Travelers to Kenya come mainly to see the wildlife. They spot several animals during the game drive. But they do not know the names of many. Most notable of them are the baboon, vervet monkey, common eland, bushbuck, Thomson’s gazelle and gerenuk. There are five species of baboon. There are five known subspecies of the vervet monkey. The most striking feature of common elands is their massive size. The distribution range of bushbuck in Kenya is extensive. A variety of markings accentuate the white rumps and tan buff coats of Thomson’s gazelle. Unlike other gazelles, the gerenuk is not sociable.
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All the animals spotted during a safari are wild. But some of them are very friendly towards humans. Two of such approachable animals in the wild are the greater kudu and the sitatunga. The longest-horned and tallest of the antelopes, the kudu, weighs around 600 pounds. It is known for its narrow-shaped body, large ears, long legs and brown coat with white torso stripes. The sitatunga is a semiaquatic, non-territorial, semi-social and sedentary animal that occurs only in permanent marshes or swamps. Partial to phragmites and papyrus within swamps, they also live in wetlands dominated by reeds, sedges and bulrushes.
The marginalized minority wildlife in the jungle of Kenya have their rights too. These animals share the same natural habitat in the wild as the widely popular Big Five. And yet so few know about their existence or are keen to study the impact of their life patterns in the ecology. One among such animals that is unheard of is known as bongo that belongs to the antelope family. It is an animal that is alien to almost all wildlife safari travelers who come to the magical world of Kenya. The bongo antelope occurs in the remote forests of Kenya.
The abundance of Kenyan wildlife attracts tourists from all walks of life. This diversity is seen in the national parks. Popular yet exotic wild animals of Kenya are the caracal, banded mongoose, bat-eared fox and aardwolf. The name caracal comes from a Turkish word meaning black ear. Having a broad habitat tolerance, the banded mongoose inhabit grasslands, woodlands, riverine areas and rugged country. Seen mainly in the regions that are grazed by domestic and wild ungulates, the black-eared fox prefers to lounge in the acacia tree shades and favor short savannah and grasslands. An aardwolf belongs to the hyena family.
Hippopotamus weighs around 8,000 pounds making it the second largest land animal after the elephant. Because of its physique, people believe that it is a sluggish and slow animal. On the contrary, it is quite ferocious that can kill anyone in sight almost instantaneously. In fact, records indicate that hippopotamuses kill more people than any other animal. Interestingly, there are incidents from field researchers’ reports of hippos attacking boats mistaking them for crocodiles. Therefore, these fearsome-looking quadrupeds have long had a reputation for being very aggressive animals. The longevity of hippos is around 61 years on an average in captivity.
Hippos adapt very well in the water, be it rivers or lakes or any swampy or marshy areas. The nostrils, mouth ears, eyes and other facial features of a hippopotamus are located very high on its tilted head and are kept shut to keep out water. Its location on top of the head also enables it to keep watch for predators. Hence, they can breathe, see and even eat comfortably while mostly submerged in the water. They are such large animals with robust builds that they can lie in the shallows or merely stand or walk on the lake floor.
Kenya is known for the majestic wildlife, expansive beaches and pleasant weather that attract both international and local tourists. Undoubtedly, people are willing to spend for a getaway in Maasai Mara. Surely, tourists come in droves during the wildebeest migration or to see the big five. They even bask in the tropical sun because of the serenity in Kenya. However, many of these safari travelers to Kenya are not aware of the fact that the country is rich with ancient fossil heritage dating 100 million years ago. The Kariandusi prehistoric site lies on the southeastern side of the Rift Valley.
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The most famous thing about West Tsavo Park is the Kilaguni Lodge. It is now part of the famous Serena chain, which is central to the park. Kilaguni is a Kamba word, a vernacular language in Kenya, meaning “the place of the young rhino.” This lodge was the very first and the only permanent accommodation for a long time in a wildlife reserve or a national park of Kenya. His Royal Highness, the Duke of Gloucester, officially opened this world-class establishment in West Tsavo in 1962 and is now a flying blue programme member. Staying there is an out-of-the-world experience.