Each morning, we leave Samburu Lodge for a game drive. Our party splits between two four wheel drive vehicles that are driven by Charles and Joseph. They both have an outstanding knowledge of animals and birds, and there is not one bird, or animal for which they have not known the name.
Yesterday afternoon, we travelled across the river into the adjoining game park. Our highlight was to see a leopard in a tree eating its kill. The drivers talk on their two way radios and share information about things they have discovered and by the time we reached the tree, there was a circle of a dawn vehicles in an arc with people looking to see. We tried several positions and finally found a position from which we could get a good view.
We were late getting back to the lodge and were wondering whether we would be able to get back into the national park (where the lodge is located) before they closed at 6:30 pm. Fortunately, they were not yet closed so we arrived back without any difficulty. We did get to see a remarkable sunset on the way.
This morning, we left the lodge at 6:30 am, just as it was getting light and headed off downstream along the river.
We had some good shots of elephants and the usual Impala which are everywhere. These are small antelope and have beautiful eyes. There were a few Dik Diks which are the smallest of all antelopes. They are only about fifteen inches high and the males have tiny antlers. if you kept one as a pet, the only possible name that you could give it would be ‘Richard’.
We had some good elephant sitings and one big male walked just a few metres from our vehicle. We moved a little further on so that we would keep ahead of him, but he had stopped to relieve himself just near where our car had been. I had no idea that an elephant’s bladder was so large. It must hold gallons!
The giraffes that we came across were quite intriguing. They are very graceful and have the longest tongue of all animals (18 inches). The seem specially unphased by the prickly trees that they eat from, using their trunk to grab a few branches and pull them into their mouth.
Your photos Bruce take me right there where you are and i am messmerised. How even more magical the experience must be for you. I love the doleful eyes of the Impala. You must feel so removed from the mundane existnce of suburban life in a developed country with your safari experiences. thanks for all you share.