AFRICA- The Mara, Entim Camp, Kenya – 19th Sept 2018 – Day 6

Another good morning. As we drove we brushed against bushes (lipica japonica) than gave a gorgeous smell I can remember. Started with a lioness, but we quickly raced off as a cheetah had been spotted. She (Amani) would occasionally stare down the vast plain below, looking for an opportunity, then lie down again. The kittens pestered her and each other. Only downside was they were facing away from the early light.

And then the driver started at a frantic pace; I was still sitting on the floor  when he hit a rock or mound which threw me into the air – my shoulder brushed the side bar tearing the fleece, my head hit the roof, and the I fell onto the cushions with the cameras around me. My shoulder is bruised and swollen, my coccyx is sore but I’m more hurt by the tear which I have patched with tape to keep the fleece contained. The reason – we were off the track and the wardens were coming. Apparently a large fine can result.

Occasionally we see private 2-WD vans – silly as these tracks are rough. It reminded me of the Rhodesian farm Dad managed; we had a very old Land Rover that needed attention from the German mechanic 10 miles away on the main road. I was tasked with driving it there. He loved LR’s and said they could almost climb trees. When he saw this one he commented ‘This one has been climbing trees!’

Later we drove madly to follow a jackal chasing an small impala for 5 minutes over at least 1 km, till tables were turned when the mother chased the jackal and the kid hid.

We saw the usual antelope and zebras, a few elephants, and then a stunning 30 hippos below us in a very smelly large pool. This entertained us till we had to leave for breakfast at the same place as yesterday. The dark pool surface had white foam which created attractive patterns.

Elena (from Moscow) gave us a 2hr talk on her conservation (Mara-Meru) built over 20 years. She described how they live, breed, the predators (lion), the history (including Amani), how they help them when hurt. Cheetahs can run briefly at 115km/hr under special conditions, 95 on the savannah. They can birth 6 cubs but find it difficult to feed as they get older, so they abandon early, and cubs don’t survive. Best survival is 3 or 4. The locals hate them and leopards and don’t distinguish them; her work is to teach the locals that cheetahs do not do the harm, and have even been tamed for centuries as hunters like dogs. Funding comes from various sources; one is to sell stuff. A beautiful ebony carving attracted my immediate attention – now it’s mine. David Lloyd was keen too but fortunately he didnt buy it a while back.

At 4 we only drove 2-3 km from camp, through thick bush hoping to see rhino, without luck. The sky was overcast most of the time. Wind blew a martial eagle in a tree top violently but he clung on while we and others drove near and even under the tree in which he was perched. Next four large black and white ground hornbill birds fighting over the remains of a wart hog piglet. A pair of lionesses were near, lying most of the time. An occasional head would scan the area and flop back down. One has to have patience. We spotted a buffalo plodding towards us in a deliberate fashion, due to a horn wound we discovered as he neared. He made a direct line for the lionesses who ran 50m away to lie down again. This continued three times till the lionesses lay in a small thicket and he strolled off to the large main herd.

Entim means a small copse.

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