Kenya day 3: A-MA-ZING!

No phone reception. No wifi. No tv. No electricity between 10pm and 5am so bring a head light because going to the toilet in the dark can be quite difficult. If you think your phone torch will help, think again!, it might end up in the toilet!
Our accommodation: Rhino Tourist Camp. Basic but clean. We had our first night under a mosquito net. The days are warm, the nights are chilly - that's why beds have blankets!

Breakfast wasn't as bad as expected. There was pancakes, toasts, sausages, baked beans and omelette. There's only instant coffee which is quite sad considering Kenya is a huge coffee producer.
Our tour buddies are 2 American ladies, Sandy and Brook, who woke up at 4.30am to go on a balloon flight over the Masai Mara. They said it was amazing but at $400 each, it's out of our budget!
The Masai Mara National Reserve is an area of 1,510 square kms and it's the northernmost section of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem which covers some 25,000 square kms between Kenya and Tanzania.
Today we were blessed with clear skies, sun and brilliant visibility. We saw more animals in 1 day than we expected to see in a week. Masai Mara Game Reserve rules!
CHEETAH
Latin: Acinonyx jubatus
Swahili: duma
Status: vulnerable
Fastest land mammal, reaching 64km/h but can accelerate up to 112km/h on short distances of 100m. I love their characteristic teardrop markings from eye to mouth.

First ones of the day were a couple of cheetahs, sleeping on the top of a mount. We were fairly far from them.

Later in the day we stopped to see one again. I was nodding off and was woken up with 'A cheetah!'. I held my camera to the nearest mount expecting to see it afar again and said 'Are you sure there is a cheetah there?'. Everyone looked at me 'Yes, it's right here'. The cheetah was less than 2m from the car sheltering from the sun under a bush. It looked hot panting relentlessly. There was a blood stain on her left cheek so may have just been feeding. It was so close. Wow!

COMMON ZEBRA
Latin: Equus quagga boehmi
Swahili: punda milia
Status: common in most wildlife areas
Also known by the artistic name of Marty (Madagascar).
Many zebras are resident but approximately 200 000 migrate with the wildebeest.
They are everywhere and are a bit curious but don't get too close. Felix says they look like donkeys with stripes, which is what their Swahili name means!

One had a huge gash on his left flank. Clearly had a close encounter with a lion not long ago. It survived!

AFRICAN BUFFALO
Latin: Syncerus caffer
Swahili: nyati or mbogo
Status: not endangered
They can weight 250-850kg. Male's horns are widely curved with a spread of up to 1m wide, the base joined by a heavy boss.
Felix says they can be domesticated but are still very dangerous.

THOMPSON'S GAZELLE
Latin: Eudorcas thomsonii
Swahili: swala tomi
Status: not endangered
They are everywhere and look so pretty and gracious. Definitely one of my favourite.

WESTERN WHITE-BEARDED WILDEBEEST
Latin: Connochaetes taurinus mearnsi
Swahili: nyumbu
Status: not endangered
This is the great migratory animal. The Great Migration is all about 1.4 million wildebeest migrating from the Serengeti in Tanzania (south) to Masai Mara in Kenya (north) looking for fresher pasture and then returning to the Serengeti when the rains come.

The savanna full of wildebeest looks like a polka dot fabric.

We couldn't believe when we saw a line of wildebeest clearly migrating a bit further afield. 

TOPI
Latin: Damaliscus lunatus
Swahili: nyamera or topi
Status: not endangered
Large antelope, colour rich with what one guide described as jeans and yellow socks (dark purplish patchs on the legs and yellowish legs). The fastest antelope, built for speed and endurance.

COMMON WARTHOG
Latin: Phacochoerus africanus
Swahili: ngiri
Status: common in protected areas
Also known by the artistic name of Pumbaa (Lion King).

When running, has a distinct jaunty trot and a habit of holding its tail straight up. Quite funny!

SPOTTED HYENA
Latin: Crocuta crocuta
Swahili: fisi or nyangao
Status: threatened outside protected wildlife areas

They look quite small and when you see their scull the teeth look quite small as well. However, their protruding neck and powerful jaws are not to be trifled. We saw one scavenging on an old carcass.

LEOPARD
Latin: Panthera pardus
Swahili: chui
Status: now quite common
First one we saw was sleeping on a tree. Totally relaxed, paws and tail hanging and the occasional tremor. Just like a domestic cat sleeping! So cute!

We almost just missed the second one. Felix employed some driving skills to get the van close enough for us to see it going from one bush to another.

MASAI GIRAFFE
Latin: Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi
Swahili: twiga
Status: common in protected areas
Very curious, they like coming down to the road to check the vans.

ELAND
Latin: Taurotragus oryx
Swahili: pofu
Status: not endangered
Africa's largest antelope. Males can weigh up to 942kg.

LION
Latin: Phanthera Leo
Swahili: simba - that's where the artistic name comes from!
Status: numbers reducing especially outside protected areas

WHITE-BACKED VULTURE
Latin: Gyps africanus
Swahili: tumbusi mgongomweupe
Status: locally common resident but endangered
The white back and rump are seen only in flight or when perched on the ground with its wings held open.

NILE MONITOR
Latin: Varanus niloticus
Swahili: mburukenge
Status: very common
Can be up to 2.5m in length.
This one clearly working on his tan!

COKE'S HARTEBEEST
Latin: Alcelaphus buselaphus cokii
Swahili: kongoni
Status: not endangered

OSTRICH
Latin: Struthio camelus
Swahili: bbuni masai
Status: common resident
Biggest bird in the planet. Males have the typical black and white plumage. Females are brown.

LAPPET-FACED VULTURE
Latin: Torgos tracheliotus
Swahili: tumbusi ngusha
Status: resident
The largest African vulture.

RÜPPELL'S VULTURE
Latin: Gyps rueppellii
Swahili: tumbusi-mbuga
Status: locally common resident but endangered
The vulture with the white bill on the picture below.

MARABOU STORK
Latin: Leptoptilos crumeniferus
Swahili: korongo mfuko shingo
Status: common resident
A scavenger, but also feeds on rodents and insects.
The one at the centre of the picture, on top of the wildebeest carcase.

AFRICAN ELEPHANT
Latin: Loxodonta africana
Swahili: ndovo or tembo
Status: vulnerable

DEFASSA WATERBUCK
Latin: Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa
Swahili: kuru
Status: not endangered
Shy, not easy to get to.

Lunch near Mara river by a tree where monkeys were hanging. Needless to say they tried to steel our food!
Before lunch, a short walking safari by the river with a park ranger to see the crocodiles and hippos.

HIPPOPOTAMUS
Latin: Hippopotamua amphibius
Swahili: kikobo
Status: vulnerable
Spends its days in water, coming out each evening to graze.

NILE CROCODILE
Latin: Crocodylus niloticus
Swahili: mamba
Status: common
Can be up to 5.5m long and stay underwater for up to 45min. The smaller and colourful one is juvenile.

OLIVE BABOON
Latin: Papio anubis
Swahili: nyani
Status: widespread and common
Not afraid of people or cars.

Ugly butt!!

HELMETED GUINEAFOWL
Latin: Numida meleagris
Swahili: kanga
Status: common resident
Fast runner!

It rained again in the evening.
Shower tonight wasn't as warm. There are more guests at the camp so I guess the hot water was used up.
A bat entered the Dinning Hall. It flew around for a while until it found the door again. Luckily it flew high and did not touch anyone.
Dinner was more of the same but instead of beef stew it was a chicken stew. No one cared. We had had an A-MA-ZING day!