We spent thirteen days in Kenya, traveling through Nairobi, Lake Nakuru National Park, Masai Mara National Reserve, Diani Beach near Mombasa, Samburu National Reserve, Laikipia Plains, which houses the Loisaba Conservancy, and the Loisaba Star Beds camp, crossing the equator near Mount Kenya Safari Club, and finally leaving Kenya from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Thanks to the
four-wheel-drive Landcruisers, we saw terrific sights. They drive all over and
protect you from lions, cheetahs, leopards, wild elephants, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, wildebeests, crocodiles, hyenas, and ostriches.
They get you within a few feet of all these animals, letting you feel the
excitement of their birth and their risky lives and deaths. We also saw hyraxes, which look like big rats but are more related to elephants!
Visitors
to African national reserves can never forget that we are also a species of animals.
Reading and hearing about the
animals of Tanzania and Kenya enhanced what we saw. The cycle begins with
newborn animals in Serengeti in Tanzania in January and March. Migration is
triggered by a drought that usually occurs in Serengeti in May. Roughly two
million animals follow the rains, taking a risky annual trip from the Serengeti
National Park in Tanzania to get fresh grass. The big risk is lack of
nutrition, not predators. Migration follows rainfall, going northeast into Masai
Mara National Reserve in Kenya. This reserve is much smaller than Serengeti, so
you see a vast concentration of animals. They cross small and big rivers on
their trip, risking crocodile ambushes. We saw Wildebeest in pairs, mother and
her young one. Roughly one in six of the animals die during the annual
migration. Their lives are relatively short, and most die before the usual
maximum for their species. Lions live a maximum of 24, leopards 20, and African
elephants 60. The hordes start moving south in November and December when rain
returns to Serengeti. The next cycle begins with new births taking place from
January
to March.
Many animals have died during the migration, but species flourish! Life
triumphs using its old trick of reproduction!
We saw lions on
their five-day honeymoons when they did not even eat and focused on procreation.
We saw a
Wildebeest limping. The driver, Moses, who knew much about animals, said the
predators also noticed it. Along with them, the predators target the old and
young animals. The hyenas hang around, and vultures circle overhead, waiting
for scraps left over from kills.
We saw a lone Wildebeest running from one part of its herd to another. Moses said that the young one had
got separated from his mother and is now taking the risk of running alone to
catch up. We saw a newborn giraffe with a visible umbilical cord. It was
already on its feet ready to face the risks of life.
We waited hours while an elephant herd prepared for a river crossing from the opposite side of the river. There was much hesitation because there were babies in the herd, and one had to be sure that crocodiles were not nearby. Finally, one young tusker got into the water and led the way. It was risking its life to protect others’ babies in the herd. However, a baby elephant was quite nonchalant and took a voluntary dip in the river to get its skin clean! The landing point on our side was very close to where we waited.
We waited until the crossing was over, and the herd clambered onto our side of the river. Some took a dip before coming out of the river, and some covered themselves with dry dust after the dip. They passed within ten feet of our vehicle.
Compared to
India, Kenya had to fight hard and violent battles for its independence from
Britain, which it achieved in 1963. We
could get a feel for rural life in Kenya during our travels. Many
young and old men were shepherding goats, cattle, and sheep. Employment in more
profitable jobs is as rare as in Indian rural areas.
This trip was eye-opening.
If I could make it at 85, I must be fitter than I thought. Climbing into a
Landcruiser requires strong legs and hands. I
managed to do this most of the time without depending upon the portable steps
Moses carried. My three grandchildren found the trip no problem. When my
daughters had suggested this trip, it had taken me much courage to say yes!
The trip's
success was due to the meticulous planning and execution by the Travel
Unbounded team. Having
English as a common language made us feel at home throughout, and the
friendliness of everyone involved made the trip memorable. We
could even share jokes with
Kenyans. At dinner, a chef told us he was serving us leopard skin,
referring to chapatis,
which were brown and had black dots!
Srinivasan
Ramani
22-08-2024
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