Ol Pejeta Bush Camp, Ol Pejeta Conservancy
I’d heard the tales of the ‘Greater Honey Guide’ and their extraordinary relationship with man but never seen one before… But now at last here was one right in front of me. Of course it was Laetato, our tracker who heard it first, and now he was imitating its call as it fluttered ahead of us. In case you haven’t heard about this remarkable bird here’s a brief synopsis…
Many tribes throughout East Africa have developed a unique working relationship with this bird. It leads humans to a bee hive and in return the hunters offer the bird a little of the honey they find. Legend has it that if they fail to honor their side of the bargain then next time the bird will lead them to a snake or a lion.
Laetato is accompanying me, our guide Patnei and Alex Hunter on this late afternoon walk along the river bank in the northern sector of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy a little south of Mt Kenya. We’ve already spotted a pied kingfisher perched in a branch. Also on display were the tracks of Egyptian geese and buffalo, both after liquid refreshment.
Ol Pejeta’s Rhinos
Ol Pejeta is one of the best places in Kenya to see black rhino. It boasts with a population of around 80. Alex showed me several rhino middens – territorial dung mounds which are added to over time. The twigs on which the animal had been browsing were so cleanly topped and tailed that they looked like they had been through a commercial shredder.
As the sun set we headed back towards camp and Alex chatted about his fondness for running. Really ambitious runners can try and keep pace with Laetato but he thinks nothing of running 10 km! And the altitude here is over 2,000 m – though the benefit of this is that the conservancy is non-malarial.
A quick safari shower (for my money the best there is; although short they’re always hot and the water often carries the delicious odour of the fire that’s warmed it) and it was time for an elegant dinner outside. Lit by numerous lanterns which seemed in perfect keeping with the essence of safari. Read more about Ol Pejeta Bush Camp…
On the way to Nanyuki Airport, Laikipia, Kenya
Sadly my three days in this excellent conservancy are over and it’s time to head for the Maasai Mara. After my night at Ol Pejeta Bush Camp I was collected by Charles and driven across to Kicheche Laikipia. As it’s low season we have a lot of the 35,000 ha of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy to ourselves. And on our afternoon drive we get some fantastic sightings of Burchell’s and the rare Grevy’s Zebra.
Later that afternoon we watch a small herd of elephant browsing on the grass which has sprung up after the recent and very welcome rains. I make one small addition to my knowledge of elephant behavior. We watch as they use a calculated swipe from their front foot to uproot a bundle of grass already grabbed in their trunk… Fascinating!
