Kenya- National Parks, Lakes, Birds and a lovely lion kill
After going to Kenya a couple of times before, I decided it would be smart to go back to see more Animals. Amboseli (where you can actually see Mt. Kilimanjaro), Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, and of course probably one of the top 3 game parks in Africa Maasai Mara which boasts one of the highest lion concentrations in Africa.
Amboseli NP
Amboseli has always been tops on my list because of my desire to actually see Mt. Kilimanjaro. This National Park straddles the border of Tanzania and is full of game animals and birds of just about every type. i will not bore you with going through all the species, but the whole park is teeming with elephants and birds. If you are lucky like we were, then you may see some lions in the distance.lll
Lake Naivasha NP
Lake Naivasha is known for its hundreds of bird species as well as hippos that are often seen up on the land. As I have stayed here before, I knew were most of the hot spots were and I enjoyed being here again. It is also worth a visit to the Joy Admonson house as she wrote a book later turned into a moving called “Living Free” in which she raised a lioness from a cub all the way to adulthood with no problems at all. Around your house, you can see many Black and White Colobus Monkeys that often times try to steal your food from the trees above…..
On the Road
Often trying to shoot people in their everyday lives on the road or in villages is something that I strive to do. Setting your camera on the right settings is important as you are moving sometimes 100 KM and hour and they are also moving. People often wave at you as you are driving down and everyone is quite friendly in having their pictures taken most of the time. I believe these images captures the essence of people in Kenya along the roads…
Lake Nakuru NP
Lake Nakuru, is a National Park that is built right up to the city of Nakuru. This was once one of the great National Parks in Kenya, because of the thousands of Flamingos in its waters as far as the eye can see. However due to heavy rains the past year and a half, the Flamingos have all but disappeared (however some are returning back). The Flamingos are the main attraction, however the whole park has many different species of animals and birds. Lions are seldom seen, but are always there along with rhinos and other big game animals.
Masai Mara NP
Masai Mara I would call as the 8th wonder of the world. This Park which boasts one of the highest lion concentrations in Africa straddles the border with Tanzania that shares its animals with the famous Serengeti. This is where the Wildebeest Migration starts taking place in late June for a few months. I was lucky enough to see the start of the migration with Wildebeest, Zebra, and Thompson’s Gazelle all gathering for the trek across the Mara River. Every possible type of wildlife is found here and it is not uncommon to see prides of lions resting under a bush, or hundreds of thousands of Wildebeests grunting as they get ready to cross the river to graze on the lush plains of the Park.
THE KILL COMPLETES IT
In all of my safari adventures I have taken, the only things missing was a live kill. Luckily on my last day at Mara doing a Safari, I was lucky enough to see a live kill of a pregnant zebra and a lioness. Watching how she was able to take down the Zebra by cutting off her air supply was something I have always wanted to see. It is very rare to see a live kill as some people spend countless hours (like myself) trying to see this and finally I did. Even though some pictures are rather graphic, you have to remember this is what we call the circle of life. It is no different that eating the meat put on your plate each day as we usually miss the killing process of animals. These are some of the most spectacular images I have ever caught through a lens….
