Paradise Freebie

by: N. G. Maroa

PART II

We finally set up base at Camp Bargoi. It is a land of vast plains covered in lush green as far as the eye can see with acacias of many sorts. The stunning sculpt of the Acacia Tortilis, Acacia Kirkii and the white brush of bush of the Acacia Senegalise dot the landscape. In the midst of the trees, is the rustic Camp Bargoi. The camp is set on raised ground surrounded by thorny hedges to keep the animals at bay.

As we settle down for breakfast in the morning, a herd of resident gnus just outside the fence watch humans feed. Brilliant busts of the towering aloe in orange bloom carpet the knoll outside the camp. The sky is grey and seems like it will rain anytime. Undeterred, we decide to go for a game drive to explore the strange wild kingdom of the Mara. The gnus scamper away as we drive out.

A little more than half an hour, we come across a pride of 5 lions that appear to be stalking a herd of zebras. Had it not been for the keen eyes of Morgan, we wouldn’t have seen them. The tall grass is a perfect camouflage and it takes an effort to see them. As usual, when the cats are spotted, everyone makes a beeline for them. For the first-time visitor into the Mara, it’s the most awesome meeting of the king of the jungle. They lay patiently and waited for an opportunity to strike. But our jostling must have alerted the zebras of imminent danger and they managed to run away to the disappointment of the stalkers. And then the skies burst open. We decide to move on.

About five hundred meters from this scene, we come across a trio of cheetahs that are busy grooming each other by the roadside. In most cases the cats while away their time hunting or sleeping. These ones look like they have just fed hence the grooming. The Mara, an extension of the Serengeti, is the last of the wide-open spaces left to the wild cats like the spotted ones we’re watching. In Kenya we are lucky to have thousands of them still roaming freely in the game parks. But still, it is estimated that only 10% of these cats exist today compared to a century ago. It is the same for most wildlife. India, the country that gave the cheetah its name, has none left in the wild, the last ran into extinction in the 1940s.

A little more than two hours later, we are back at camp. A motley of colourful birds keep us company for lunch. The gnus are no where to be seen but a snake eagle circles the air as we settle down for a deserved meal of fried chicken and ugali washed down with tinned reds. It has been a rewarding trip.

N. G. Maroa