Thursday, July 29, 2010

Game Drives in the Maasai Mara



We ended our trip with three days in the Maasai Mara. Westminster Safaris, which ran our camp in Oloika, set up a terrific camp for us in the Mara. The tents were comfortable (complete with a real bed and en suite shower!), the food delicious, and the staff fantastic.

Thompson Gazelle


















The annual wildebeest migration enters Kenya in mid- to late summer, depending on the quality of grass. Half a million zebra, nearly 2 million wildebeest and another half million other animals make their way from Tanzania to Kenya and back over the course of the year. We were too early for the migration in the Mara, but caught the very front lines:

















The unlovely buffalo (above) and a spotted hyena (below)






























Sunset... and sunrise

















Our expert spotters, Sengali and Lanyonyera, also known as Dennis and Robin.

The first annual Maasai Olympics. Maasai vs. Mzungu (white folks). The events were club throwing, spear throwing and archery. Final score: Mzungu: 3; Maasai: 6. Not bad, considering none of us had ever thrown a Maasai spear or club before!

Kofi, a two year-old white rhinoceros. The animals are so endagered, that they don't really live outside of special sanctuaries.




Kofi is friendly, and likes to be scratched behind the ears and above his front legs. If you've never pet a rhino before, I highly recommend it!