WILD KENYA SAFARIS - Kenya Safaris, Diani Beach Safaris, Mombasa Safaris and more

A lioness teaches her cub the skills of night hunting at Ngutuni in Kenya. If you come across a pride of lions in the middle of the day, these big cats might seem alittle less formidable in terms of activity to the first time viewer.  Lazily resting for prolonged hours - usually between 10am to 5pm, the only form of movement one could expect would be the occasional yawn or change in sleeping position under a well shaded bush or tree.  Come nightfall however, the dynamics and behavior of the pride begins to take a twist. Lions become more active at dawn and from dusk leading way into the night. Having excellent nocturnal vision, the lion gets an unparalleled advantage compared to its prey who are rendered somewhat blind in the darkness. The hunting strategy of the pride changes. Instead of looking for heavy cover like a day time hunt, the lion quietly and casually approaches its prey staying low to the ground before it makes a short and usually successful chase. The other

An elephant uses its trunk for daily survival An elephants trunk is specialized in performing a variety of daily tasks. It is the elephant's most important body part and this long, boneless and flexible appendage contains over 40,000 muscles.  Just as a comparison, the human body has over 600 muscles while the Flexibility of an elephants trunk could be somewhat compared to that of a human tongue - (go on...you cant resist twisting it!) but the trunk has much more capabilities. The Elephants trunk has multiple functions which include; breathing, smelling, touching, grasping, making sound, sucking up and holding water for drinking or bathing, communicating, digging holes to look for water, playing, picking up sand to give itself a sand bath and so much more!  Because it has all those muscles and is boneless, the trunk can twist and maneuver effortlessly to aid in collecting its food. The two finger like extensions found right at the tip of the trunk enable it t

The 'Old Girls Pride' male and female on Honeymoon in Tsavo East Although lions are induced ovulators, meaning that the stimulation of mating causes the ovaries to release the eggs (rather than awaiting the estrous cycle), we usually notice that during the rainy season, the big cats of Tsavo seem to get alittle more in the mood for romance.  A mating pair, or as i like to refer to them as a 'honeymoon pair' such as this one, will stay together for three to four days and mate every 20 minutes or so. Looking at the clear expression on the lions faces, the actual act of lovemaking is quite a painful experience and is not all cuddles and purrs! Despite number of times they copulate, the success rate for her egg's being fertilized is not that high.  In the event that she does get pregnant, the gestation period is about 3.5 months and she will give birth to between two and six little cubs. While the lioness faces the challenges of motherhood and if the c

A small family of Sable Antelope in Shimba Hills The tropical rain forest of Shimba Hills is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Kenya. Reaching a height of 500m above sea level and only a 40 minute drive from the white sandy beaches of Diani / Tiwi, the Shimba Hills Reserve makes for a refreshing scenic day excursion. The flora and fauna such as Elephant, Giraffe, Sable Antelope, Warthog and even Leopard found here are the bonus element to this beautiful untamed forest. New species of plants and insects are still being discovered in this reserve and it is the only place in Kenya that the Sable Antelope can be found.  The population of Sable Antelope is at a critically endangered level in the wild, with approximately 60 individuals left in the whole of Kenya. Their decline can be linked most likely to loss of habitat, bush meat trade and nutritional deficiency in the soil. Some old timers who live along the park boundaries, tell me stories about the good-old days wh

The Diani Coastline - Sandy Beach,  Blue Lagoon & The Deep Sea  Typically after a wildlife safari we offer our "Wild Kenya Safaris" clients a variety of fun alternatives to pass their time during their holidays in Diani Beach. Here is a short list of day activities we can suggest to do in Diani: A Day Trip to Shimba Hills and visit the Sheldrick Waterfalls. Scuba Diving Snorkeling & Dolphin Watching at Kisite Marine Park Bicycle Tour on the Beach or to the Local Village See the Colobus Monkeys and visit the Colobus Trust Take a Microlight Flight along the Coastline Enjoy a round of Golf at the Leisure Golf Club Visit the Mangrove Forests & Fisherman's Village Deep Sea Fishing Trips Visit the Historical Slave Caves in Shimoni Fine Dining at one of the many specialty restaurants Relax at a Yoga or Spa retreat Visit Funzi Island  Bird Watching in the Kaya Forest Tandem Skydiving  Jetski along the diani beach wa

The Long Crested Eagle can be spotted across Kenya Click Here to Listen to the sound of a Long Crested Eagle call The long crested eagle as the name suggests, can be easily identified by its elongated feathered crest found on the crown of its head. The eagle can be spotted in various national parks across Kenya and this raptor is actually quite cool to watch especially when it shifts its head from side to side... its fashionable feathered hair style follows in a stylish yet entertaining manner. It can usually be spotted perched on a tree scanning the ground for its next meal. Their primary diet consists of small mammals, small birds and reptiles such as lizards.

Elephant reveals its fine details up close There are thousands of elephant photographs out there so how do you make yours stand out from all the other wildlife photographs.  Well personally, iv found that getting to know your subject and spending alot of time with it can really open up your opportunities to capturing a very different perspective. Take this elephant for example, photographed in the Shimba Hills National Reserve, we spent about One hour watching it feeding on the grass about 100 meters away from us. As we curiously and quietly watched its every move, the elephant developed a full trust and confidence in our presence that it casually began walking right up to us. Reaching literally Five meters away from our vehicle it stopped and then peacefully kept feeding.  Listening to its trunk tear the grass from the soil, the grinding of its teeth as it chewed, the inhaling and exhaling of its breath, the silent grunting noises that it made...all these intimate sounds

Elephants are extremely close to their family members The bond between mother and child is a very strong one regardless of the species.  It is a basic instinct which is felt by all maternal beings on this planet. If there is any one thing that would give humans a similarity with animals, it would be the intensity of a mothers love...  This young elephant in Tsavo East seemed very appreciative of its mothers care that it came forward to give her a sweet tender kiss, as if to say "I Love You Mum"

Hawksbill turtle swimming past in Kisite Marine Park. Photo by Shazaad Kasmani Kisite Marine Park is located in the south coast of Mombasa just off the fishing villages called Wasini Island & Shimoni. It is an estimated 28km2 in size and is one of the best preserved marine park sanctuaries on the Kenyan coastlines.This incredible ecosystem is home to a variety of marine life such as the resident bottle nose dolphins, rays, hundreds of species of reef fish, crustaceans and most importantly marine turtles. Out of the different types of turtles found along the reef surrounding the island, the Hawksbill Turtle can usually be seen feeding or resting on the sea floor. Their name derives from the sharp beak like mouth which they use to feed on sea sponges, algae, sea anemones and even jellyfish.  These beautiful and graceful marine animals are a Critically Endangered species whose life, habitat and ecosystem are being threatened globally. As a critically endangered spec

Palm Nut Vulture Catching Live Crabs on the Shoreline On a recent birding tour we caught some very rare footage of a Palm Nut Vulture catching and eating crabs along the seashore.  Although it is also known as the Vulturine Fish Eagle, watching and photographing its actual sea food hunt was a very special experience indeed.   The bird would walk along the small tidal pools turning over small stones and seaweed to find its prey. Upon finding a crab, it would stick its sharp talons through crab shell to immobilize it and then crack it in half.  With a surgeons precision, it would then use its beak to break off the claws to safely feed on the fleshy insides.

A Hammerkop patiently awaits a passing fish or amphibian. Commonly seen by the rivers, lake sides and waterholes across Kenya, the Hammerkop's unique shape and colour make it quite unmistakable when spotted.  Its diet consists of small aquatic life such as fish, frogs and insects, and i have come to notice that this bird actually has Two very different and unique feeding methods dependent on its chosen feeding area.   In the first method, which is used in waters that are quite stagnant such as ponds and waterholes, the Hammerkop wades through the water-body dragging its feet heavily on the bottom to stir up its prey. Once spotted it strikes, or at times, it opens its wings slightly to guide the victim into its preferred striking angle.  In the second method (Photographed above) the Hammerkop stands perfectly still and waits patiently for a fish or insect to simply be brought to it by the current. This technique is preferred in faster moving streams and rivers. B

Leopard on the prowl This Leopard was curiously checking out a herd of buffalo that came to drink at a waterhole about 15 meters away from its position in Tsavo West National Park. Although the bovines would be too big for this leopard to handle, a wandering calf on the other hand, would be an ideal meal ticket for this big cat.

Sleepy Sleepy Lion We are all quite familiar with the Monday morning blues... especially if it falls on a crispy cool morning, those extra minutes of sleep never seem to be quite enough. For big cats such as this adult male in Maasai Mara, the morning blues are an everyday habit. Well... i guess being King of the jungle does have its perks!

A Lone Male Buffalo in Tsavo West. Photo by Shazaad Kasmani Weighing in at an average 600kg the Cape buffalo can be found in virtually all types of grassland habitats in Kenya. From the dry lands of Tsavo to forested ranges of Shimba Hills, the buffalo is one of the toughest of wildlife heavyweights. Its body is immune to the bovine sleeping sickness (nagana) which is transmitted by Tse-Tse Flies, the heard can  cooperatively come together to defend its other herd members against its predators and buffalo's are even known to have seriously injured or killed lions during a fight. All in all its one impressive animal!