Thursday, September 21, 2017
We were up again at 5:00AM. Coffee was delivered to our cottage at 5:30AM. The cottage has a pointed pitched thatch roof with wood-burning fireplace. You can elect to eat some of your meals in the cottage instead of dining with all the other guests each night.
And it is Soma Sowa which means It's OK in Swahili.
We were up again at 5:00AM. Coffee was delivered to our cottage at 5:30AM. The cottage has a pointed pitched thatch roof with wood-burning fireplace. You can elect to eat some of your meals in the cottage instead of dining with all the other guests each night.
And it is Soma Sowa which means It's OK in Swahili.
Rhinos live for 40 - 45 years.
White rhinoceros is the largest of the five species of rhinoceros. It drinks twice a day if water is available, but if conditions are dry it can live four or five days without water.
Common Eland - The name 'eland' is Dutch for "elk" or "moose". The Common Eland is the slowest antelope
Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. Mount Kenya is a stratovolcano created approximately 3 million years after the opening of the East African rift. In April 1978 the area was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Most of the peaks on Mount Kenya have been summited. The majority of these involve technical rock climbing.
Primarily a browser, the Gerenuk feed on foliage of bushes as well as trees, shoots, herbs, flowers and fruits. It can reach higher branches and twigs better than other gazelles and antelopes by standing erect on its hind legs and elongating its neck; this helps it reach nearly 7 feet above the ground. Acacia trees are eaten whenever available.
Being a large and heavy bird, it avoids flying if possible. When alarmed it will first run and, if pushed further, will take to the air on the run with much effort, its wings making heavy wing beats. Once airborne it flies more easily with slow, measured wing beats, with the neck extended and the legs folded. It usually remains low and lands again within sight
Common Elands have a mild temperament and have been successfully domesticated for meat and milk production in South Africa and Russia
We spotted a Superb Starling bird in a tree and Cal got a good shot of it.
We saw a herd of Buffalo.
On the drive back to Camp for breakfast, we saw a herd of female Grant Gazelles. The females have horns but the males have even longer horns.
There was one Oryx with long straight horns.
We saw a herd of Buffalo.
On the drive back to Camp for breakfast, we saw a herd of female Grant Gazelles. The females have horns but the males have even longer horns.
There was one Oryx with long straight horns.
Unfortunately the cubs were in the full afternoon sun while they played making pictures difficult.
Along with the Rothschild's Giraffe, the Reticulated Giraffe is the most common giraffe found in zoos.
They have put up elephant fencing to keep the elephants from trampling the trees especially along the ridge line. Elephants can be very destructive of the natural habitat.
We saw a group of Army Ants marching across the road. They raid nests for eggs or termites and
they have a very bad, nasty bite.
We stopped because a group of monkeys were making noises which is a signal that big cats are nearby.
We stopped because a group of monkeys were making noises which is a signal that big cats are nearby.
We had our breakfast in the Bush where they had tables and chairs set up for us and another
couple who rode up on horseback. The couple live in the Silicon Valley area. He is an engineer
for Nest and she is an OBGYN in the Valley area. They have a 4 year old and a 1.5 year old child back
home. The grandparents are sharing responsibility for the little ones until the parents return.
Breakfast was assorted fruits, cereals, scrambled eggs and toast and jam. After breakfast, the couple rode back to Camp on Camels.
Breakfast was assorted fruits, cereals, scrambled eggs and toast and jam. After breakfast, the couple rode back to Camp on Camels.
We saw Somali Ostriches with gray bodies and gray heads.
There was a Black Rhino with a 3 month-old baby who was very shy. We saw three large Elephants. One had a collar on and is being tracked by the Park Service.
Lunch was served at 1:00PM. We met a new family who had just arrived. Min or Melinda, Julian and twin girls, Sophia and Estella. They live in Australia and travel frequently. Julian is an entrepreneur and currently co-owner of a vodka company, VDKA with Robert de Niro. He travels to NYC, London, Dubai and Abu Dabi. Julian's father was a British Diplomat and his Mother a war correspondent. His parents divorced so he traveled wherever they might be from his boarding school in England. They have family still in London.
The other couple with young toddler were from Kent where she is an Equine Dentist and he is a pilot, who used to fly a route to Dar es Salaam.
At lunch we met Miranda who runs the Stables housing former Polo ponies the guests can ride. The owners of the compound are avid polo players so there is a stable full of well trained Polo ponies for their games.
There was a Black Rhino with a 3 month-old baby who was very shy. We saw three large Elephants. One had a collar on and is being tracked by the Park Service.
Lunch was served at 1:00PM. We met a new family who had just arrived. Min or Melinda, Julian and twin girls, Sophia and Estella. They live in Australia and travel frequently. Julian is an entrepreneur and currently co-owner of a vodka company, VDKA with Robert de Niro. He travels to NYC, London, Dubai and Abu Dabi. Julian's father was a British Diplomat and his Mother a war correspondent. His parents divorced so he traveled wherever they might be from his boarding school in England. They have family still in London.
The other couple with young toddler were from Kent where she is an Equine Dentist and he is a pilot, who used to fly a route to Dar es Salaam.
At lunch we met Miranda who runs the Stables housing former Polo ponies the guests can ride. The owners of the compound are avid polo players so there is a stable full of well trained Polo ponies for their games.
We saw a baby Rhino and White Rhino mom.
A Black Rhino. Starting out with 15 black rhinos in 1984 Lewa's rhino population has since risen steadily. Now Lewa is exporting rhinos to other parks.
January 2017, the Lewa had a combined Black Rhino population of 83 as well as 74 White Rhinos, which constitute 15 percent of Kenya's entire rhino population
Mushi said there is a blind Rhino (not this one) which had a baby that the Rangers bottle feed and take care of the little calf.
They are able to store water by raising their body temperatures (so as to avoid perspiration).
Dinner was at 8:00PM and we could again see the Milky Way from the patio. At dinner the twins,
Estella and Sophia, sat next to me and their parents ended up at the opposite end of the dining table.