Flat Stanley Goes to Kenya (12): The Giraffe Centre

The Giraffe Centre was a new experience for Stanley. As he prepared for the safari, Stanley had talked a great deal about how much he likes giraffes, and he was really happy he was going to see them up in the wild. Like many of us, he had a hard time expressing just which animal is his favorite, but as he and Mr. Andrew talked about the giraffe (which is Mr. Andrew's favorite animal), it seemed to me that the giraffe was going to be for Stanley as the elephant is for me. I don't think he realized, though (or perhaps Mr. Andrew and I didn't tell him) that he would have the opportunity to visit with giraffes up close, and in person.

It all happens at the Giraffe Centre in Lang'ata, a suburb of Nairobi. Back in 1979, Jock Leslie-Melville, a Kenyan citizen of British background and his wife Betty built an extraordinary home there and set up a trust to save the endangered Rothschild giraffe. They brought several of the animals to their home (it's now a luxury hotel called Giraffe Manor) and the Giraffe Centre is the educational institution formed to teach young people about giraffes and wildlife in Kenya.

We had a great time at the Giraffe Centre, including hearing a very fine presentation by a young educator who taught us a much about the giraffes. We came away knowing more than we ever expected to know about these beautiful, gentle beasts. And the best part was getting to know them first-hand.

Nairobi Nat'l Park - Enda Salama

So I guess the final safari photos (for this visit to Kenya) are now done, and I'm happy to share Mr. Guy's Nairobi Nat'l Park (2) Album as a sort of last look for friends and colleagues who have been enjoying these postings. A nice sort of "final look," if you will. Mostly African buffalo, zebras, and giraffes, but now it's time to say good-by to the adventure of a lifetime.

There will be more safaris. No question of that. Probably not during my August visit to Kenya, as that is planned for some pretty serious and probably very intensive professional work, and there won't be time to get away. But December is already planned, with two friends determined to share some of what Mr. Guy experienced during these past six months (and perhaps others joining us as well - we'll see).

As for how we'll organize our December safari, we've got it all worked out, and what we're putting together makes a lot of sense. And we are, in fact, doing very little ourselves.

Having discovered that in addition to being Mr. Guy's driver par excellence Charles Masese is also skilled as a tour guide and organizer,we are turning to him for future safari planning and guiding. And anyone else who wants to contact him, (charlesomasese@gmail.com) is welcome to do so. You will find a joyful and very competent welcome to Nairobi - the man is really good at what he does and I heartily recommend Charles Masese for his work. He is in charge (my favorite words are when Charles says, "Leave it to me" - in six months I've never been disappointed!).

And I am already looking forward to the December safari with my friends. And to have him "taking care" of me (a phrase used in Kenya a lot) whenever I'm in Nairobi or environs, I've come to know Charles and experience his competence. I'm very happy to recommend him.

Whether during the December safaris (and there will be several, and probably none more than two nights away from Nairobi, which does seem to serve as the safari "capital" of Africa), we'll have an "historical" sighting or not is something that cannot be predicted. As I think I've pointed out several times, the idea of a game drive is primarily that one has the potential to see the wildlife, but there are no guarantees. But if we can experience even some of the beauty of what I've enjoyed over the past six months, we (and anyone else who comes to Kenya for a safari) are going to indeed have the adventure of a lifetime. Enda Salama.

Masai Mara (13): An Historic Sighting

While I had made it clear to Charles and to Tomas that I would dearly love to see more elephants, as many as we could fine, I was pretty comfortable with the idea that one doesn't necessarily see what one expects (or wants) to see on a safari.

So I was pretty satisfied with our previous sighting, and if that had to be the extent of my elephant viewing, I would not allow myself to be disappointed. That was a magnificent animal and even though, while early on in our visit with him we speculated about why he was out there all alone (even wondering if he were ill or indisposed in some way), Tomas assured us that it is not unusual for a single elephant - especially a male - to be out by himself. And I knew a little of that, for in my readings I had come across one author who commented about how males are generally "invited" to leave their birth group when they are in their early teams. While some of them roam about in bachelor herds, it's not at all unusual to see a male by himself. After all, he's hardly in any danger, with all his bulk, and except for the humans (especially the poachers, but they are pretty much on the wane now, particularly in Kenya where there is a "shoot-to-kill" law for poachers caught in the act), I don't think the male elephants have much to worry about.

Which leads us to what had to be one of the most remarkable days of my life. We were out on an afternoon game drive, and we had already seen some lions and even a big ol' rhino over on the top of a hill, too far away to photograph. But there didn't seem to be much else about (except, as always, the impala, the African buffalo, the wildebeest - they're always around!).

So we just kept on driving, leaving the track when we wanted to and meandering on across the grass on several occasions. There were very few people out on game drives this afternoon, and only a few vans and 4WDs could be seen from time to time, so we ourselves were pretty much on our own.

And yes, from time to time one of us would comment about how nice it would be to see some more elephants. And in fact Tomas did spot a herd quite a distance away, deep in the forest, but we could hardly see them they were so far. Then Charles saw a herd off in another direction. These, too, were very far away, and there was a lot of grassland between us and them, and some pretty deep ravines, but they looked pretty inviting. So we didn't debate long.

"Hey, guys, we're in this for some adventure. Let's go for it."

So Mr. Charles took out across the grass, with the van bumping and jumping all along the way, and Tomas and me standing in the back and holding on for dear llife. We were way off the track by now, but as we began to climb slowly up the other side of the ravine, where the grass was much shorter, there up in front of us was one of the most magnificent herds of elephant I could ever hope to see. We drove up a little nearer, turned off the engine, and just sat there and feasted our eyes.

Pretty soon the herd began to wander off into the forest, and lo and behold! There was another huge herd (we're talking about 12-15 adults and who knows how many calves?), off on the other side. Then a big bull (massive - probably one of the biggest elephants I've ever seen) went off by himself, into a different part of the woods, and as we watched him move away, we realized that there in front of us, off in the clearing, was a huge herd of giraffe, all coming out of the trees one at a time, looking around, them coming out into the open area. We drove over a little closer, again turned off the engine, and just sat there.

Soon more giraffes, more elephants, and of great surprise to us, zebras. I tried to keep taking pictures but it was hard. I was just too excited, but some of what I took - probably far too many! - are here at Mr. Guy's Masai Mara (13) Album.

And it was an amazing spectacle. It was as if we were at some sort of elephant-zebra-giraffe show, and we were surrounded on all sides. And off to the right, Mr. Big Bull was having himself a grand old time, snapping off trees so he could get to the juicy leaves at the top of each one.

We hadn't thought about it, but as we were parked in a clearing, we could easily be observed by the other tour vehicles on their own game drives, and pretty soon two or three other vans drove up to join us. All the drivers and guides know the rules of the road, of course, and they all thanked us as they came up alongside, and we all sat quietly, saying little to one another but sharing some good stories and observations. We even starting counting the animals, but I soon last track (Charles counted the giraffes, and he got up to 38 before he stopped!).

It was a remarkable experience, and as the afternoon began to wind down - and we knew we would have to get back to the road before dark - would want to get back to the road before dark, we quietly said our good-byes to the other guides and tourists. And one fellow, who looked like he could have come out of a 1950s Hollywood film about the tough old guide who leads the great white hunter around, really surprised us.

"I've been doing this a long time," he said. "I've never seen anything like this. This is historic."

Masai Mara (11): Giraffes

So the debate continues: What is Mr. Guy’s Favorite Animal? After all those affectionate words about the lion in the previous post, and all that’s been said in earlier posts about the docile gracefulness of the zebra, a picture seems to be falling into place.

Careful. We haven’t spent much time speaking about the giraffe and if you want to think about graceful, it’s hard to compare the movements – and the visual beauty – of a giraffe quietly moving across the plain, with some lovely foliage climbing up the hillside behind him. Pretty spectacular. George Balanchine couldn’t have staged it better.

As for the zebras… Their gracefulness will be pretty clear, I think, in a later post (but truth to tell, although there are plenty of them at the Masai Mara Game Reserve, for some reason there did not seem to be as many herds of zebra wandering about when I was there, just as I’ve observed on other safaris – again supporting the idea that a game drive is basically just a drive that provides the potential to see the wildlife – there are no guarantees).

But oh, the giraffes. Until I got to Africa, I never knew there were actually three races of giraffe, and truth to tell I’m not sure I’m clever enough to tell them apart. Apparently their distinctive differences have to do with where they live, the Maasai giraffe in the south and east of Kenya (and presumably what I saw at Masai Mara). In the north there is the reticulated giraffe – now endangered – and in the west the Rothschild’s giraffe. I remember Charles pointing the Rothschild giraffe out to me as we travelled on one of the safaris – I remember the name – but I’m afraid I didn’t look closely to see what made it different. Or perhaps it was when Charles and I visited the Giraffe Center in Nairobi last autumn at some point, or when I posted some pictures of giraffes from Hell’s Gate National Park on 6^th January.

But it doesn’t matter. No matter which of the three I see, I continue to be amazed at the beauty and the elegance of the giraffe, and it’s easy to see just how captivated I am, for I’m anxious to share even more giraffe photographs, these from Masai Mara, Mr. Guy’s Masai Mara (11) Album.