Tsavo Maneaters

Home sweet home for a week.

Well my six day long camping trip in Tsavo West National Park is over. For my first long camping trip, I’ve got to say, it left a great impression! There were six of us in a tent- a tent with so little room even our sneakers stayed outside! We did have bathroom facilities that consisted of drop chos (toilets). If you have ever seen the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” then you know what I mean. At night, we need an armed guard to take us to the drop chos because of lions (maneaters) and hyenas. There was also a bat that lived inside; always an adventure! The view was absolutely breathtaking with wide vistas of various habitats and animals! I got to see some hippopotamuses and crocodiles a couple times during the week. We saw a leopard the very first night on a game drive and, when a tourist van got stuck in the sand, our driver, Jackson pulled it out. Silly tourists ;) We also saw a hyena!

Lion print! Lion print!

The next day, Jackson heard about a fresh kill a lion had made in the park so we all jumped in the car and sped off to try to find it. Even though we didn’t find it I did get to have the best car ride of my life standing on the seat and trying not to fall out as we sped around the park at 80 kmh (over twice the park’s speed limit). It was one of those moments when I thought to myself, “I can’t believe I am in Africa chasing down lions right now!” Tsavo also has some very cool lava fields and we did a small hike- but a very steep one!

Later on in the week, I woke up early (even though we usually wake up at 6am) and watched the sun rise. From my viewpoint, it was framed by an acacia tree and was so peaceful and vibrant! Then about 20 impalas came out of the dense shrubland and started grazing under the tree. The sun burned red in the sky. So beautiful; God is good! We had a guest lecturer from Tsavo National Park come and share information about the area with us. Then we worked on presentations. My group discussed research opportunities, benefits, and issues facing wildlife conservation. Opportunities include animal and vegetation censuses, human/wildlife conflict, and habitat research. Issues include western technique vs. local knowledge, funding, permits, and empowerment!

Even later in the week we went to Chuylu Hills National Park and got to see some more amazing views. We drove through some small communities who were so excited to see us mozungus! Kids ran in the dust behind the car while everyone came out to wave and smile! It isn’t uncommon to see children hold out their hands asking for money, but these children just thought we were the oddest thing: white and in a vehicle! Then we got to some very bumpy roads and went over rocks, tree limbs, and even bigger rocks. After the Chuylu Hills lecture and hike we stopeen in for some roadside shopping at a place called Mito Andia. It is literally halfway between Nairobi and Mombasa, the two biggest cities in Kenya. Everything there is a gas station, a bar, or a roadside stand with wood carvings being made in front of you.

Gorgeous baobab trees in Tsavo!

The last full day I got to go to the Black Rhino Sanctuary, but I didn’t get to see any endangered black rhinos. Did you know the main difference between a black and white rhino is a black rhino is a browser while a white rhino is a grazer? Their coloring is the same! After the lecture and a game drive we went to Sorena Lodge. Oh. My. Goodness. It was an entirely different Africa experience! We got to do the lunch buffet and I must admit I had three plates of food! It was fantastic! Afterwards I went swimming with some of my peers and “burned off” the extra calories.

All in all camping was incredibly dirty and crowded (no tent space remember?). BUT who can say they went camping in a National Park in Kenya? All in all, it was a great experience but I sure am glad to be back at Kilimanjaro Base Camp (KBC)!

Check it out: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Man-Eaters-of-Tsavo.html