Gerenuk and Somali Ostrich

Habitat: Scrubland throughout Samburu National Reserve.

Likelihood of sighting gerenuk: ★★★★1/2

Likelihood of sighting Somali ostrich: ★★★☆☆

As promised the other night at dinner, here’s a look at the two local specialties in Samburu, our second camp. Up top we have the gerenuk, aka the giraffe-necked antelope. These guys are fairly common throughout Samburu. The money shot is to see one on its hind legs, reaching for leaves high on a bush. The below shot is the male Somali ostrich. These guys aren’t quite as common, but we should at least see a few. The females are less spectacularly plumed and more of a uniform grey color.

Cheetah

Habitat: Cheetah can be found in a variety of habitats including dry forests, grasslands, open plains and desert regions.

Likelihood of sighting: ★★★☆☆

Other than lions, cheetah are usually one of the most often seen cats, especially in the Masai Mara. We should have good luck, but you never know. They tend to move in and out of large territories, so I’m only giving this a 3 out of 5 star probability. That said, I do love the babies when they still have white backs and resemble a honey badger from a distance. It is thought that this might be an adaptation to keep them safe. This young cub was curled up in its mother’s lap one late afternoon in the Mara.

Reticulated and Masai Giraffes

Habitat: Rainforests, forests, and savannas.

Likelihood of sighting: ★★★★★

I love giraffes. They are truly impressive beasts when you see them out there in their natural habitat. I especially love seeing them run. It’s both graceful and awkward at the same time. We should see plenty of them — especially Masai giraffes which we’ll see at our first camp (the bottom image was shot from the back deck of my tent at our first stop in the Masai Mara). The top shot of the mother and baby is the reticulated giraffe which we’re almost certain to see at our second stop in Samburu. You can see the different coat patterns between the two species.

Leopard

Habitat: Leopards are very widespread and can be spotted just about anywhere. That said, they can be very elusive.

Likelihood of sighting: ★★☆☆☆

Leopard are at the very top of many safari-goer’s wish list. They are relatively common, but because they are solitary and can be incredibly secretive, they can be difficult to see. That said, I’ve had very good luck in the Masai Mara as well as Samburu (and also spotted one while in transit from one camp to another while in Uganda). Here’s hoping luck is on our side. I’m still after my first baby leopard so that will be at the top of my wish list.

Elephant

Habitat: Usually in savannas, grasslands, and forests but can be found pretty much anywhere, including deserts, swamps, and highlands in tropical and subtropical regions.

Likelihood of sighting: ★★★★★

I’m going to just go ahead and guarantee elephants (hope that’s not a jinx). I don’t think I’ve ever gone two days in a row on safari without seeing at least one. They’re not good at hiding. And we can usually get very close. Reach out and touch them close, although that is not recommended. At all. We might even see them walk through our camp.

Dik Dik

Habitat: Shrublands and savannas throughout eastern Africa.

Likelihood of sighting: ★★★☆☆

Of the many species of antelope that we’re likely to see, the dik dik is among my favorite. They are really, really small — standing only about a foot to 16 inches at the shoulder. When running, they almost look like a jackrabbit bounding through the grass. Cute is a bit of an understatement for these little guys. Most likely we’ll see a few of them on our travels, including hanging around our first camp.

Serval

Habitat: Thickly planted streams and rivers in the savannas of central and southern Africa.

Likelihood of sighting: ★½☆☆☆

I’d love to see a serval on our trip. It’s possible, but the odds aren’t great. I’ve seen these medium-sized cats a few times before, but only twice during the day. But one of those daytime sightings was in the Masai Mara, which we will be visiting on our first stop. Servals tend to be solitary, stealthy hunters, active mostly at night. I’m sure I’ve driven right past a few that were crouched down in the grass waiting for the safari vehicle to pass before continuing the hunt. Hopefully luck will be on our side and we’ll get a good look at one.

Black-Backed Jackal

Habitat: Savannas and woodlands throughout east Africa.

Likelihood of sighting: ★★★★☆

Jackals look a lot like coyotes and their behavior is very similar as well. They are great scavengers and can often be seen trying to pester a lion off a kill (assuming it’s just a single lion). We are very likely to see one of these guys. They are actually a lot of fun to watch as they test their luck trying to snag whatever food they can. In this case, it happens to be the leg of a gazelle.

Verreaux’s Eagle Owls

Habitat: Arid semi-desert, to moist, tall woodlands throughout the areas we’ll be visiting.

Likelihood of sighting: ★★★☆☆

Verreaux’s eagle owls are the most commonly seen owl species on East African safaris. We stand a very good chance of at least an encounter or two. These two are young owlets just at the fledging stage. They were enjoying a good nap but also keeping an eye out for their mom to return to the perch, preferably with lunch.

Burchell’s Zebra

Habitat: Widely spread throughout treeless grasslands and savanna woodlands.

Likelihood of sighting: ★★★★★

The Burchell’s zebra, also know as the common or plains zebra is as close to a guarantee as we’re going to get. I remember my first visit to Africa and on day one, the guide kept driving right past the zebras as if they weren’t even there. I had to explain to him that I was, in fact, interested in viewing and photographing them. They’re that common. In addition to the Burchell’s, there are two other species of zebra as well, that aren’t quite so common — the Grevy’s and the Mountain zebra. If we’re lucky, we might also see the Grevy’s. The mountain zebra, however, only lives in small pockets of southern Africa.

Galago (aka Bush Baby)

Habitat: Woodlands and scrublands throughout both Kenya and Uganda

Likelihood of sighting: ★★☆☆☆

If you’ve spent any amount of time on my website, you know that I’m a big fan of all the nocturnal creatures that come out after most others call it a night. One of my favorites in East Africa is the galago, more commonly known as the bush baby. It’s hard to predict the likelihood of a sighting so I went a bit conservative. If the lodge knows of a nearby resident, then it shouldn’t be too difficult to find. The great thing about nocturnal mammals is that by shining a flashlight from near our eye level, it’s easy to see eye-shine of the animal and therefore locate it in a forest of trees or bushes. Recent rules forbid night drives in Kenya’s national parks, but seeing as Kenya and Uganda are near the equator, it always gets dark at around 6 PM, so we’ll have plenty of chances for nocturnal animals if we come back a bit late from our afternoon game drives. How late we stay out each day will be up to the group. One day we might want to linger a bit longer while others we might decide to get back to camp early.

Lion Cub

Habitat: Scrub, grasslands and open woodlands of the savanna

Likelihood of sighting: ★★★★½

We would be extremely unlucky to not see lions. In fact, historically unlucky, as I’ve never heard of anyone returning from safari and not having a least one or two sightings. Especially in Kenya where they are quite common. And like humans, babies can be born at any time during the year so cubs are also a strong likelihood. Lions are also at the very top of most safari-goers “to see” list so guides are always on the lookout and usually know a sure bet spot or two where they tend to hang out. Lions are social cats and we are likely to spot them in prides of several individuals, but also just as likely to spot lone males out canvassing their territory, or a group of females on the hunt. Seeing a kill in action is the ultimate experience, but I also love discovering a pride at rest. If cubs are in the pride, they will usually be up to all sorts of playful antics while the adults try to sleep.

Grey-Crowned Crane

Habitat: Grassland and wetland areas of the savanna in both Kenya and Uganda

Likelihood of sighting: ★★★½☆

I’ll be surprised if we don’t see a few of these well ornamented birds. I’ve seen them in both Kenya and Uganda and they can be spotted pretty much anywhere, even in and around villages. I’ve also seen mothers with chicks so here’s hoping we have the same luck come January. Notice the nice green backgrounds in all three portraits I’ve posted so far — one of the benefits of visiting in the green season when everything is more lush and enjoyable to be out and about exploring.

Bat-Eared Fox

Habitat: Open grasslands throughout Kenya

Likelihood of sighting: ★★★☆☆

Bat eared foxes are always a great sighting — not exactly all over the place, but we should see a few while in the Masai Mara and Samburu. Usually they are pretty skittish and will run if approached too closely. Pups, however — like the two pictured below — are much more curious, and if mom is out hunting, there’s a good chance they will accept a close approach and pose for a few photos. Like all wildlife, there are no guarantees (well, I don’t think there’s ever been a safari in the long history of safaris when guests didn’t see zebras, impalas, gazelles, warthogs, etc, but more on that in a future post).