Off to Samburu
A bit about the logistics of this safari: As I mentioned in my first post, there were six of us on this adventure, with our photographer leader, Piper, and drivers Jonathan and Wilson. Our plan was to take off from Nairobi and visit three different national parks over the next eleven days. With two Toyota Land Cruisers, we had plenty of space to spread out: each of us had her own row, so we could shoot from either side of the vehicle as well as from the open roof.
A six-hour drive took us to Samburu National Reserve. En route, we discovered what I call speed bump commerce. Kenya seems to love speed bumps, which are ubiquitous even on major highways. At these spots where vehicles slow down, there are shops, eating spots and various other types of commercial establishments — even when there is no town.
Our first game drive of the trip didn’t disappoint us, as we saw kudu, oryx, waterbuck, gazelles, dik diks and countless birds. Piper had told us we would see Grevy’s zebras, which are considered endangered, as their grazing lands have shrunk and their population is down over 50% over the past 30 years. This is the only place in Kenya where you can see these zebras.
Larger than the more common plains zebra, they also have bigger ears, and their stripes are narrower, giving them what Piper aptly described as an elegant look.
As darkness began to fall, we spotted a mother leopard and her two youngsters. They nearly blended into the rocks… I was so excited, as I had never spotted a leopard in the wild before. Little did I know we would see them every single day!
We had two more days in Samburu, with lots more to see.