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Lion rubs mane on car tyres |
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Written by Philip Mbeke
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Friday, 05 March 2010 17:36 |
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While on an afternoon
Game Drive in our private conservancy, Daniel and his guests sighted the Bushtops pride of lions, the dominant black-maned male and the sub-adult male as they emerged from the croton bush south of the camp to begin their night hunt. Soon after emergence from the bush, they lay down and yawned in succession. The dominant male lion at one time walked to Daniel’s car and rubbed its beautiful black mane on the tyres of the car as the bewildered guests watched. The guests wondered aloud if they were safe with the lion so close. Daniel explained to them that lions do not recognize human being while in the car because they see them as part of the car. Daniel and his guests continued on their drive which was crowned by a beautiful sunset as they tossed their evening glasses to an evening well spent.
NB: * Same animal seen more than once
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Animals sighted
|
Scouts
|
Charles
|
Japheth
|
Daniel
|
David
|
Ferdinand
|
Joseph
|
Philip
|
Total
|
|
Aardvark
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aardwolf
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
African Civet
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
African Elephant
|
|
45
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
7
|
64
|
|
African Wild cat
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Banded mongoose
|
18
|
|
|
14
|
|
|
|
10
|
42
|
|
Bat-eared Fox
|
2
|
2
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
7
|
|
Black Rhinoceros
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wilderbeest
|
20
|
11
|
|
10
|
|
|
|
10
|
51
|
|
Bohor Reedbuck
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Burchell’s Zebra
|
45
|
24
|
|
18
|
|
|
|
10
|
97
|
|
Bushbuck
|
20
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
21
|
|
Cape Buffalo
|
10
|
2000
|
|
28
|
|
|
|
150
|
2188
|
|
Cape Clawless Otter
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cape
Hare
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
8
|
9
|
|
Caracal
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cheetah
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coke’s Hartebeest
|
1
|
7
|
|
30
|
|
|
|
30
|
68
|
|
Common Genet
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common/Golden Jackal
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Defassa Waterbuck
|
|
6
|
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
9
|
|
Dwarf Mongoose
|
10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
Eland
|
|
|
|
38
|
|
|
|
|
38
|
|
Grant’s Gazelle
|
10
|
9
|
|
10
|
|
|
|
70
|
99
|
|
Hippopotamus
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|
40
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40
|
|
Honey Bager/Ratel
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Impala
|
200
|
260
|
|
250
|
|
|
|
300
|
1010
|
|
Kirk’s Dik Dik
|
30
|
8
|
|
15
|
|
|
|
12
|
65
|
|
Klipspringer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Large-spotted Genet
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Leopard
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lesser Bushbaby
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lesser Kudu
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lion
|
2
|
17
|
|
2
|
|
|
|
12
|
33
|
|
Maasai Giraffe
|
2
|
15
|
|
10
|
|
|
|
3
|
30
|
|
Olive Baboon
|
|
49
|
|
|
|
|
|
30
|
79
|
|
Oribi
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Pangolin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Patas Monkey
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|
|
|
|
|
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Porcupine
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Rock Hyrax/Dassie
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Serval
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Side-striped Jackal
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
Silver-backed Jackal
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|
4
|
|
4
|
|
|
|
1
|
9
|
|
Slender Mongoose
|
10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
Small-spotted Genet
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spotted Hyena
|
1
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
|
Squirrel
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Steenbok
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|
2
|
|
|
|
|
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|
2
|
|
Striped Hyena
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|
|
|
|
|
|
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Striped Pole Cat/Zorilla
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|
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|
|
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|
|
|
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Thick-tailed Bushbaby
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thompson’s Gazelle
|
70
|
5
|
|
100
|
|
|
|
250
|
425
|
|
Topi
|
50
|
120
|
|
18
|
|
|
|
100
|
288
|
|
Vervet Monkey
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Warthog
|
2
|
30
|
|
4
|
|
|
|
60
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96
|
|
Water Mongoose
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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White-tailed Mongoose
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|
|
|
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|
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|
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Wild Dog
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Written by Philip Mbeke
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Thursday, 04 March 2010 19:32 |
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As we drove along the beautiful plains for the Masai Mara National Reserve, we were very lucky to sight 1 male cheetah lying on a termite mound braving the cloudy, cold weather that has persisted for the last couple of days following heavy downpours. As if that was not enough, about 300M away, its 2 brothers were busy hunting a group of Thompson gazelles (Gazella thomsoni) but were unsuccessful.
On our way back from Talek river where we had gone to see the Hippos, we again sighted the cheetah we had seen earlier, this time hunting a Topi (Damaliscus korrigum). As it approached the Topi stealthily from behind, the Topi kicked the cheetah so hard with its hind leg, making the cheetah to run away into the nearby croton bush never to show up again.
NB: * Same animal seen more than once
|
Animals sighted
|
Scouts
|
Charles
|
Japheth
|
Daniel
|
David
|
Ferdinand
|
Joseph
|
Philip
|
Total
|
|
Aardvark
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aardwolf
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
African Civet
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
African Elephant
|
|
|
|
|
|
25
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|
20
|
45
|
|
African Wild cat
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Banded mongoose
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12
|
15
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|
Bat-eared Fox
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5
|
|
Black Rhinoceros
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2
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2
|
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Wilderbeest
|
40
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|
|
|
|
|
|
9
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49
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Bohor Reedbuck
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Burchell’s Zebra
|
40
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|
|
|
|
60
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|
4
|
104
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|
Bushbuck
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18
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18
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|
Cape Buffalo
|
10
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|
|
|
40
|
20
|
|
60
|
130
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|
Cape Clawless Otter
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cape
Hare
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Caracal
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Cheetah
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
3
|
|
Coke’s Hartebeest
|
1
|
|
|
|
4
|
30
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|
200
|
231
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|
Common Genet
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Common/Golden Jackal
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Defassa Waterbuck
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|
|
|
|
|
|
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2
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2
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Dwarf Mongoose
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11
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|
|
|
|
|
|
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11
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|
Eland
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grant’s Gazelle
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
15
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|
300
|
318
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|
Hippopotamus
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|
|
|
|
|
100
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|
20
|
120
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|
Honey Bager/Ratel
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Impala
|
800
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|
|
|
120
|
400
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|
300
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1620
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Kirk’s Dik Dik
|
20
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|
|
|
|
2
|
|
4
|
26
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|
Klipspringer
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Large-spotted Genet
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Leopard
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Lesser Bushbaby
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Lesser Kudu
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lion
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
26
|
|
14
|
43
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|
Maasai Giraffe
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5
|
|
|
|
|
14
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|
1
|
20
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|
Olive Baboon
|
70
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|
|
|
|
70
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|
30
|
170
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|
Oribi
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Pangolin
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Patas Monkey
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Porcupine
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Rock Hyrax/Dassie
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Serval
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
1
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|
Side-striped Jackal
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Silver-backed Jackal
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3
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|
|
|
|
|
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3
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Slender Mongoose
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1
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1
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Small-spotted Genet
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|
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|
|
|
|
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Spotted Hyena
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3
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|
|
|
|
2
|
|
4
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9
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Squirrel
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Steenbok
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Striped Hyena
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Striped Pole Cat/Zorilla
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thick-tailed Bushbaby
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thompson’s Gazelle
|
60
|
|
|
|
20
|
50
|
|
700
|
830
|
|
Topi
|
38
|
|
|
|
30
|
120
|
|
500
|
688
|
|
Vervet Monkey
|
|
|
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
2
|
|
Warthog
|
18
|
|
|
|
20
|
16
|
|
60
|
114
|
|
Water Mongoose
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
White-tailed Mongoose
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Wild Dog
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|
|
|
|
|
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