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A TRIP TO LAKE NAKURU

If you *do* come to East Africa, you would be well advised to take at least a day for LAKE NAKURU. A day trip from Nairobi is quite a marathon - we left the MAXWELL ADVENTIST ACADEMY campus about 4:15 a.m., and returned that night at 10:15 p.m. A loooooooooooooooooooooooong day in a Land Cruiser, but worth every minute - especially since Kent was driving…and over here, that means a lot more than it does at home.

Lake Nakuru is well-known for the Lesser Flamingo, which feeds on the various algae that thrive in the alkaline waters of this very shallow lake. From up on the ridge, we could easily see concentrations of flamingos at various locations all around the lakeshore,

but with binoculars it became plain that the ENTIRE lake was dotted with innumerable flamingos….there were easily hundreds of thousands, and perhaps the million that someone promised us. It’s an incredible sight. The photograph also highlights the challenge for Kenya in the next decades - how to accommodate a growing population while simultaneously protecting the wildlife (meaning the habitat on which it is so totally dependent) that is her patrimony, and the source of a LOT of funds for the nation. A propos of that last, the non-resident admission to Nakuru for 24 hours is US$60.00 each, payable in cash at time of entry. Worth it, folks! Right now, the town of Nakuru provides the effluent from its sewage plant to the lake—something immensely valuable in the dry season, so long as proper treatment is assured…which is something that Kenya needs to see to.

Actually, the first thing we saw (after the monkeys trying to get us to feed them outside the ticket office) was a magnificent hippo grazing on the lawn next to the entrance gate, surrounded by Helmeted Guinea Fowl. They are reported to spend the day in the lake, although it’s hard for me to imagine how that would work - it’s just too shallow. But, I don’t know of any rivers or streams sufficiently large to accommodate hippos, either, so it’s a mystery to me.

Out at the lakeshore, along with the flocks and flocks and flocks of flamingos

there were also “mounds” of pelicans…..

They were incredibly noisy and extremely beautiful - much more colorful than the ones we’re used to. Where a creek entered the lake, large numbers were feeding, presumably on little fish schooling at the point where fresh water meets the brine of the lake. There was a cacophony, as pelicans dipped their bills, swallowed their catch, flapped in and out of the water in a pattern I never did discern. I could have filled an entire memory card here….along with a bunch of other places.

Another species we saw in great numbers was the Cape Buffalo….these have been called “the most dangerous game animal in Africa”, and they can certainly look the part!

On the other hand, later on I read that their lethality is carefully directed—the buffalo has killed more *hunters* than any other big game animal in Africa….and apparently THAT is how they got their reputation as killers. They are certainly large enough, and their head appears hard enough, with the big “boss” on their forehead where the two horns come together. Of course, lying down and chewing their cud, they also could be thought of as slightly domestic….

Less intimidating, and far more graceful, were the giraffes - here the Rothschild’s rather than the Masai variety we saw in Nairobi National Park. In a wooded area, we saw an adult and three young ones:

But the REAL treat in giraffes was out on the open plain at the edge of the lake—when 16 (yes, that’s sixteen) giraffes walked by our vehicle, no more than 100 feet away from us. Most of them walking steadily along, peering over at us now and then, the younger ones occasionally breaking into a run, and bringing up the rear, this magnificent male!

Smaller critters were also plentiful—we saw both Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelles, and loads of beautiful Impala. These antelope all have polygynous societies, so “excess” males hang out in bachelor groups - where they “practice” for the challenges to the dominant bucks and assist each other in defense against predators. Try as I might, I couldn’t see why this guy was lying around with the bachelors, rather than superintending a batch of females!

Lake Nakuru is now an official sanctuary for rhinos of both varieties - we saw one black rhino, and were actually charged by it when we got a bit too close. A wild ride ensued, but we escaped. However, the White Rhino was our rhino highlight for the day—we saw between 25 and 30 different individuals during the day, with most of them in the last two or three hours before dark. At one point, we spotted seven large individuals together in a wallow…in this photo you can actually count all seven of them:

Well, maybe not in this size….but here is a different shot that I’ve enlarged a bit. You can’t see all of them, but on the right was a championship rhino horn - the very thing that makes these wonderful beasts so endangered. Chinese traditional medicine values rhino horn for its alleged aphrodisiac properties, and that nation’s prosperity has fueled a poaching boom that has decimated Africa’s rhino populations several times over…..

We got REALLY close to these wonderful, “tank-like” creatures at a waterhole set up to supply the Park’s wildlife in the dry season….and a genuine face-off occurred. There were two large rhinos down in the waterhole, with another real giant lying down waiting his turn….while a group of buffalo stood around looking dry! Twice, individual buffalo approached the waterhole, and you could almost hear them whine “Come on guys, give a fellow a turn!”....but in both cases, the near rhino came out of the hole and attacked the buffalo making the appeal….it was kind of sad at one level, and funny at another. As we left, the giant had gotten up and the big guy in the waterhole was confronting HIM. Water is a very precious commodity - the difference between life and death, and well worth fighting over.

We watched these creatures from about 40 feet away - there is nothing like seeing mammals of this power from this close! Just amazing. Smaller creatures abounded, including many wonderful birds. Ostrich, lilac-breasted rollers (like in Nairobi National Park), several types of starlings

and these WONDERFUL Secretary Birds crossing the runway of the local airstrip - two of them, stalking along in their bermuda shorts…ignoring us as they headed for someplace else…..

I got a better picture of the guinea fowl than the ones with the hippo—mostly they were too far away for good pictures, particularly since they are shy, and run as soon as we stopped the vehicle. These guys were more cooperative, though…

Something that shows up more and more these days in East Africa, with the spread of western culture, is the “bag-bird”....we have added this to the “leaf-bird”, the “branch-bird”, the “rock-bird” and other such faux aves. They come in all sorts of colors - the one pictured is most likely the terrestrial cerulean bag-bird

We saw baboons all over the place - large troupes searching the grassland for anything edible. Some were REALLY big - and close

Of course, they don’t start out like this—here’s junior getting a ride to the new foraging spot

There were other primates - lots of vervet monkeys here and there….but the highlight of the day for primates were the colobus monkeys. A group of them up in trees near the road - including two babies, who in their play, managed to knock one of them to the ground - a straight fall of 40-50 feet. We couldn’t tell what the outcome was - but unless there was a rock where he fell, I doubt that serious injury resulted. I’m always amazed at how these guys manage to sleep in the trees without falling out

We saw lots of zebra - this one was so friendly, it reminded us of domestic horses…it just stood there for a while, looking at us, then looking away, with no sign of fear. I just love this pattern on the forehead….

The really “odd” zebra of the day was this one, with its “saddle-blanket”....I have a bunch of pictures, but in every one you see that curious “sheen” on the distinctive spot - it could be the angle, but it showed up every single time. Anyhow, it’s an awful thought, but wouldn’t that make a lovely “rug”? I know, I know….but when Mrs. Lion has lunch one day, that skin is going to be totally wasted!!

Speaking of lions…there was plenty of evidence of their work in the Park - I took photos of a few of them. It’s at times like this that I’m really grateful that we’re not “prey” on a regular basis…

Life can be tough at Lake Nakuru, if you’re old or sick or inattentive….

The creators of these grisly reminders were a special target of ours….we really hoped to see a leopard, which are known to be in the Park, and which the Crutchers have seen on a previous trip…but that didn’t work out for us. However, as we approached an outcrop at one point,

Gail was thinking about where she would like to lie up if she were a lioness….and she began to pay attention to the rocks at the end of this outcropping…..

We were coming in on the road to the left of the above photograph, with much of the rocks at the end out of sight. This is more what we could see - although obviously not in a closeup like this….

The lioness’ head was down when Gail caught the glimpse of tawny fur, and began to say “Wait….wait….look on the rock” and we stopped and began to scan with our binoculars. I’m not sure how she managed to catch the glimpse, but it was a great sighting…..and we eventually spotted THREE lionesses lying up there, surveying the plain out front, paying special attention to the various grazing mammals passing in parade, and waiting for dusk. When we got back there in early evening, a number of cars had gathered, and this gives you an idea of how close we were

There was lots more….this, for instance

that I took especially for Gibby. But, it’s late and I have grading I really don’t want to do - plus I have to get up at 6:40 to get to breakfast and then class. We got lost on our way out of the Park, had to backtrack, and didn’t make the exit until well after dark. Then it was a long drive back to the school, where we arrived at 10:15 - we could hardly walk! 18 hours in a Toyota will do that for you. Worth everything we paid, however—I’ve been reading about, and looking at pictures of, East Africa since Papa used to read National Geographic with me….and to be here is just magic!

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