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

Leopardess resting up a tree in Taita Lumo Sanctuary So you are out on a game drive watching for birds but suddenly come across a leopard, comfortably perched up on a tree branch like the one pictured above in Taita's Lumo Sanctuary. Its an exciting find and a bonus sighting for the guests right? Well.. finding leopards in trees while birding may not be as uncommon as one would think.   Most regular birders that i know have at some point or another, found this elusive big cat by quite simply having their eyes to the skies. Leopards as we know are extremely comfortable among the tree tops, so having your eyes peeled looking out for little feathered friends makes one more attentive and increases your chances of spotting these wonderful big cats.  So the next time you are out on a safari, don't forget to look out for the feathered beauties as they may just lead you to a leopard.

Most of us involved in Kenyan wildlife conservation or wildlife guiding circles are aware of the plight the vultures have faced in Tsavo. The entire vulture population has been practically wiped out, mainly due to agricultural pesticide use and because of the prolific cattle herding inside the national park and adjoining private sanctuaries. So how does the herding of cattle kill vultures you ask? Well occasionally predators would kill and eat a stray cow or goat and consequently, the herders would vengefully poison the carcass to kill the predator. As vultures would also participate in clearing up the remains, thousands of vultures were ruthlessly killed as a secondary effect of poisoning. So it was with such great excitement that for the first time in so many years, i got to see such a large committee of vultures in Tsavo East. Over two hundred strong, some were feeding on two buffalo carcasses left behind by lions, some were resting under the shade of an acacia tree while othe...

There isn't much refuge for wildlife during the hot seasons at Tsavo East National Park. At the peak of the dry period, most of the semiarid grasses and bushes have all but vanished, providing very little cover from the scorching sun. The days here can be exceedingly hot, dusty and dry.  As the rainy season approaches, dark clouds coming up from the coast scatter little pockets of rainfall in some areas of the park, creating natural waterholes for the wildlife to take solace in.  In the below photograph, the continuous dry spell of 5 months was broken by a 2 day long shower creating a large waterhole. Among the many birds and mammals that were drawn to this alluring water body, were some hyenas who wasted no time in making use of this natural swimming pool. One individual in particular, seemed to be enjoying the swim a little more than the others! Hyena enjoying a swim at a waterhole in Tsavo East National Park Hyena submerges its face into the waterhole...

The moon rises over the Kenyan Savannah Our moon is without a doubt the most admired and most dramatic of all things that anyone can experience on a night in the Kenyan savanna. Every memorable safari ends with a picture perfect moment of clouds drifting apart, allowing for the presence of the moon to slowly creep over the endless acacia dotted grasslands.  This magnificent satellite in the sky has so many appearances; it shadows an eerie feeling to some yet a romantic allure for lovers, it is a calling for nocturnal wildlife to awaken and for the diurnal to sleep, it offers safety by softly lighting up the grass plains yet remains dark enough for the wandering predators to hunt, it pulls on the ocean tides to fall but pushes the coral reefs to spawn.... there are simply no words to describe the beauty of our moon when on safari in Wild Kenya.

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 Earth's Sun rising over Tsavo East National Park in Kenya We live on a really tiny dot somewhere in this expansive unexplored universe.  This little earth has in many ways been good to us and during the course of time, its surface has now fully come into our hands to care for. So we must honor this privilege by being the planets best custodians, for our sake and for the well being all the living things coexisting with us, today and everyday.  Earth Day is a reason for us to begin a new resolution, try to find something that will make some part of this planet a cleaner and greener place, and do your best to commit yourself to it either daily, weekly or monthly. Even if mankind does begin to settle on mars by 2020, it still doesn't look as green and beautiful as our original home... Earth.

  A Clownfish swims among the anemones stingers The relationship between clownfish and anemones on the coral reef can be called a peaceful yet interesting coexistance. While searching for a new home, the clownfish is actually believed to dance between the anemones venomous waving tentacles, touching all parts of its body until it feels acclimatized to it. Only when the fish gets a comfortable feel for the anemone will it then inhabit it. The anemones tentacles are lethal to the touch for most species of marine life, but the clownfish has a thin layer of mucus on its body that protects it from the anemones stinging tentacles. The relationship between the two is straight forward, the host provides the clownfish with protection from the reefs numerous predators. When danger is spotted, the clownfish simply darts into its hosts waving arms and stays in retreat until the threat has passed by. In exchange for this protection, the clownfish does a thorough job of cleaning and...

A lion playfully biting its brothers tail asks for trouble The metaphor "catch a lion by the tail" could not have been better illustrated. Adolescent lions despite their maturity, still love to play and this sibling in Ngutuni Sanctuary Tsavo took the game a little too far. As the pride was casually walking to a nearby waterhole, the sibling at the rear mischievously bit its brothers tail and consequently received a full wrath of disapproval! That's what you get for biting a lions tail

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.

High quality camping mattresses for Tsavo East donated to Kenya Wildlife Service by 'Wild Kenya Safaris' Wild Kenya Safaris has donated 10 high quality mattresses  to Kenya Wildlife Service Tsavo East for their two man tents. The KWS rent-a-tent program aims to attract visitors to the national park that are searching for adventure while wanting to feel closer to nature.  Pictured receiving the mattresses is Mr Chande KWS Customer Service, Mr Kheri Acting Assistant Director CCA while presenting is Shazaad Kasmani of Wild Kenya Safaris who is also an Honorary Game Warden CCA. Wild Kenya Safaris and Kenya Wildlife Service have always worked closely together hand in hand on numerous CSR and wildlife conservation projects.