Kenya February 2020: From Tsavo to Samburu via Meru National Park (page 2 of 5)

Hello Sylvie,

The honey badger, like the pangolin and a few others such as the porcupine, the aardwolf, the striped hyena, the aardvark, the caracal, the springhare, etc., are among the animals you don’t see often. They’re usually nocturnal, rarely talked about, and the forgotten ones of African wildlife. Yet they’re truly fascinating, and encountering one of them is a real joy. We saw a honey badger for the first time in nearly half a century of travels—in Zambia—but never a pangolin. Its future seems uncertain since it’s heavily poached for Chinese cuisine, and nowadays, it’s even said to be the origin of the virus that swept the world. 😮 I’m almost jealous—even envious—of your encounter. Well done! We’re looking forward to the rest of your trip and Bernard’s input—or rather, his *Blonde’s*—regarding the immature chanting goshawk or gray-winged one. It has all those characteristics, right?

Best regards, Jacky.

Good evening Sylvie, good evening Jacky,

Nothing to add to Sylvie’s diagnosis—immature goshawk, grey-winged or singing (I still double-checked with my partner, who’s a tad swamped with sorting through photos from our five Ruaha safaris). With a great profile shot. I also really love the "spaghetti-trick" sequence of the big grey (a little reddish at the moment).

Take care, stay safe—even (especially?) post-lockdown.

BL

PS: That pangolin photo—jealous? Envious? Not at all... Well, maybe just a tiny bit. I would’ve loved to take it. But even more, I’m happy to see it in a photo outside of a cage or market...

Hi both,

In nearly half a century of traveling, we’ve seen a honey badger in Zambia for the first time—but never a pangolin. Its future looks bleak since it’s heavily poached to supply Chinese cuisine.

I’m desperate to see one!

Good evening everyone, and thank you to Jacky, Bernard, and Eric for appreciating our pangolin. It's always a great joy to see that despite the destruction they suffer, these rare (and nocturnal, which doesn’t make things easier) species can still be spotted.

We're leaving Lumo Conservancy to head to Tsavo East. What a change since last August: everything is green, and watering holes are plentiful.



Right near the entrance gate: a cheetah. We didn’t know it at the time, but it would be the only one of the entire safari!





A gathering of storks.



A black-backed jackal out looking for its dinner.



A beautiful elephant family in the setting sun.

Hi Sylvie,

I’m still following your trip with interest—your photos are dreamy! 😛 🙂 The color of those elephants still surprises me every time. 😛

It’s definitely a bonus to see these landscapes so green, and the animals are usually more "active" than in the dry season.

So cool that you spotted a pangolin… and even a cheetah that refuses to show itself to me despite all my trips to Southern Africa! 😮

Hello JF

and even a cheetah that refused to show itself to me despite many trips to Southern Africa

East Africa is definitely better for spotting cheetahs than Southern Africa (though I’ve seen them in KTP, almost more easily than lions 🤪). Muriel

Hello JF

and even a cheetah that refuses to show itself to me despite many trips to Southern Africa

East Africa is definitely better for seeing cheetahs than Southern Africa (though I’ve seen them in KTP, almost more easily than lions 🤪). Muriel

Yes, KTP is a great spot to see cheetahs, lions, and leopards too 😊 !

Beautiful elephant photos, Sylvie—I love the one with the little one running. And it’s always a treat to see a cheetah.

Take care!

BL

Hello Muriel,

Cheetahs—what magnificent animals! While the Masai Mara is a great place to see cheetahs, Kgalagadi and Etosha are parks where we’ve often crossed paths with these beautiful big cats. Etosha, in particular, is considered one of the best biotopes for high cheetah density, and the Kalahari makes them easier to spot thanks to its sparse vegetation. The advantage in Kenya is that vehicles can go off-road with or without permission, which makes encounters easier. In Southern Africa—KTP, Etosha, and other non-private reserves—this isn’t allowed: too bad for travelers, but great for wildlife. KTP is undoubtedly one of Africa’s most stunning sanctuaries, with the magic of the desert and its colors, plus it’s much quieter than East African parks, even if accommodations are fully booked almost year-round (February is fairly quiet, and March is still manageable without booking a year in advance, except for small camps). We’re heading back to the tracks of Samburu/Meru. Best regards, Jacky.

Good evening and thank you all for your comments! We must be particularly "lucky" because on every safari we’ve done—whether in East or Southern Africa (Botswana)—we’ve always managed to spot cheetahs and leopards. But in a way, it doesn’t really matter; you just have to be ready to accept what nature lets us see. To answer Jean-François, very green landscapes aren’t the easiest for spotting animals or even photographing them. Benoit often complains because he can never find a volunteer to remove the tall grass that’s right in front of a lion’s snout or a buffalo’s muzzle 😉 ... not ideal for focusing!

At Tsavo East, we stayed at Ashnil Aruba. It’s not the type of accommodation we usually prefer, but it’s well located, the staff is very friendly, the buffet is quite decent, and the options are pretty limited in this park. If anyone has tried another camp, I’d love to hear about it. In February, there were a lot of tourists since it’s the best season for coastal stays, and people come to Tsavo for one- or two-day safaris. There were also a lot of insects. The bungalows overlook watering holes where animals, especially elephants, come to drink.

You’ll be able to see the difference between late July 2019 and February 2020.







February 2020 at the same spot after the rains

The photo of the elephants marching is gorgeous—they look like they're searching for a little drink. The others too, of course! Jacky.

The difference between the two seasons is amazing, and what a magnificent defense for this elephant! 🙂

It's crazy, elephants have a summer outfit and a winter outfit 😎

More seriously, the difference between the two seasons is impressive—you're right, you gotta see both 😉

Hi everyone! A big thank you to Jacky, Régis, and Jean-François for your comments! We were indeed very impressed by the difference between the dry season and the period after the short rains, which, it must be said, were particularly intense and unusual in East Africa this year.

Let’s continue our exploration of Tsavo East—there’s more to see than just elephants, even though they’re everywhere...

Dawn breaks over the savanna, and this morning, the mist is especially thick.



Near the track, a lion.







It took us a few minutes to spot his mate, just a few dozen meters away. When she’s not standing, she’s completely hidden in the tall grass.





We needed a little patience to see her stand up and join her partner.

A morning under the sign of the lion, as just a few minutes later we encountered a large pride on the move. A male, four or five lionesses, and several cubs—hard to count since some were barely visible in the vegetation.

A few other encounters on the same day in Tsavo.

Zebras at a watering hole among flowers and butterflies:





A bateleur eagle



A white-tailed kite



A Kori bustard



Male gerenuks (giraffe gazelles) in the middle of a confrontation





We spent a good while watching dung beetles at work



A beautiful spotted one that was a bit too sleepy for our liking.

Even if this travel journal isn’t getting the crowds excited 😉 I’ll keep sharing my story... have a "carefully unconfined" Sunday, everyone!

We end this beautiful day in Tsavo East still under the sign of the lion. As it’s time to head back to the lodge, we hear him before we see him... a lion is right there on the track. His roar gives us chills...





https://vimeo.com/424477237



Félix thinks this is the second lion we saw this morning (the one with a big family). He’s here to defend his territory and scare off his rival with his roars: the first lion we saw this morning, who was mating with a lioness that was probably part of the same group...

No worries, we're following along! And I’m crossing my fingers to be there in mid-November

Of course, we're following along! 🙂 .... It's just that we don't always have interesting things to add 😉 Muriel

We’re still eagerly awaiting the next part!