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Sunday, March 15, 2015

Rhinos in the Park

These huge rhinos live in Lake Nakuru National Park, in Nakuru, Kenya.

The park is best know for it's thousands, sometimes millions of flamingos. I've posted pictures of flamingos on this blog but my photos do not really do justice to the sheer number of flamingos in the park. The sight of all the pink birds is just spectacular.

But there are many spectacular things to see in the park and one of them is rhinos. The park is home to about 25 black rhinos and about 70 white rhinos (these numbers are a bit outdated but the population likely hasn't increased all the much). There are many predators in the park including lions, cheetahs and leopards. When I was there I was lucky enough to see a lion but no cheetah or leopards. Leopards are very difficult to spot no matter where you go. I have been fortunate enough to see cheetahs in the wild but not at Lake Nakuru National Park.

Lake Nakuru is a small, shallow, alkaline body of water which is located on the southern edge of Nakuru. The waters levels of the lake have been changing quite dramatically in wet and dry seasons in recent times. The reasons are likely multiple: watershed land conversion to intensive crop production, urban development, industrial waste dumping and climate changes. This is having a negative effect on the flamingo population and no doubt other animals too. This area is heavily dependent on the tourism that the wildlife brings and parks like Lake Nakuru National Park are vital to the protection of animal stocks that are in decline.

Shockingly in 2014, blatant rhino poaching in the park resulted in 5 rhino deaths. Twenty (20) park rangers and several key staff were reassigned for failure to protect the rhinos. It is pity these staff were simply reassigned rather than suspended and investigated. Sadly, I think it is a symptom of a much larger problem in Kenya.

If you appreciate wild animals and want to see them preserved for generations, please give generously to a Rhino conservation fund near you.

Joining in with Mosaic Monday this week.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all of you!

Friday, March 13, 2015

Nature Reserve

This majestic Waterbuck was standing right near the gate as we entered the park. He was so large and regal looking.

This wild beast is an African Water Buffalo and he was perturbed. Before I got to him, I was watching 2 male tourists from afar taunting the buck and getting far too close. I really thought the buck would charge them. Stupid tourists get killed every year because they get out of their cars and get too close to the wildlife.

There were so many types of wild game in the park. I don't know the names of a lot of them but looked on line and think I have them correctly identified.

A lot of different types of gazelle reside in the park. A gazelle is any type of the many antelope species in the genus Gazella. I learned that the word gazelle derives from the Persian word "Ghazal" which means "elegant and quick ".

Impala, eating in the bushes.

I enjoy taking photos of animals that watch me closely.

I keep my respectful distance.

(Defassa) Waterbuck feasting in the forest.

I think this one is called Thomson's gazelle. They depend on short grasses for sustenance.

Impala

I wanted to get a little closer to the water birds. You are probably not supposed to get out of the car and walk around. The lions are in the forest but I kept my eyes open. though I am sure I couldn't outrun a lion. The rhinos, various mammals, baboons and zebras are in a different area.

Friends taking photos.

Breathtaking views from the clifftop.

I love looking down from high above.

I've always been fascinated by zebras and this baby zebra was so cute.

Zebras always seem to quietly & peacefully go about their business.

This little guy was very curious and watched me as I snapped away.

See how well camouflaged these animals are. I think these are young Waterbuck or Impala Antelope.

Hiding in the bushes on the way to the cliffs was this baby Dik dik. Poor thing. I think it lost it's mom.

Joining in with host Eileen at Saturday's Critters.

Kericho & Tea

My favourite area of Kenya is in the highlands,west of the Great Rift Valley. The small town of Kericho is in this area.

Can you spot Kericho on the map? It is several hours west of Nairobi.

Kericho's population is about 150,000 and total population around the area is about half a million people (1999 census so the information is a bit out of date). While that doesn't sound so small it has a very small town feel about the place. Kericho is the hub or center of the tea industry. Most of what it grows in tea is shipped to the United Kingdom. The main tea companies are Unilever and Finlay's and Ketapa.

Tea is so important to this town that the town square is even called Chai Square. Chai is the Indian word for aromatic spiced tea.

On my last trip to Kericho I snapped the photo of these 3 beautiful trees as we entered town from Nakuru, a larger city located to the north east of Kericho. Nakuru tends to get a lot more tourist activity than Kericho because it is closer to the flamingos and other wildlife I featured in an earlier post. Nakuru is also a central location as a jump off point for many other tourist destinations in Kenya.

It was a very hazy day when we arrived in Kericho and the skies were not so terribly exciting. However, the thing that stood out to me is the sheer beauty of the town. The tea estates and tea crops which dot the hills and valleys around the area are a vibrant green colour. I should say shades of green which give a depth to the colour instead of making it look lifeless and flat because everything is the same shade of green. In the photos above and below virtually all the greenery on the ground consists of tea bushes.

In this photo taken from the car, the skies are a very pretty blue with white fluffy clouds. This is how it usually looks whenever I've travelled to Kericho. It can get quite hot at times but it usually rains for a short while every day and then the sun comes out. I understand that right now they are experiencing a dearth of rain.

I pray the rains will arrive soon. Kericho's rain keeps everything green and fresh. The the rain is needed for the tea crops and for the farms. The people depend on it like all farming people depend on the right weather at the right time.

In my last photo you will see how hazy it is. The beautiful red roof tops are the roof tops of houses on a tea estate. The people who work on the tea estates live and work there. The housing is provided by the tea estate companies. I'm not sure but I think the workers pay rent also.

Kericho is home to the world's single largest tea plantation. It is also the home to the first fossil ape Kenyapithecus discovered by Louis Leakey in 1961. It is a beautiful little town with manicured looking tea estates & beautiful lawns and gardens. The weather is usually very agreeable for those that prefer moderate temperatures.

I hope you enjoyed this "peek" into the town of Kericho, Kenya.

I'm linking up with Skywatch Friday today.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Pelicans at Lake Bogoria

Recently, I've been featuring the beautiful Soi Safari Lodge and wildlife around Lake Baringo, Kenya.

Today I begin featuring the area around Lake Bagoria, Kenya. This lake is one of the least visited lakes of the Rift Valley in Kenya and is located about 60 miles north of the city of Nakuru.

Don't be deceived by the seemingly short distance. It will take you longer than 1 hour's drive to get there but you will get to see a lot of the countryside during the drive.

If you go, I recommend you take a tour from one of the hotels or get the hotel to help you hire a driver for the day. You might also choose to stay at one or more of the hotels in the general area.

This lake is home to a hot springs (more about that in another post) and to various birds like the lesser flamingo which I featured in an earlier post.