An African Experience

By Doreen Jung, Arts Editor. This summer I got the call. It was a call to adventure that led me to join my daughter on an African safari. We went on a camping tour with GAP Adventures, sleeping in tents under the starlit African sky and exploring wildlife reserves in Kenya.

Editor’s Note: All Photos by Doreen Jung.

Our tour group numbered eight and our guide was Helen Ndutah, a woman from the Kikuyu tribe.
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As a child, Helen lived in a traditional tribal village. Moving to Nairobi at the age of 8, Helen attended school followed by college where she studied tourism and wildlife. Her passion for conservation led to her first job as a ranger at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
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She then became a tour guide, sharing her knowledge of local wildlife and culture with visitors from around the world.
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Camping in the Samburu Reserve
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Our first camp was in the Samburu National Reserve, just north of the equator. Tents were set up within walking distance of the Uaso Nyiro River where many animals came to drink. Helen said, “There is a trail behind your tents which elephants use to reach the river.
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If you hear shuffling sounds in the early morning, that may be elephants heading to water. Don’t startle them.” Our group just gulped and nodded.

A Samburu warrior was our camp guard. He frequently chased off baboons that were very clever with zippers and man-made packaging. They are able to open zippers so we were warned to close our tents zippers to the top.
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If a baboon got into a tent, it could open suitcases and backpacks in its search for food. It would steal anything that caught its interest and leave destruction in its wake.

The Samburu Reserve is approximately 104 sq. km of open savannah, clusters of acacia trees, thorn trees, and grassland vegetation. We went on morning and afternoon game drives and saw many of the species that live in the reserve.
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Our first sighting of giraffes left most of us awestruck at their beauty and size. They moved with exceptional grace and elegance as they grazed on the leaves of the thorny acacia trees. The acacia tree is also enjoyed by a species of antelope called the gerenuk, sometimes called the giraffe-necked antelope. They often browse while standing on their hind legs and stretching their front legs into the branches.

Samburu Village
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A visit to a Samburu village brought us insight into the traditions and culture of a tribe almost untouched by western civilization. Samburu warriors performed a ceremonial dance and we admired the colourful beaded jewelry crafted by the Samburu women.

Beisa Oryx

The Samburu people are semi-nomadic herders of cattle, goats and camel. They are very dependent on their animals for survival. Their diet is mainly milk and blood from their cows.

Samburu woman

The Samburu people are able to collect blood from their cows by making a tiny nick in the jugular of the cow. After draining some blood into a cup, the wound is quickly sealed with hot ash. Because they live in an arid environment, their diet is supplemented by only a small amount of vegetables and roots. Meat is eaten on special occasions.
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Framing Samburu hut

Traditionally living in groups of 5 to 10 families, the Samburu live in settlements called manyattas. Their huts are built of sticks and plastered with mud and cow dung mixed with urine.
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Every 5 or 6 weeks, a group will move to find fresh pasture for their animals so their huts are easily dismantled and portable.
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Lake Nakuru
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Pelicans

Leaving Samburu, we crossed the equator and headed south to Lake Nakuru. A soda lake in the Great Rift Valley, the alkaline waters of Lake Nakuru is the home to millions of flamingos that famously line its shores.
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Many other species of birds thrive in this area and we were able to see great flocks of pelicans fishing alongside the flamingos.

A rich diversity of wildlife thrives in the national park surrounding Lake Nakuru. We saw herds of Cape Buffalo grazing on the plains.
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Black and white rhinos moved ponderously through the grasses. We noticed many of the large animals had riders on their back. Our guide explained the symbiotic relationship between the tick bird, also known as oxpeckers, and the rhino.
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The bird eats ticks it finds on the rhino’s hide and alerts the rhino to danger.

White rhino

Tick birds also get rides on other large animals such as giraffes, antelope, and buffalo because they provide the same service for them.
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The vast rolling grasslands, the dry barren deserts, and the lush vegetation along the rivers and lakes; these diverse regions formed habitats for a rich profusion of animal life.
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On our safari we saw some of nature’s most spectacular creatures.

Next Week: A Memorable Moment in the Masai Mara
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Doreen Jung

Editor’s Note: Doreen Jung is a member of the Abbotsford Arts Council and former Arts Administrator. She is Arts Editor of Today Media and her columns appear here regularly. This column appeared originally September 23, 2011.