Kenya - Giraffe in the City and Gentle Giants
My journey through Kenya was a relatively short one, and focused on only two parts of the country: Nairobi and the Amboseli National Park. Despite that, the days here included some of my most memorable moments in Africa - read on to find out what they were.
A Day in Nairobi
Nairobi National Park
My trip began with a very early morning pickup in order to explore the country’s first game reserve , and the only National Park in the world literally situated within a capital city. The park is fenced on three sides, but the southern border allows migration of animals.
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Close to the National Park are the grounds of the SWT, the most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world. Aside from taking care of abandoned elephant babies, they do much more though, such as conducting anti-poaching activities, veterinary missions, as well as water relief and community projects. You can learn more here.
The Giraffe Centre
Next on the agenda was a visit to this sanctuary, which began its story in 1979 when Jock and Betty Leslie-Manville set out to save the nearly extinct Rothschild giraffe. In the early 1980s the centre opened to the public and is now home to several of these animals, of which there are only 1200 left in the wild. Learn more here.
Exploring the City
The last few hours of Day 1 in Kenya were spent on a walk through the city, and a view from above.
Onwards to Amboseli
After my day in Nairobi, I spent 3 days in the Amboseli National Park. I came for the elephants, and I did find them, but in a way that was much more incredible than I had imagined.
The Kilimanjaro
Africa’s tallest mountain and the tallest free standing mountain in the world, with its Kibo peak reaching 5895m, is actually not located in Kenya, but the views from Amboseli are some of the best you can get. That is, assuming the dormant volcano’s highest portions aren’t covered in clouds, as does happen frequently.
Gentle Giants
Right after landing at the park’s small airstrip in the morning, my amazing guide Dickson took me into the dry lake bed of Lake Amboseli. This location is home to a daily ritual for large elephant families: They cross it from the forest areas on one side towards the swamp lands on the other. With a bit of patience you can photograph their amazing formations, and if you’re brave enough and have the right guide, you can do so from the ground for that extra special perspective.
Craig - Africa’s Largest Tusks
Amboseli and its surrounding areas are also home to a very special kind of elephant: The Super Tuskers. Bulls whose tusks weigh in excess of 100 pounds, often reaching all the way to the ground. There are said to be only just over 20 left on earth, spread between this area of Kenya and the Kruger park in South Africa. The most famous one of them is probably Craig, a 52 year old bull believed to have the largest tusks of any African elephant alive today. When I heard of his existence, seeing and photographing this magnificent creature became the highest priority of my time in Kenya. However, elephants can roam large distances daily, and there are no boundaries stopping them from crossing parks and even countries, as they often venture into Tanzania.
Luckily, an elephant like Craig is closely monitored by the local Maasai population and many rangers in the park, given the high risk of poaching - his tusks are easily worth $25,000 each in their raw form from what I was told. This means with the right network and a little bit of incentive, you may be able to hear of his whereabouts, or at least get a rough idea. For us, this meant a 1 hour drive in the very early morning into the bush to a nearby private concession. It was worth it…
My spot as we found Craig looking for the best trees to feed on, and the resulting photo below.
The feeling of sitting on the grass while an elephant of Craig’s size, with his incredibly large tusks scraping the ground, walking by slowly with his calm and majestic demeanor is indescribable and was definitely one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
A few more Impressions
Granted, not much could top the experience of observing the elephants in Amboseli, but the park is home to beautiful views and a large variety of wildlife.
A Lasting Impact
I’ve certainly had an appreciation for the sheer size and the social behavior of elephants prior to my visit to Amboseli, but this experience has given me a totally new perspective of these gentle giants.
Let’s hope that their legacy will live on for a very long time, despite the threats of human poaching and wildlife conflict - you can support their pledge at https://tsavotrust.org