, providing some refreshing breaks on an otherwise very sedate morning. 

 

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a study of a fever tree at a grove while we stopped for breakfastDSC06711.JPG.1b6023e6414770ee550829db849f6966.JPGDSC06714.JPG.41090066119df776656ae109367d309f.JPGDSC06715.JPG.6b09c1656af8676a08323cacf56927ac.JPG

 

 

three in one

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a major intersection

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instead of oxpeckers, a starling decides to take the slow transportDSC06764.JPG.5c18c6a58dabc69ff7ec98396e4fad86.JPGDSC06766.JPG.04f445588a32f6de88993f9c64a63573.JPGDSC06770.JPG.52023ede13faaa3b098722b625d7b6a6.JPG

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Edited by Kitsafari
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we headed to the Lewa conservancy HQ where staff and their families live in a fenced area. Birds abound on the grounds! we were thrilled by the number and diversity of birds seen there, and thanks to the residents in that area, the birds were pretty much habituated and afforded us time to observe and photograph them. 

Following is a series of most of the pre-HQ, HQ and post-HQ birds we saw, and hopefully i've got the correct IDs for them too.

 

Part 1: 

 

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A pair of barn owls peek out from their nest/brooding hole to see who were peeking at them. aren't they just cute!

 

DSC06805.JPG.c1acc4d2af8cdb694a7157107ecaf5c1.JPG

a somali ostrich putting the myth of "head in the sand" to test

 

LHB-168.JPG.805e118ef2ca0348e0a1f03bbc03ec80.JPGDSC06812.JPG.be8c861082ee0a293276a49b4dc64786.JPG

plain-backed pipit

 

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Fischer's lark-male

 

LHB-172.JPG.4a181bed34e8c64e6c73b2f520a13d90.JPG

fischer's lark female 

 

DSC06824.JPG.890526c5003faa035859e941b2d94fad.JPG

grassland pipit

 

LHB-175.JPG.8966f3dfef447b46e4c874acf2d2dea9.JPG

green wood hoopoe

 

LHB-174.JPG.1e2caa97a3621552b99048732528ba57.JPGDSC06867.JPG.d6e3eb9d7915750cb30b094437d7a5c1.JPG

Red-cheeked cordon bleu

 

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marico sunbird

 

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2 crisp red-billed hornbills

 

LHB-180.JPG.7b0f059d39afaddc3e05d5b1d1a89c13.JPGDSC06981.JPG.5b7af7fbee96f008d3e23acea9da06b9.JPGDSC07004.JPG.c31b6c71d41d4d3e957f5b4df1c3d13b.JPG

A very confiding grey-headed kingfisher who did not budge even as the vehicle rolled closer and closer to him

 

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immature striped kingfisher

LHB-190.JPG.1e0aa6dd8a7756eda273cc01918d44ee.JPG

yellow spotted petronia

 

LHB-193.JPG.0fd3a6d190b58a6d1c1b0f84e61bfa01.JPG

African grey flycatcher

 

LHB-195.JPG.c0fafddcc65a86f879a360e06feaaf43.JPG

pale flycatcher

 

LHB-197.JPG.fbdc1032f85c0971037f1d6185968af4.JPGred-billed firefinch (perhaps)

 

 

 

 

Edited by Kitsafari
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