A volcano as a gift
Kenya | Anno 2009
Monday 13 July | Samburu – Mount Kenya National Park
Tuesday 14 July | Mount Kenya NP – Great Rift Valley – Lake Nakuru NP
Monday 13 July | Samburu – Mount Kenya National Park
It’s half past seven when the last suitcases are crammed into the luggage hold, and we cross the Ewaso Ng’iro River, heading south. A herd of elephants strides along the road, a pair of black-backed jackals, and a few reticulated giraffes wave us off. A gerenuk, rightfully so, gives us the final salute.
Black-backed jackal
Where Daniel and Peter, our driver-guides, are taking us today, we don’t exactly know. They’ve mentioned the slopes of Mount Kenya, which, at 5,199 meters, is Kenya's highest mountain. But what exactly awaits us there is still a mystery. No worries, though – we have full confidence that this country will continue to surprise us positively.
Nanyuki Mountain View Curio Shop – Wood carving |
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Through Chokaa Gate, we leave Samburu National Reserve behind. The brand-new pavement of the A2 looks ready for use but is currently off-limits to all traffic. So, Daniël and Peter navigate their way south through the dusty gravel, encouraged by the pale silhouette of Mount Kenya rising against the blue horizon in the distance.
In a wide circle with a radius of about twenty kilometres we now drive around the volcano, as if this were the ring road of a large city
About an hour after our departure, we pass through Isiolo. Forced labourers, murmurs Daniël as he points out the activity at a construction site beside the road. The main road is under construction, so it is a gravel road that takes us to the Mount Kenya Ring Road. In a wide circle with a radius of about twenty kilometres we now drive around the volcano on the west side, as if this were the ring road of a large city.
Ten kilometres before Timau, our driver Daniël gives us a photo stop with a view of Mount Kenya, but the mountain, with all the allure of a diva, remains hidden behind the clouds. Appropriately, we stop at a souvenir shop called Mountain View Curio Shop, just a stone’s throw from Nanyuki.
Although more and more clouds are gathering around Mount Kenya, we continue southward undeterred. Shortly after eleven, when we have completed a quarter of the circle around the mountain, Peter suddenly leaves the ring road and turns left at Naro Moru. The narrow asphalt road slowly winds upwards over the lush green flanks of the enormous volcano.
On the flank of Mount Kenya |
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Candle bush (senna alata) |
A half hour later, we stand before Kihari Gate, the entrance to Mount Kenya National Reserve. Together with Mount Kenya National Park – the core of the park – this area spans approximately 2,800 km². Lush shrubs with canary-yellow flowers, topped with dark brown seed pods, welcome us; these are senna alata, known locally as candle bush.
Just before noon, we arrive at Serena Mountain Lodge, situated at an elevation of about 2,195 meters above sea level and only nineteen arc minutes south of the equator. The four-story hotel, entirely made of wood, fans out in a V-shape towards a natural waterhole that proves to be popular with the many mammals inhabiting the park. Each room features a covered balcony where guests can quietly observe the happenings around the waterhole. Down below, an underground passage leads interested visitors to an observation hide just a few meters from the waterhole.
Mount Kenya National Park – Waterhole with buffaloes and elephants
After the meal, there isn't much to experience; the waterhole appears deserted. But soon, that changes. As if on cue, a long line of buffalo emerges one by one from the rainforest, closely followed by a herd of elephants. The animals march solemnly toward the waterhole, as if urged by a prearranged signal to take the stage of a theatre. In the end, we count 44 buffalo, 24 elephants, and presumably one waterbuck. We're not entirely sure about the last one, as it looks different from the waterbucks we've seen in Samburu.
Buffaloes
While the buffalo only come to quench their thirst, the elephants are a bit more ostentatious. They take their time for a dust bath, a mud bath, or a shower from their own trunk – convenient when you always have your own shower hose with you. With their four legs spread wide, the largest ones happily rub their thick bellies back and forth over a large rock.
Quite a few young elephants are part of the herd, including some tiny ones that can just about walk under their mother's belly. However, the lives of these giants are not without dangers. This time it’s not a snake, but a poacher's trap that has caught a young elephant. It has lost part of its leg, but with proper care, it should be able to walk on four legs again in a few years. One large female has also lost one of her tusks.
A dozen baboons appear on the scene, but we have to hurry to the starting point of the nature walk. Under the guidance of naturalist William, we will explore part of the rainforest.
Elephants with babies
Daniel will walk at the very front of our group. So we don't need to fear any danger that creeps through the rainforest on four legs. As a soldier, Daniel is expected to handle well the rifle he carries for our protection. And then there is Hiram at the back of the line to ensure we don’t lose anyone.
More than five hundred species of plants can be found here, of which eighty are exclusive to this park, William begins. But not all of these plants have our best interests at heart. For instance, there are the nettles that leave a less pleasant sensation upon contact. We know them from home, but here they grow into towering giants with thick stems that make a stronger impression. While the locals carefully pick them to mix with maize, beans, and potatoes to make a nettle soup, it's best for us to keep a wide berth.
Safari ants only bite above the knee. Not without reason, they believe that a bite there makes more of an impression than lower down
Safari ants are a different story. They march across the ground in long columns. If you step on one of these columns, they will climb up your legs a bit too enthusiastically. They only bite above the knee. Not without reason, they believe that a bite there makes more of an impression than lower down. According to William, there’s only one remedy for this, and he likes to call them the pants-down ants.
This rainforest is located on the equator, but it is not an equatorial rainforest, he emphasises. Otherwise, the canopy would be completely overgrown and the forest would be nearly impenetrable. Given the altitude at which we find ourselves, this should be called a tropical mountain forest, where sunlight penetrates to the ground and you can walk around quite easily.
To hold themselves upright in such a forest, trees employ two different strategies. Some extend their long roots deep into the ground, while others form buttress roots that grow star-shaped at the base of the tree, providing it with additional stability like a sort of buttress.
They quietly take their time for a dust bath, …
…a mud bath, …
…a belly massage, …
…or a shower from their own trunk
Carefully avoiding the columns of safari ants, we hop after William. Next to the path, he apparently has a handful of elephant bones laid out as teaching material. The African savannah elephant can weigh up to 6.5 tons, with a shoulder height of up to four meters. Its trunk can hold up to six litres of water. Interestingly, it doesn’t just use it for drinking and showering – which we had noticed – but also as a sort of walking stick to explore the ground while it walks, since it cannot see there.
Elephants play a crucial role in dispersing seeds from trees and plants
Its tusks are actually elongated incisors. In an adult elephant, they are rarely of equal length because an elephant consistently uses one tusk to dig into the ground, causing it to wear down faster. This way, you can immediately tell whether an elephant is right-tusked or left-tusked.
This rainforest is located on the equator, but it is not an equatorial rainforest
Aside from its tusks, the elephant only has molars, as it doesn't need to tear apart meat. Of its 24 molars – six in each half of the jaw – only the front eight are in use at any given time. Once the front four wear out, they fall out, and the rest move forward, with a new set of four teeth coming into use. In total, the elephant has six sets of eight teeth throughout its life.
Some elephants wear down all these teeth in 55 to 60 years, while others can make them last up to 80 years. Once the supply of molars is exhausted, the elephant faces a serious problem – it can only survive on very soft food. This is why it seeks out the area around a swamp, where food is more tender. However, even there, due to a lack of sufficient nutrition, the elephant eventually succumbs. This is the origin of the myth of the elephant graveyard in the swamp – the elephant doesn't go there to die, but rather to try to extend its life.
Behind William's back, a colobus quickly climbs up a tree. Unlike humans and other monkeys, this species has only four fingers. It often uses its long white tail like a parachute to glide from one tree to another. In addition to colobuses, you can also encounter olive baboons and Sykes' monkeys, or white-throated monkeys, in this park – these are the ones known for helping tourists unpack their suitcases if they've forgotten to close their room's doors and windows before leaving.
In the past, people used the enormous jaws of safari ants to suture deep wounds
William points to a salvadora persica, commonly known as the toothbrush tree. Its long green twigs have been used as toothbrushes for centuries. Scientific studies have shown that the sap indeed possesses various properties that help protect the teeth.
The laws of the jungle are brutal, William declares, and they must be strictly followed. Predators are only supposed to attack prey smaller than themselves, or at most, of equal size. This is why lions only have a chance of taking down a buffalo when they hunt in a group. Prey animals protect themselves by staying in herds – only together can buffaloes successfully defend themselves against lions.
Once again, William has some educational materials laid out along the path – this time, buffalo skulls. Both male and female buffaloes have horns, but the female’s horns curl inward more than the male’s. In males, the two parts of the horn plate grow closer together over time, and in very old buffaloes, this gap can even completely close.
Alongside the lion, leopard, elephant, and rhinoceros, the buffalo is part of the renowned Big Five. Contrary to popular belief, these are not the five largest animals in the savannah – otherwise, the hippo would be included. Instead, they are the five animals considered the most difficult for big-game hunters to hunt on foot. Nowadays, it's mostly safari tourists hunting the Big Five, but with cameras from jeeps rather than on foot with guns.
The Big Five are not the largest animals, but they are considered the most difficult animals for big game hunters to hunt on foot
The most dangerous of the Big Five is the buffalo, although hippos are responsible for more deaths. The real threat comes from a lone buffalo that has been cast out of the herd. William explains that you can, in a manner of speaking, scare off a group of buffalo by clapping your hands. But a lone buffalo will not be intimidated – it will charge with the intent to eliminate you.
Young male buffaloes are eventually pushed out of the group to prevent inbreeding. They form loose bachelor groups. The dominant male is usually identified by the mud around his horns, a sign of constantly fighting for the prime spot at the waterhole.
Suddenly, a reddish-brown bushbuck darts away from us, disappearing before we can get a proper look at it.
Once again, a column of safari ants crosses our path. William, as if picking a prized treat, plucks one from the line. While the aggressive insect struggles between his thumb and forefinger, we get a good look at its massive jaws, which make up nearly a third of its body length. In the past, people used these jaws to suture deep wounds. The edges of the wound would be pressed together, and the ants would bite the skin to hold it in place. Then, the bodies were ripped off, leaving just the heads behind as natural sutures – a zipper of ant heads.
William points out a hole dug by an aardvark, a nocturnal creature related to both the elephant and the hyrax. Once such a hole has been dug, hyenas and warthogs will also be happy to use it. However, a warthog will always descend backwards, so that it can hopefully escape in time if a hyena has already taken up residence there.
Hyenas are not the darlings of the savannah
Hyenas don’t rely on speed when hunting but rather on endurance. They can chase their prey for hours, always attacking from behind. Unlike other predators, they don’t kill their prey first but begin eating it alive. This behaviour doesn’t make them the darlings of the savannah, yet they play a crucial role as scavengers. A hyena can consume up to 40 kilograms of meat in a single night, often taking care of carcasses from elephants or buffalo that have died from exhaustion.
Warthogs, on the other hand, are the comedians of the savannah. They live in groups known as sounders, typically consisting of a male, a female, and several young. A litter can have one to six piglets, but the mother usually manages to raise only two or three. Warthogs often trot nervously through the savannah, tails raised like flags. When grazing, they frequently kneel on their front legs. They also have short memories; when pursued by a predator, they panic and flee, but as soon as the predator gives up, they forget the danger and resume kneeling in the grass to feed.
Lions, leopards, and cheetahs usually avoid hunting waterbucks, quite literally turning up their noses at them
With unabashed enthusiasm, William bends over an elephant dung pile beside the path. An elephant spends about fifteen hours a day feeding, consuming up to 250 kilograms of vegetation – grass, branches, leaves, bark. About forty percent of that intake is quickly expelled through its droppings – around fourteen times a day, William emphasises. Elephants play a crucial role in dispersing seeds from trees and plants.
Once again, we see a bushbuck dart away nervously. It’s hardly surprising to learn that bushbucks are only found in the forest, while impalas occupy their niche in the savannah. The female impalas are reddish in colour, while the males are black with horns. Both genders display white stripes and spots along their sides.
William continues, mentioning that waterbucks also live here. However, unlike the ones in Samburu – properly called ellipsiprymnus waterbucks – the local defassa waterbucks have a round white patch on their rear instead of a white ring around the tail. This explains why we hesitated earlier when trying to identify that one waterbuck. Lions, leopards, and cheetahs usually avoid hunting waterbucks, quite literally turning up their noses at them. Waterbucks secrete an oily substance under their skin that helps protect them when they’re in water, but it also gives their meat an unpleasant smell. Needless to say, hyenas are not deterred by this.
Eventually, only a hollow fig tree will remain where the host tree once stood
William stops at a tree that has fallen prey to a ficus thonningii, better known as a strangler fig. Here, we witness a strangulation murder. Probably a bird started this process, for example by rubbing a seed stuck to its beak on the tree trunk. The fig seed began growing as an epiphyte, sprouting in two directions – its branches reaching upward toward the sky while its roots spiral down the trunk toward the ground. Once the roots make contact with the soil, the fig will become an independent tree, gradually strangling its host. Eventually, only a hollow fig tree will remain where the host tree once stood.
A vine has also sought support from the host tree, thinking it was a wise choice since it lacks the mechanical strength to grow on its own. However, this decision will prove fatal, as it too has fallen into the strangler fig's deadly grip and will ultimately perish.
For the local people, the fig tree, with its strange growth patterns, is considered sacred. In the hollow spaces of these trees, they offer sacrifices, with the smoke rising through the hollow trunk toward the heavens.
In 1886, Queen Victoria donated Kilimanjaro to German East Africa in a generous gesture, officially because her husband Albert was of German descent
Unexpectedly, we stumble upon some park rangers in the middle of the forest. Apparently, they have thermos flasks of coffee and slices of cake ready for us. Generously, they add what they call brown milk to the coffee for those who want it – a local brandy that is, which only increases our interest in the coffee.
As we settle onto tree stumps, William enthusiastically continues his story. At 5,199 meters, Mount Kenya is the second-highest mountain in Africa, after Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro. Both are of volcanic origin.
The Kikuyu people, who live on the western side of the mountain, call it Kereniya, while the Kamba on the eastern side call it Kiinyaa. Despite the different names, both mean the same thing – where the ostrich is. This cryptic description refers to the black-and-white appearance of the volcano’s slopes, the black of the rocks and the white of the eternal snow. Interestingly, Mount Kenya is the only place in Kenya where snow can be found, and it’s also the only snow-covered spot on the equator.
The British corrupted Kiinyaa to Kenya, and when a name had to be chosen for the country in 1920, the 42 tribes could not agree on any other name.
Interestingly, Kilimanjaro would also have been part of Kenya if Queen Victoria hadn't generously gifted the volcano to German East Africa in 1886, officially because her husband, Albert, was of German descent. A volcano as a gift is certainly remarkable.
For the British, this apocryphal tale is certainly more appealing than the truth
However, William claims this is a myth, which seems to be quite tenacious. For the British, this apocryphal tale is certainly more appealing than the truth. The reality is that the Germans persuaded the Chaga people living on the slopes of Kilimanjaro to form an alliance against the British. Therefore, it wasn't entirely voluntary that the British ceded Kilimanjaro.
As proof of the royal gesture, William points out on the map the bend in the straight border between the two countries at the height of Kilimanjaro. But he can live with the loss, he grins, as clouds almost constantly prevent the mountain from being visible from the south – from Tanzania, that is. From the north, however, it is always visible – from Kenya. That’s good news for us; we’ll surely benefit from that in Amboseli at the end of next week.
Until now, we had assumed Daniel's job was to scare wild beasts away from us, not to drive them toward us
Once again, a bushbuck hides in the bushes. In an attempt to prevent the animal from skittishly running away from us, soldier Daniel quietly makes a wide encircling move, hoping to drive the animal in our direction so we can see it better. This surprising twist in the scenario is unexpected, as until now, we had assumed Daniel's job was to scare wild beasts away from us. However, the commotion makes little impression on the bushbuck. The only signal we receive from the fleeing animal is the cracking of the underbrush.
So many columns of army ants cross our path that it sometimes feels like we’re hopping instead of walking. William introduces us to a plant whose scent repels safari ants. Villagers like to place the leaves of this plant around their huts. Baboons also appreciate the qualities of the plant; when they sit down, they sometimes use the leaves as a cushion to protect their bare backsides from biting ants.
Bushbucks (m and f)
Upon our return to the lodge, we find that the elephants and most of the buffaloes have left the waterhole. A handful of warthogs has taken their place.
What we were denied during the walk is thrown into our lap here – very carefully some bushbucks emerge from the bushes. In the end, six females and two males have the waterhole all to themselves. Every now and then, the clouds grant us a glimpse of the jagged profile of Mount Kenya with its two peaks – Mount Batian and Mount Nelion, standing at 5,199 meters and 5,188 meters high, respectively.
Mount Kenya
Even at night, the lodge's services do not cease. Anyone who wants to can be woken up as soon as a certain animal species appears at the waterhole. It's a unique opportunity to spot some nocturnal animals. Enthusiastically, we check off leopard, hyena, and African wild dog on our wish list. Once in bed, doubt begins to creep in. Is that asking too much? Will we be awakened repeatedly? Will we even manage to get any sleep tonight?
Tuesday 14 July | Mount Kenya NP – Great Rift Valley – Lake Nakuru NP
It’s not a discreet knock on the door in the middle of the night that wakes us; it’s the light of the rising sun and the murmur from the neighbours. Evidently the leopards, hyenas and African dogs didn’t show up last night. Or perhaps the park ranger on duty fell asleep – that’s a possibility too. Even during breakfast, there’s little to see at the waterhole. Only one defassa waterbuck shows up.
Evidently the leopards, hyenas and African dogs didn’t show up last night
Our driver-guides, Peter and Daniel, don’t show up either. But they have a good reason for it. One of the jeeps has been found defective, and they’ve gone to the village for repairs. How long the repair will take is anyone’s guess. No matter, the waterhole provides enough distraction in the meantime. Two bushbucks are present, and shortly after, 26 buffaloes majestically stride onto the scene. In contrast, 16 hyperactive baboons storm the area, some with a baby clinging to their necks.
Just after eight, the jeeps arrive, and by half-past eight, we begin our descent down the mountain. Along the way, we encounter herders who have journeyed all the way from Samburu with their cattle to escape the immense drought. It took them about a month to cover the nearly two-hundred-kilometre route. They’ve kept the adult cows and calves in separate herds so they can sell the milk from the cows.
It took them about a month to cover the nearly two-hundred-kilometre route with their cattle
Just before nine o'clock, we reach the A2 road in Naro Moru. For a brief moment, we follow this comfortable asphalt road northward before taking a left turn. An unpaved road now leads us toward the Aberdare Mountains, a mountain range stretching about a hundred kilometres. At first glance, they appear to be just a series of rounded hills, but appearances can be deceiving, as some peaks rise up to 3,350 meters above sea level.
Fifteen minutes later, we arrive at the B5 road toward Nyahururu, near Mweiga. What lies ahead is ninety kilometres of potholed asphalt, Peter jokes. However, he makes a valiant effort and manages to avoid about half of the potholes.
We cross the equator for the third time, but this time it doesn’t go unnoticed. This is precisely where Mrefu Art Gallery & Curios has chosen to set up shop. The unique location provides a lucrative opportunity to acquire a personal certificate for a minimal fee, serving as undeniable proof that we have crossed the equator.
Completely free of charge but entirely unexpected, we are treated to a genuine scientific demonstration. It was the mathematician Gustave-Gaspard Coriolis who taught humanity in 1835 that an object following a straight path within a rotating reference frame appears to follow a curved path. Since the Earth rotates on its axis, this effect influences all movements in the atmosphere.
In the Northern Hemisphere, air therefore flows counterclockwise towards the centre of a low-pressure area, while in high-pressure areas it flows clockwise away from it. In the Southern Hemisphere, this happens in reverse. For scientists, these are familiar concepts, but the fact that they seem to be common knowledge even in rural Kenya surprises us – quite significantly, in fact.
Some people even go so far as to apply this so-called Coriolis effect to draining bathtubs. In the northern hemisphere, the water would swirl clockwise toward the drain, while in the southern hemisphere, it would do so counterclockwise. This is, of course, nonsense; the Coriolis effect is far too weak for that, and other factors play a much larger role.
Delightful, isn’t it? The sweet revenge of this young black whizz-kid against whites who sometimes feel a bit superior
What a young black man will now show us with a certain aplomb turns out to be a variation on the bathtub phenomenon. First, he pulls out a GPS device, which he uses to pinpoint the exact position of the equator to within a meter. Then we all move ten meters northward. A red can with a small hole in the bottom will serve as a mini bathtub.
Our whizz-kid aims a stream of water diagonally into the can so that it swirls toward the hole, creating a mini whirlpool. By dropping a matchstick onto the turbulent surface, he eliminates any doubt: the matchstick rotates clockwise.
Next, we march in a procession to a spot ten meters south of the equator, where the hilarious demonstration resumes. What do we find? The whirlpool spins neatly counterclockwise around the hole. So Coriolis was right, the young man concludes.
You don’t have to be particularly clever to pull off this trick. A simple test shows that he only needs to aim his stream of water barely a millimetre north or south of the hole in the bottom of the can to achieve the desired rotation direction. Delightful indeed, this sweet revenge of the young black whizz-kid against whites who sometimes feel a bit superior. Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur – The world wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived.
Market in Nyahururu |
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Thomson Falls |
Just ten minutes later, we reach Nyahururu, a city of three hundred thousand inhabitants, located at an altitude of 2,360 meters in the western foothills of the Aberdare Mountains. Just outside the city, the Ewaso Narok River plunges over a rock face, falling 72 meters. These Thomson Falls are the main attraction of the city, although the ongoing drought has significantly reduced their flow.
In more prosperous times, the falls draw crowds, evident from the numerous stalls that line the area. However, today, the scene is rather tranquil.
Subukia – Great Rift Valley
Just before noon, the Great Rift Valley lies at our feet. From an altitude of 2,550 meters, we look down in Subukia at a scar in the Earth's crust that stretches all the way from Syria in the north to Mozambique in the south, over a distance of 9,600 kilometres. At least that is what the garish sign states. A length of six thousand kilometres is somewhat closer to the truth. In width, the rift varies from 30 to 100 kilometres, and in depth, from several hundred to several thousand meters.
Over time, this rift will grow into an ocean, leading to the separation of East Africa, just as Madagascar was once separated from Africa
The explanation is not far to seek. Deep in the Earth's crust, two tectonic plates – the Nubian Plate and the Somali Plate – are sliding apart here, causing the Earth's surface to gradually sink. Over time, this rift will grow into an ocean, leading to the separation of East Africa, just as Madagascar was once separated from Africa. It is expected that this will be a reality in ten million years. The hyrax hiding under a board among the bushes has every confidence that he will not witness this
Farm
Through tea plantations and cornfields we descend into the fertile valley. Tea is the most important product of Kenya, according to Peter, more important than tourism or horticulture. Coffee used to play a significant role as well, but since the prices have collapsed, that is no longer the case. We pause for a moment between the tea fields.
Tea plantation
It's almost one o'clock when we reach Nakuru, a modern city with three hundred thousand inhabitants. In a few days, we have a school visit with the Masai ahead of us. We don't want to arrive empty-handed in the classrooms, so we quickly pop into the local Tuskys to check out the school supplies section. This is an extremely modern supermarket, complete with self-checkout machines.
Pelicans, lesser flamingos
With quite a delay, we reach the Main Gate of Lake Nakuru National Park at half past one. With no more than 188 km² it is a relatively small park. The main attraction of the park is, of course, Lake Nakuru, one of the many alkaline lakes for which the Great Rift Valley is known. There is no river draining the lake; water only disappears through evaporation. The minerals brought in – primarily sodium salts – accumulate in the lake, giving it an alkaline character. Blue-green algae thrive excellently in such water.
Marabou stork, lesser flamingos
Pelicans
And that's what the lesser flamingos are fond of. Moreover, their droppings promote algae growth. Everyone is satisfied, then. Often they stand in the shallow water in their tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands.
Due to climatic conditions, the water level can fluctuate significantly, to the extent that in 1962 the lake was completely dry. Flamingos do not like that and stayed away. Shortly thereafter, the tourists did too. We cannot now foresee that in a few years, in 2012, the water will be too high again, which the flamingos also do not like, and they will stay away once more. Just like the tourists. It won't be until 2020 that the flamingos will return en masse. But the tourists will not, because the world will then be under the spell of a pandemic.
Lesser flamingos, pelicans
Time is running short on us. Nevertheless, before heading to our lodge, about 18 km south along the eastern shore of the lake, Peter allows us a brief look at the water at the northern end of the lake. A handful of marabou storks, about a hundred pelicans, but especially thousands of lesser flamingos make their presence known. With their heads upside down in the water, the pink water birds filter the blue-green algae from the water. Four times a second, their tongues pump the water through thin plates inside their jaws. Tiny hairs on those plates extract food from the water.
As Peter races along the unpaved Simba Road along the eastern shore of the lake, we try to keep ourselves in our seats. Defassa waterbucks, impalas, zebras, and buffaloes zoom past the window at lightning speed. For a brief moment, we even catch a glimpse of our very first rhino.
Grant’s zebras
It's a quarter past two when we arrive at Lake Nakuru Lodge, situated on a hill with a magnificent view of the lake in the distance, 1,750 m above sea level. The thermometer reads just below 30 °C (86 °F). Twenty safari buses and jeeps are parked in the lot. Clearly, the park is extremely popular among safari tourists. In the grassy area just behind the lodge, a few Grant’s zebras are grazing.
Shortly after lunch, our jeeps descend the hill to make up for lost time. Flamingos are, of course, high on our wish list, but rhinos are also marked as a priority, as Lake Nakuru is the prime spot for spotting both white and black rhinos.
Impalas with young
Black-backed jackal
The difference between white rhinos and black rhinos shouldn’t be sought in their skin colour, Peter grins, as both species are grey. White rhinos are grazers, which is why they have a broad mouth – just like someone mowing the grass on their lawn would prefer a wide mower. In contrast, black rhinos feed on the leaves of shrubs and trees. That's why they have a pointed mouth, allowing them to manipulate the leaves better.
Fever trees
It were Afrikaans-speaking South Africans who, at the time, referred to the grazing rhino with the broad mouth as the wijde neushoorn. The British then adapted this to white rhino. It is almost certain that we will encounter white rhinos here, but catching sight of black rhinos is a different story altogether.
Fever tree
Large trees with green-yellow trunks dominate the area around the lake. The first settlers quickly noticed that people who lingered near these trees often contracted malarial fever. As a result, they began calling it the yellow fever tree. However, this was somewhat simplistic, as these trees mainly grow in marshy or damp areas where mosquitoes also thrive. As we know, it's the mosquitoes that are the real carriers of the disease.
Under a giant umbrella acacia, several dozen buffalo are resting comfortably, neatly within the tree's shadow
Protective mud layer |
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Under a giant umbrella acacia, several dozen buffalo are resting comfortably, neatly within the tree's shadow. Further on, we come across a large herd, about two hundred buffalo on both sides of the road. Some are still covered in fresh mud, which they use to protect themselves from ticks, while others wear a second skin of dried mud. A trio of black-backed jackals roams the plain, clearly in search of prey, but for now, no prey seems eager to volunteer.
The difference between white rhinos and black rhinos shouldn’t be sought in their skin colour, Peter grins, as both species are grey
White rhinos are grazers
Our very first rhino is anything but cooperative. For minutes on end, we get nothing more than a view of its noble backside as it grazes. Further ahead, though, we manage to spot a duo and a quartet in profile. The strong wind drives clouds of dust across the dry, sandy plain.
Lake Nakuru – Flamingos
By now, we’ve approached quite close to the southern shore of the lake. Tens of thousands of flamingos stand in the shallow water, their pink bodies reflected on the unruffled surface. Two smaller groups of a few hundred pelicans stand out in white against the pink mass. Dark rain clouds are closing in from the north, covering the sky. Shafts of sunlight pierce through the clouds, casting a warm glow on parts of the silvery-grey lake. With their blue-grey silhouettes, the ridges on the other side of the lake enhance the theatrical setting.
Tens of thousands of flamingos stand in the shallow water, their pink bodies reflected on the unruffled surface
Sometimes our proximity startles the flamingos. As if an invisible conductor is directing them, they all start moving at once and skim low over the water in search of a safer spot.
The sky in the north grows increasingly darker. In the distance, the rumble of thunder becomes audible, and an occasional flash of lightning signals impending trouble. Dust clouds occasionally make the flamingos almost disappear from view.
Rhinos with young
Reluctantly, we turn our backs on the water's edge. In the grass lies the partially eaten carcass of a buffalo, likely having succumbed to hunger on the barren plain. An eland antelope – the big brother of the dik-dik – wanders alone across the expanse. Two adult rhinos with a calf graze among the bushes; the horn of one is immense. The fierce wind continues to whip up dust, turning the sky a shade of ash-grey. Rain seems inevitable.
Eland antelope with oxpeckers
The safari seems to have come to an end – or so we think – until Peter suddenly receives a message over the CB radio that immediately sends him racing down the dusty tracks. Two young leopards have been spotted in a tree right next to the road. This is a real stroke of luck, as leopards, being nocturnal, are notoriously difficult to catch sight of. The two males even descend from the tree and nonchalantly walk between the safari vans, heading off into the savannah.
Young leopards, probably brothers
This means we can now tick off the entire Big Five on our list – the elephant, the buffalo, the lion, the rhinoceros and the leopard
This means we can now tick off the entire Big Five on our list – in order of appearance, they are the elephant, the buffalo, the lion, the rhinoceros and the leopard. As the leopards vanish into the bushes, we head towards the lodge. The rain, which could no longer be held at bay, begins to fall, slipping in through the jeep’s windows. Inside the vehicle, an umbrella is hastily opened.
Lake Nakuru (in the distance), buffaloes
Jaak Palmans
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Spotted land teeming with life
