Elephants On Parade
I was struck by the difference in climate and terrain after just a short plane ride from one camp to the next while in Kenya. I started with several days in Olare Orok Conservancy, which is adjacent to Maasai Mara National Park. This is a great private conservancy with lots of big cats, antelope, giraffes, birds and... did I mention big cats? (See previous post) This is probably the Kenya most familiar to people - famous for it's beautiful savannahs and gentle hills, and of course the great migration.
From there I flew to Amboseli, near the Tanzanian border and under the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro. While only fifty minutes away by bush plane, Amboseli was nearly desert, with flat dry plains and a few large spring-fed swamps. I was also there right before the rainy season and they've been having a drought, so it was particularly dry. That said, the name Abmoseli is derivative of a Maasai name meaning "place of dust". And while there are still big cats in the area, the main attraction here is the elephants. You might not expect elephants in an place as dry as this, but those swamps are a big magnet for all of the animals in the area. In fact, that's why going in the dry season can be a good idea for photographers, because wildlife is concentrated around wherever the water is. Every day the elephants trek miles from their home in the nearby forests to the swamps to cool off, hydrate, and feed on the swamp grass. Then, they turn around and head back. So in the mornings and afternoons they can be seen in groups making their way across the plains, and in between you can find them feeding in the marshes. After a few days, you start to recognize certain families or individuals. It was a great experience. Here's some images from my time in Amboseli:
