The Funky Site

Safari Part I

Created 8th October 2004, last updated 8th October 2004.

For many people, Africa means doing a safari (which simply means 'journey'). There are numerous famous wildlife parks, and one of the best known is the Masai Mara, the park belonging to the Masai tribe. As part of our three week trip we were able to spend four days there, driving aimlessly round the vast plains looking for lions, elephants and other 'exotic' animals. It's a half day's drive from Nairobi which takes you across the floor of the Great Rift Valley, where you can see animals such as giraffe roaming free, and that's not even a national park! We opted due to cost to stay in a tented camp (Olongo Perro) just outside the eastern park boundary, which meant driving into the reserve everyday. We were lucky with our booking, as we paid for a group trip in a seven seater minivan, but we were the only two to book, so we had it all to ourselves. Bargain.

Many people aim to see the 'big five' on a safari trip, but for us I'd say it was slightly different. The usual big five are so named because they are the most prized by hunters - lion, rhino, buffalo, leopard, and elephant. Our 'big five' is based more on our own favourites - zebra, elephant, lion, giraffe, and cheetah.

Unlike the zebra, the elephants were fairly few and far between. Most people have seen elephants before but, like all the animals, they seem slightly different when seen in the wild and not in a zoo. On a couple of occasions we came across a whole family, and it was interesting to note the way they sheltered the younger ones, always keeping themselves between us and the youngsters. The elephant is the largest land mammal still in existence, and can weigh up to seven tonnes - for more interesting facts, see this elephant website.

The lion is known as the 'king of the jungle', and it's not hard to see why. The mane on a fully grown male gives off an air of grace and majesty, plus they are feared hunters. We saw quite a few groups of lions, including one pride with two males who were brothers. It's not unusual for lions to cooperate in a pride, as it helps their chances of survival. They really are fascinating animals to watch - you'd get a sense of their raw power if you were lucky enough to see a lioness chase down and kill a zebra (as we did). The cubs were very playful, at least until 'dad' got irritated with their constant attention seeking! For more information about lions you could start with Wildlife Picture's online website.

Giraffes are the world's tallest mammal, and can be funny looking creatures! They are relatively easy to spot across the plains due to their long and distinctive necks, but not always as easy as you'd expect due to their colouring providing a degree of camouflage. They can go without water for a long period of time as the acacia leaves they eat contain a substantial amount of water, but if it's available they drink by straddling their front legs and bending down. This looks very awkward and strange! For more facts, information and some good pictures, see the Wildlife Pictures Online website.

In the wild we only saw one cheetah, despite being told they were fairly common. They are often seen perched on top of little hillocks as this gives them an elevated view across the plains, but the one time we found one was in the long grass where it was nearly invisible. So much so that we only knew it was there because other vans had stopped and people were looking out towards something we couldn't see. Our van driver edged forwards and out of nowhere the cheetah appeared only five metres from the van - if we'd kept going we might have gone right over him! As quickly as he appeared he disappeared. We did see another cheetah in the Nairobi animal sanctuary, along with some really cute cheetah cubs.

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