Kenya - Ol Pejeta Conservency Game Drive Part 3

African Buffalo

Also majestic are the African Buffalo with their characteristic horns. They are widely regarded as very dangerous animals, as according to some estimates they gore and kill over 200 people every year. Needless to say I wasn't leaving the car while they were around!
Other than humans, African  Buffaloes have few predators  aside from lions and large crocodiles. Another one of the 'Big 5' ticked off.

Reticulated Giraffes

As we continued on our way we were treated to sporadic views of Giraffes. Usually it was the large neck and the head appearing over a bush. Not surprising really as they are the tallest mammal in the world.

The Giraffes were 'Reticulated' unlike the Rothschild we had seen earlier in the trip at the sanctuary in Nairobi.

Waterbuck

We continued to see the 'regular cast' all through the day  Lots of Zebra ,, Grants Gazelle, Impala, Waterbuck. We did get the odd Ostrich too but they were fairly distant and not easy to photo.

Buffalo , Egrets and Baboons.

In the rich lush grassland we came across a 'troop' of Baboons. I believe the collective noun is troop although research shows that 'congress' is also used to describe a collection of baboons. This might be more to do with the fact that they are the loudest, most dangerous, most obnoxious, most viciously aggressive and least intelligent of all primates.





The one animal that had eluded us all day was the lion. Or 'Simba' for those fans of the 'Lion King'. I had nagging thoughts of going home without seeing a bloody Lion in Africa !

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy holds some of the highest predator densities in Kenya. The lions are the most numerous of their big cats, with six resident prides bringing the total lion population to 72. But today we are struggling to see one solitary Lion. They are out there somewhere but proving to be most elusive. 

The best time to see Lions is early morning and late afternoon I am told. The rest of the day they are content to find cover and sleep their day away. 

'Simba'

Big male resting in deep cover

The Conservancy is also home to around 30 cheetah, and 20 elusive leopard. It was mid afternoon and still no sightings and our hopes were beginning to fade if truth were to be told. 

One of the two Lionesses

We went a little 'off piste' from the usual track and met some Rangers coming the other way in their  vehicle. I thought we were going to get a telling off and told to go back from where we had come from. Instead they told us that there were Lions close by, 2 x females and a bit further on a large male. 

Looking to our left there were the 2 Lionesses , their heads just above the grassland. If we hadn't been told they were nearby we would never have spotted them , so well did they blend into the background. Sitting there they look peaceful and harmless but I wasn't about to get out and see. 
A little further on we spotted the huge male, again well hidden and laying down in the bush. On seeing us he raised his head slightly , decide that we were of little interest to him and settled back down to rest. 

I was amazed at the size of him , the head with his thick mane was massive, a really imposing sight.