Shimba Hills National Reserve - The Sable Antelope's In Kenya

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 when these graceful antelope would walk all the way down the hills to Msambweni Beach for the prized salt-licks.

The Kenya Wildlife Service has a Sable Recovery Strategy in place which we hope will help keep the numbers on the upward trend.

The adult male Sable Antelope is bigger than the female and can easily be identified by its thick dark black coat and large crescent shaped horns. The female on the other hand has smaller horns and is more of a tanned brown colour. The herds range in sizes of 10 to 20 animals and the young males are ousted from the main herd usually from the age of three. These bachelors then form their own little herd.

Lions Mating Up Close In Kenya

This lion and lioness are mating really close to the road.

The Roughness Of A Lions Tongue

A lions tongue has numerous tiny spines called papillae Pet lovers with a domestic cat at home will relate to this story quite well, as they would have had their hands or fingers licked by their cat's tongue at some point or another. A lion’s tongue is no less different in design to that of a house cats, with the exception that its sheer size and heaviness would make a lions tongue as rough and harsh as sandpaper! But why is the lions tongue so rough and how is this beneficial? The reason for its roughness is that the surface of the lions tongue is covered in many tiny spines called papillae, which are further divided into 3 types namely; Filiform, Fungiform and Vallate papillae. The cats filiform papillae which is located on the tongues dorsal surface, is the main reason for the roughness, and these can also be compared to barbs since they face backwards in the direction of the throat. Having a barbed tongue is beneficial to the lion for a number of reasons. I...

The Unique Looking Guitar Fish

Guitar Fish resting on the sea bed One of the most interesting characteristics about the guitar fish is its unique body shape. It seemingly looks like a cross between a shark and a ray - with its flattened ray like head yet it has a long shark like body with dorsal fins - but this fish is actually a classification of its own and has about 50 subspecies. The guitar fish prefers to remain tranquil on the sea bed, partly covering itself with sand to camouflage itself for any unsuspecting prey such as crabs or small fish that may come past it. Reaching sizes of approximately two meters in length, they are quite docile so can easily be approached by underwater photographers.

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