The lodge has coffee and snack cakes ready. It is strong Kenyan coffee and I like it.
There is a slight chill in the air as we pass through the gate to the Mara. The coffee is working to keep us warm.
The ostrich are in force and grazing.
http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/ostrich
We observe Topi and gazelle. The reticulated giraffes have spots that are variegated and have a deeper color than the spots of the Rothschild’s giraffe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giraffe
A herd of elephants were preparing to cross the road but paused. It was as if they were having a conference to reassure a young one that the different texture of the road surface was ok to walk on. We saw this behavior once again and the adults had to physically nudge the calf to get it to cross the road. The front legs were locked on the ground as the rear legs were lifted up in an effort to get the calf going. “I am not going to go” the baby said. The adults were very gentle in their encouragement. It is incredible to see these large and powerful animals show such a delicate touch. 
I asked if hunting was permitted. “Not in Kenya. Poachers are shot on sight.”
Our driver told us of an incident where some poachers shot a small herd of elephants for the tusks.
They decided to wait a few days to harvest the tusks to give the marrow some time to dry to get a better yield. They left the area and returned a week later. In the interim some lions got the scent of the carcasses and investigated. The hides were too tough for them to chew through so they waited. The eight poachers arrived and put down their rifles and began cutting the tusks off. The lions ambushed them. Park rangers found eight human skeletons a few days later. Not a shot was fired. Poaching dropped to zero for some time after that.
A hawk was in a treetop. Ostriches pecked at the ground.
We stopped and watched a secretary walking about pecking at the ground. Our driver said he was looking for snacks. We perked up thinking that a snickers bar was to be found. He meant to say “snakes.” We had a laugh about that and assured our driver that we were not making fun of his accent. His English was excellent. Our Swahili vocabulary had 5 words.
We passed a lioness napping in the grass about 5 yards from the road. She did not stir from our presence. I wanted to rub her behind the ears to see if she would purr. The thought passed rather quickly however.
It was the beginning of rainy season in Kenya. April averages 10” or so. Not a big deal in Florida but the dynamics are different here. The arid land explodes with growth with just a little rain. The result is that the high grass that gives predators a good place to hide and stalk their prey. Many of the prey have figured this out and have migrated to other areas. Roads get muddy and difficult to travel rather quickly. The clay soil gets slick!
Now don’t get me wrong, we did see lots of animals in quantity and number of species.
What we did not see were a lot of were other game vehicles. That is a plus. There were others but they did not out number the animals. One advantage of the other drivers is that they all have two-way radios and if they spot something they put the word out. There was good cooperation with all of the drivers.
Back at the Mara Simba Lodge 3 of us decided to take a wander around the lodge area. The General Manager, James Koileken saw us head out and sent a staff member to give us the tour. The facility is off the grid and self contained. Our guide shows us the power building, which houses 4 generators. Due to the light guest list they were using the smallest generator. To conserve fuel the generator was shut down at regular intervals for 3 to 4 hours. After breakfast, lunch and from midnight to 4am. There was a well-equipped garage and workshop that was spotless. Two men were working on an engine that was on a lift and getting ready to go back into a vehicle. A fuel depot was on site also. The lodge has tents available in addition to the rooms we stayed in. These are not tents that you stuff into your kayak. The have solid floors, mahogany bed frames and a separate shower and toilet room. Granite countertops compliment the mahogany used for the bathroom vanities.
I can only imagine the logistics of building a place like this in the middle of nowhere. It must have been quite a construction project.
When the Mara Simba is at capacity they have a staff of 130. Now only 15 to 20 people are working. The post election violence has taken a heavy toll.
“When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.”
On the afternoon game drive we saw two lionesses laying in the grass, one was outstretched on her back while the other licked her face.
Bill C. joined us for dinner again and told us some more about the “Mt. Kenya Tree Reforestation Project.”Charcoal and firewood are the primary sources of energy in urban areas. The expanding population is straining the thinning forests. Bill and other groups have introduced fast growing trees to curtail or reverse the desertification that is occurring in some areas.
One of the most effective ways of educating the people about the advantages of conservation is to give presentations in the schools and get the children involved. Nurseries have been started on or near school grounds and children take seedlings home and tend to them. This gets the whole family involved.
I applaud Bill's efforts.
While we are having a dinner a Genet crosses one of the open beams above us.
http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/genet
The monkeys swoop the tables as soon as we leave.
We walk to the bar end of the pavilion and a large croc is on the riverbank a foot from the electric fence. I did not have my camera with me.
We turn in for the evening. Things really go bump in the night here. Mongoose rustle through the thatched roof, monkeys bang loudly on the door at 2 or 3 am. Other things stir. The power is off at this time so our small flashlights are the only source of light. It occurs to me that the electric fence around the lodge is not very effective at the moment. I make a mental note to inquire about it in the morning and fall back asleep, snoring loudly.
More to come...
