Safari
September 23, 2017

Day 3 of Gordon Friends Expedition – Arrival in Tsavo East Tuesday 19th September, 2017

Patricia Awori

Goodmorning from Tsavo East,
This morning we woke up early in Nairobi and rushed to Wilson Airport to board our charter flight to Tsavo. We were trying something new and brought along a masseuse to give the ladies massage in the bush during down time . The Masseuse and one of the other ladies were a little anxious about flying in “small” aircraft so they comforted each other and then one of them lay down and slept…smooth uneventful flight above heavy cloud cover….news had reached us that 3 days of rain were going to fall on the Coast region and low lying regions inland and 10 minutes before landing the rain began. Thankfully before we landed it stopped giving us time to disembark with our luggage and get into the car and get to camp before it started again. What a welcome the elephants gave us upon arrival easily up to and over 50 elephants came to the waterhole and went.
After settling in and having some lunch the heavens opened again and we retired to our tents for “siesta” by 4pm the rain had subsided a little giving us time to go forth on a game drive. Wind, rain and a few elephants ..we were actually cold by the time we returned so it was nice to enjoy a welcome shower and a nice dinner before retiring for the night to rest up for our day tomorrow.

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Safari
September 23, 2017

Day 1 of our Expedition….Nairobi

Patricia Awori

 

 

What a busy day we had today that started with an inspiring visit to Heshima Kenya where we heard about the refugees stories about what had happened to them and how being at Heshima Kenya truly has transformed their lives….these young women some as young as 16 had been raped repeatedly in their countries before finding sanctuary at Heshima Kenya some of them have babies and there is a cresh where they are being looked after and also educated. A sisterhood has developed and they are acquiring skills that give them a chance at life again!!
Then it was off to Lisa’s in Runda for retail therapy and lunch and then zoomed off to get on the bypass and on to Sheldrick Orphans that was a special visit where Prof Judi gave the guests a wonderful welcome…..after one more stop it was time to go back to the hotel with exhausted guests who fell asleep on the way back to the hotel!! A magical day indeed to start…..Now off to Tsavo East and heavy drought awaits

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Safari
September 21, 2017

Day 4 of Gordon Friends Expedition – 2nd Day in Tsavo East – Wednesday 20th September, 2017

Patricia Awori

 

Goodmorning from a properly soaked Tsavo East Satao Camp!
After a goodnights rest with the prerequisite animal sounds in the morning tent steward delivered teas, coffees and hot waters on schedule and after a spot of breakfast we sallied forth to go and see what we could find. Our aim was to link up with Tsavo Trusts Tembo 2 Team who do surveillance on Big Tuskers . It was our very great hope that we would catch a glimpse of a big Tusker.
What a marvelous day we had with so many animals out and about this morning and many elephants to. Despite looking a bit thin most looked to be in good condition Even giraffe some of whom looked like a cross between reticulated and maasai giraffe graced us with their presence…..Lions sat or rather slept ontop of a small mound most obligingly make it possible for everyone to enjoying seeing them. By the time we caught up with  Joseph and his Tembo 2 team we had had very nice game viewing!! We searched and searched for a Tusker to no avail…spotting other small groups of elephants …eventually we threw in the towel…it was lunchtime and we were a long way from Satao Camp so we popped into Voi Wildlife Lodge for some lunch. Replete and finally dry after the intermittent rain…we drove back at a leisurely pace to the Camp !! What a great day!!
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African Elephant Coalition Elephants Safari
July 13, 2017

June/July- Visit to Meru National Park with Vera and Team FFW

After saying goodbye to the delegates , Headed northward with Vera, Nathanael & consultant to the Incomparable Meru National Park. This is one of the most iconic parks , resplendent in Natural beauty. This is a park that is dissected by 12 Rivers (only 4 currently flow) groves of doum palms , dams , swamps and a Rhino Sanctuary!! What a joy to be back in Meru after such a long time. We met with the AD & Park Warden ..had phenomenal game drives and stayed at Elsas Kopje’s an amazing camp built on the hill that Was Elsas hill!

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African Elephant Coalition
July 13, 2017

June : AEC Ecomm Comes to Nairobi

Patricia Awori

 

Representatives of the three subregions and partners gathered to Nairobi to deliberate on weighty matters on elephant conservation , strategy , aesthetics and upcoming conventions. We started with a visit to the amazing Nairobi National Park and the iconic ivory burn sight where we were able to pay homage to the men and women had paid the ultimate price in conserving wild species ! Three days of intense deliberations followed at the WestEnd Hotel , a three star hotel off Lower Kabete Road that resulted in a roadmap for 2017 and preparation for a full Coalition Meeting. We welcome new reperesentatives from Liberia & Ethiopia and Niger all of whom youthfuland dynamic . All to soon it was time to say goodbye..something that i truly dread. the “family” was together for two short a time!!

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Family
May 22, 2017

Sunday was the dogs day

Patricia Awori

 

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Safari
August 21, 2016

Goodbye Kalama Conservancy hello Mara North Conservancy

Patricia Awori

Before the sunrise we were up and out to see what we could find in the cool air and what a morning hyena sniffing the air suspiciously as jackals scrambled to finish their meal before hyanae caught up with them and eventually one ran away with lungs firmly clamped in his jaws. And then the majestic lions walking through the bush to rest during the heat of the day..one young one needed a play mate and no one seemed willing…and then finally the illusion one the leopard strutting across the plains until the whiff of lion had here scampering away and into the safety of a tree. We checked on our cheetah who were dozing and grooming in the shade…what a morning.

 

 

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Safari
August 20, 2016

Day 3 Saturday in Saruni Camp in Kalama Conservancy & Samburu Game Reserve

Patricia Awori
After getting sleep last night finally i was a happy camper this morning and ready to roll and what a magnificent sunrise was on show. Soon after arriving in the reserve we encountered lion footprints and decided to track them …after about 40 minutes of following lion footprints we managed to find lions resting among the salvadora and the toothbrush trees…ahh the exhilaration of tracking and being successful!! Much to my joy there were many elephants out and about and one group came to greet us showing us the young ones as the young males playfully fought. The mother cheetah was looking out furtively for prey to feed herself and her young but the prey seemed determined to elude her so she and her young eventually left in search of greener pastures and then there they were….6 female Kudus…i was soo excited to see them…they seem to be making a come back and both Greater and lesser and being seen periodically. Samburu offered up a wide array of birds from raptors, to ducks, waders to vulture . The waterdogs ran around tails held high whiskers blowing in the wind. A visit to Larsens Camp to use the facilities and breakfast on the banks of the Uaso Nyiro watching elephants drinking water, do their ablutions and generally have a good time  heightened our enjoyment of the morning and in no time it was 1pm time to trudge back to the Lodge..our last day in this eco system has been memorable.
in talking to the staff who are almost all from the local community how they felt about the advent of conservancies…they were all positive about the changes it has helped to make for them “jobs,schools and bursaries” The skill of the guides and trackers is amazing and once the worrying problem of overstocking of goats can be brought under control and better animal husbandry these areas should thrive.
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Safari
August 19, 2016

Day 2 on Samburu Game Reserve and Kalama Game Reserve

Patricia Awori

After an endless night where sleep proved elusive rose to a cup of hot water and after ablution made my way with the help of trusty samburu guard to the public areas . ..we had agreed to meet and depart at 0600 with a picnic breakfast in order to head to the reserve to see what we could see . The beautiful Somali Ostrich strutted about as the sun rose . This magnificent ecosystem is home to the special five …the reticulated giraffe, the grevy zebra, the beisa oryx , the somali ostrich and the gerenuk…..Well the morning spent in the reserve yielded sightings of all of these in addition to the Patriarch of lions in the ecosystem who looked to be in very good shape and a mother Cheetah with her three “teenagers” who looked to be in search of a good meal but the prey wasn’t co-operating. Breakfasting on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River was quite special as giraffe and elephant drank water a short distance away. We finally arrived back tired, well roasted by the sun and ready to enjoy a Saruni Lunch and well needed siesta!!
Tonights discussion:”conservation in african countries and the role of large NGO’s in this effort.

 

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