Travel To Kenya To Get To Know The Wild Animals

1) Herbivores

An herbivore is a name given to animals that are mainly vegetarians. They only eat greens, somewhat equivalent to a human vegetarian. They usually occur in the vast grasslands where there is a lot of greenery, trees and shrubs. The way they get their energy is by eating plants, grass, vegetables, leaves of trees and some fruits. They eat all day long, some of the herbivores even after sunset, especially on moonlit nights. The particular digestive system of many herbivores is adapted to digest this diet.

Suni, oribi, duiker, impala, warthog

Anatomically and physiologically, the small herbivores of Kenya adapt to eating plant materials. As a result of their diet, these herbivores typically have mouthparts adapted to rasping. They are rarely a threat to other animals or human beings. But wild animals such as lions, cheetahs, crocodiles and hyena prey upon them. The suni, oribi, duiker, impala and warthog are the small herbivores found in Kenya.

a) Suni

Suni is a small antelope with long, slender legs. It has a thin build and relatively high hindquarters. Horns are short, spike-like, heavily ridged, wide set, black and are in line with the face, but only male suni have them.

Small colourful antelope

The body color of a suni varies between individuals from rufous to grizzled tan-brown, with the inside surfaces of the legs, belly, under-parts, chin and throat being white. It has a speckled appearance that ranges from gray to rich chestnut color with a reddish tinge. The lateral sides of its body are pale. The brown head tapers sharply to a point at the muzzle. The tail is dark above and white underneath. The rounded, big and thin-skinned ears appear bright pink in sunlight. The eye has a pale ring, and each leg has a ring of black band above the hoof.

Mark my territory

In front of the eyes, a suni has long preorbital glands, which features prominently in grown-up males. A pungent smell originates from their preorbital glands. They mark their ranges with secretions from these large preorbital glands and also with dung middens. Well-trodden pathways run through each of their home range.

Constantly active antelope

A suni is busy throughout the day and night. However, they tend to be more active during dusk and dawn, as well as overnight. They are sensitive to predators. They typically freeze in position if a threat is detected. Males appear to be territorial, overlapping their areas with that of the females. There are no firm bonds between the genders. They use their sleeping spots very frequently.

b) Oribi

The oribi is perhaps the smallest ruminant. It lives in small herds or pairs. The oribi has a slender body and is long-necked and long-limbed. It weighs about 14 kg and stands 76 cm high. The males have spike-like horns. Some oribis may gather on neutral ground.

Short, colourful antelope

The oribi’s color differs from one location to another. The coat is tan to reddish brown. Its under-parts, rump, ear insides, and throat are white. It has a stubby black tail. There is a white line over each eye and a black glandular spot below each ear.

Fine appetizing cuisine

The oribi is dependent on high grass for cover and food, limiting its geographic range to more upper regions. When palatable green grass is unavailable, it eats foliage, forbs and herbs. It derives enough water from its metabolic content in its stomach to be water independent. They leave their territories to visit lawns of short grass and mineral licks created by larger ruminants as well as post-burn flushes of vegetation during summer. When fires remove all cover, herds of up to twelve forms, but lacking the cohesion of other species, the members scatter when put to flight. When flushed they run away in a zigzag manner.

Both gender characteristics

Females tend to grow slightly larger than males. Both males and females defend territories against same-gender strangers and demarcate property with dung middens. The male spends much of his time marking and patrolling the territory’s boundaries. Family members communicate using the odours from their scent glands and with different versions of the whistling alarm snort.

Traditional family structure

Although oribis live in conventional mated pairs, polygamous variations on the monogamous territorial theme do exist. Half of oribi territories may include two or more families.

Birth of newborns

Oribis give birth mostly during the rainy season. Newborns are dark and remain hidden. But they develop very rapidly, reaching the size of an adult by one year.

c) Duiker

Duiker is a small antelope that lives in the forest or the bushy areas of Kenya. There exist 21 species of them, which include the red duiker, blue duiker, Ader’s duiker and bush duiker. They are the most common of all the antelopes. They are seen mainly in the Shimba Hills Reserve during the afternoon and into the night. The lifespan of a duiker is 12 years.

Food for body

Duikers feed on leaves, fruits, seeds and flowers. From time to time they eat insects, lizards, small rodents and birds. The duiker has an arched, slender body, large ears and long hind legs with shorter front legs and is lighter in color. Their under-parts are white and have a black band near their nostrils.

Different gender characteristics

The male duiker has small horns, but the female duiker does not have horns. The males stand at 50 cm and reach 18 kg while the females are 20 mm taller and weigh 21 kg. Male duikers often fight and are very territorial, chasing away strangers of the same sex, especially when they invade their zones. They live in small territories marked with their secretions. Males and females share regions and come together when they mate. They spend their time grooming each other’s heads. Duiker courtship involves noisy and prolonged chases in the area before mating. The gestation period of the female is six months. A calf runs within hours of being born, but it tends to spend time lying hidden within foliage.

Predators

The predators of duikers are all carnivores. The duiker avoids its predators by lying motionless and quietly and then dashing away at the nick of time. They duck and dive into the bushes when in danger. It runs in a zigzag shape and uses its horns and black hooves as a defense. To warn others to danger, they issue a snort and, if caught, they bleat, attracting others to help.

d) Impala

Impalas are antelopes that like to roam the light grassland, woodland edges and savannahs of Kenya, very close to water. They are always seen with erect postures, rubbing scent and making dung piles to mark their area. The body of an impala is reddish-brown with blonde hair inside the ears, in the upper throat, the chin, under-parts and buttocks as well as over each eye. A black line runs along the lower back to the tail, and a similar stripe appears on the end of the thighs. Impalas have brush-like tufts of long black hair covering a scent gland located above the heel of each leg.

Locking of horns

The impala is known for its spiral, long horns, which are used to challenge each other as tests of strength. At a signal, they rush forward and clash their horns, attempting to throw each other off balance. Although this can be fatal, the exceptional thick skin over vulnerable area protects them. It is the condition and weight of the horns that gives a male the advantage and not the length of them.

Organized herding system

The social organization of impalas enables them to adapt to any environmental conditions. For example, when food is plentiful in the rainy season, the impalas gather in big herds of several hundred animals to graze on grasses, bushes, herbs, shrubs and shoots. Packs also offer them protection from predators. When sensing danger, any one of the alert impalas will bark, that puts the group to flight, and a running impala is no easy prey. Typically, a fleeing impala will leap over anything including bushes or any other obstacles in its path by soaring up to 33 feet above the ground. It uses this technique to escape from predators but sometimes, merely to amuse them.

Building of territories

When food is in abundance, the males become territorial. Six to eight of them set up homes. The females form herds of 50 or more and wander around these areas. Older ones stake out mating areas and groups of women. Each one protects his region, herds his cluster, and guards them against any rivals by fighting off challengers. He mates with cows in oestrus during the mating period. Sometimes some of them try to leave the herd. When that happens, the male attempts to bring them back to the crowd, or he feigns danger beyond the boundary by taking a stance that they usually use as an alarm sign.

Relaxed herding structure

There are times when the impalas do not maintain an organized social system of herds. For example, during famine and droughts in Kenya, the animals have to travel further for food, and several impalas move in and out of the alpha male herd so often that the males are quickly exhausted. Then they abandon the territories, and large tranquil flocks form. When the climate improves, they revert to the territorial system.

Flexing of muscles

The non-dominant bachelors are allowed to live in male territories only if they do not try to mate with the females. The challenger to the territorial male will have worked his way up until he becomes dominant in the bachelor herd. He then challenges the alpha animal during which time they approach one another with deliberate, slow steps. Unsuccessful bids to conquer a male’s territory end with the loser retreating to his bachelor herd to recuperate.

Mother and child

Females give birth about seven months after they mate, to a single impala. Both baby and mother join a herd of offspring and mothers within a few days.

e) Warthog

Warthogs are members of the family of swine and are related to pigs, hogs and boars. These vicious animals live up to 19 years. As the name suggests, warthogs have wart-like patches on their faces, but they are just growths of skin. The skin protrusions act as padding form when the male members fight during mating season. Warthogs are hooved, plump animals with large nostrils at the tip of the snout. They have no fur but a mane from down the spine to the back. Their tail ends with a hair tuft. Warthogs have large teeth or tusks. They have two upper and four lower incisors. Warthogs are 30 inches tall from hooves to shoulders and 50 inches from shoulders to rump. Warthogs can run at a speed of 30 miles per hour, which helps them outrun predators.

Lazy and passive

Warthogs prefer open areas and live in savanna woodlands and the grasslands of Kenya. They are passive and make abandoned dens their homes or live in lairs made by aardvarks. They barge right to their lairs and enter rear first. The tusks remain out of the den entrance for added security.

She and he

Female warthogs are called sows. They are social animals living in herds of 40 members known as sounders. Females huddle together at night for warmth and groom each other. Adult males are not as social as the females and often live alone, but they can be territorial.

Mother and child

Female warthogs have two or three young at a time but can have up to eight, after a gestation period of six months. Baby warthogs are known as piglets.  They weigh up to 1 lb. at birth. The young live in the sounder with the mother. Piglets wean when they are four months old, and at 20 months they become a mature adult. Female adults tend to stay with their mothers, while males go off on their own.

Food and drink

The diet of warthogs includes roots, berries, bulbs, bark, grass and plants. They forage during the twilight hours and daybreak. If they live in a risky territory, they feed at night. They may eat meat during times of scarcity, but they never hunt. They munch on carcasses, or any worms or bugs they find while foraging. In a dry season, warthogs can go on for months without water. Warthogs are listed as least concern by the Union for conservation of nature. They received this status because the animals are widespread and have a high breeding rate.

Baboon, vervet monkey, common eland, bushbuck, Thomson’s gazelle, gerenuk

There are some animals whose names are not known. They are the baboon, vervet monkey, common eland, bushbuck, Thomson’s gazelle and gerenuk.

a) Baboon

The baboon is a common species of old-world monkey. There are five species of baboon. They are guinea baboon, olive baboon, yellow baboon, chacma baboon and hamadryas baboon. They dwell in a variety of habitats throughout Kenya.

b) Vervet monkey

There are 5 known subspecies of the vervet monkey. All of them have unique appearances, which help them set apart from other types of monkeys. A black face with white edges is how the vervet monkey is different from others. The body is a shade of gray. Males can weigh an average of 12 pounds and up to a maximum of 18 pounds and are over a foot and a half long. Females can weigh an average of 9 pounds and up to a maximum of 12 pounds and are usually over a foot long. The vervet monkeys occur along the savannahs, rivers, mountains and even woodlands. They do adapt well in several terrains and live in cultivated areas too. They spend most of its time in the trees. But sometimes they do come down to the ground to find food. The vervet monkey is active both during the night and day. They are social animals, and the groups can contain as many as 40 individuals. They have a pecking order that helps with the social structure. The young are encouraged to use a variety of calls from a very young age.

c) Common eland

The most striking feature of common elands is their massive size. Both female and male common elands have a pendulous dewlap and spiralled horns. Males develop a black crest of hair on their foreheads. The common eland is associated with woodland, although they are flexible in their habitat preferences. Their population, in general, seems stable. Around half of them are in protected areas and another third on private ranches.

d) Bushbuck

The distribution range of the elusive and shy bushbuck in Kenya is extensive. There are 50 varieties of them. It occurs in several habitats. The coat patterns and colors are different individually and regionally. The ones living in deep forest have darker color coats. All varieties and both females and males have geometrically shaped white spots or patches on the body’s most mobile parts such as the ears, chin, legs, tail and neck, and a band of white underneath the collar. Males make the spots more visible when they arch their backs and circle one another, in a high-stepping, tensed gait.

e) Thomson’s gazelle

A variety of stripes and markings accentuate the white rumps and tan buff coats of Thomson’s gazelle. These are antelopes found in Kenya. They are graceful and beautiful animals. These grazing antelopes live in groups, which can consist of ten or as many as a hundred animals. During the rainy season, thousands of them can be seen gathering in huge crowds. Gazelle frequent wide-open plains and spaces, where they browse on shoot and grasses. Open plains make them conspicuous to predators like wild dogs or cheetahs, but gazelles can run at a speed of 50 miles an hour. Some species eschew the grasslands for mountains or even deserts. During the summer, some grassland gazelles go to the bush in search of water.

f) Gerenuk

Unlike most other gazelles, the gerenuk is not a sociable animal. It is also known as Waller’s gazelle. It is an elusive animal whose first line of defense is to avoid detection while standing erect in concealment. When alarmed, a gerenuk more often trots than gallops away. Females are known to act like young while hiding.

Open habitat preference

The longest necked of the gazelle tribe, the gerenuk, is a browsing antelope of the dry thorn bush of Kenya. Degradation of grassland brought on by overgrazing by domestic livestock and drought has caused the thorn bush to expand. This expansion creates more habitats for the animal and compensates for clearing, overhunting and cultivation in other parts. It prefers well-spaced trees and bushes and avoids dense forest with no passage. This behaviour is consistent with its low population density and semi-closed habitat preference. Males cordon off a smaller area by depositing secretions on twigs at intervals from their preorbital glands. Female ranges are of comparable extent. Although these animals have been known to shift their range, territorial males very rarely venture off their property.

Fluid herd mentality

Sightings of lone animals are typical. Two or 3 females may sometimes form together who will associate them with males in twos before they become territorial. Herds of eight are considered standard at high densities, while a flock of twelve are unusual. However, groupings are fluid, the only association being between dependent offspring and the mother. Most births occur during the rains. But the gerenuk breeds all year-round as mothers conceive again within weeks of delivery. Gestation is seven months, and the calves remain hidden for several weeks.

Features of the body

The gerenuk’s shoulder height is 105 cm. The animal weighs 52 kg. It has a two-tone coloration. Its under-parts, tail, rump patch, throat patch, chin, lips, eye rings and the insides of the large ears are all white. Only the males have horns. They are S-shaped, annulated, and 45 cm long.

Adapted bodily features

The pointed snout and the elongated neck and limbs of the gerenuk are apt for their way of selective nibbling the leaves of thorny trees and shrubs, including foliage that is very high for other antelopes. The gerenuks reach them by standing on its back legs. Its lumbar vertebrae, wedge-shaped hooves and powerful hind legs make them the only antelope that can stay in this manner. Thus, the gerenuk can exploit resources inaccessible to other herbivores that are water dependent. Indeed, its population can increase with distance from water.

Eland, wildebeest, buffalo, rhinoceros, hippopotamus

The large herbivore animals that roam around in the expansive plains of Kenya need more energy than the other equally sized beasts such as zebras, giraffes, lions, elephants and cheetahs. The big wild herbivores ideally found in Kenya are the eland, wildebeest, buffalo, rhinoceros and hippopotamus.

a) Eland

The biggest antelope in the world is eland with a robust body that can weigh up to 600 to 680 kg. The adults of these healthy animals have a somewhat different social structure than the other antelopes. The dominant males of this species are solitary animals that like to live its life like a lone nomad. The most potent ones make a brash clicking sound as they walk that can be heard by their rivals more than a couple of miles away. They assess the strength of each other by locking horns and throwing the opponent to the ground with great force. The younger bachelors live in groups of three and females gather in groups whose size vary from day-to-day. The males of eland tend to move around less than womenfolk who often stray away from the herd. The horn of a female eland grows up to 60 to 63 cm, and that of a male eland grows twice as long.

b) Wildebeest

The awkward gnu earned the name wildebeest, meaning wild beast, because of the menacing appearance presented by its shaggy mane, large head, pointed beard, and curved, sharp horns. The wildebeest is an antelope family member although its disproportionately large forequarters and heavy build make it look bovine. In fact, it is a constant source of food for the predators of the Kenyan savannahs such as lions, cheetahs, hyenas and wild dogs. The bulky body of an adult wildebeest can reach up to 8 feet in length if lived to its full lifespan. Wildebeests, both males and females, weigh up to 600 to 650 pounds and stand 4.5 feet tall. Quite contrary to popular myth, both genders grow horns that can be deadly when attacked. Calves are born in March each year, at the onset of the rainy season. They learn to walk within minutes and can keep up with the herd within days of birth. Wildebeests can live up to 20 years. The natural habitat of wildebeests comprises of green leas, copses and open woodlands. They travel in large herds that can be easily spotted by safari travelers and are continually grazing the forest. They migrate northward looking for greener pastures. Weather dictates this spectacular northward migration, but usually takes place in June. The wildebeest migration is one of the most magnificent natural wildlife spectacles on earth that attracts tourists from all over the world.

c) Buffalo

The most massive and formidable of Kenya’s bovids is the buffalo. It is a familiar sight to visitors to Kenya parks. Although buffalos are susceptible to cattle-borne diseases, they are immune to the bovine sleeping sickness that afflicts domestic cattle in Kenya. This massive animal is heavier than cows but is not very tall and has relatively short legs. Their horns are thick and full, with a broad shield that covers the forehead.

Distribution range

Buffalo thrives in all types of grassland habitat, from the swamp to dry savanna and from lowland floodplains to glades. But a majority of them occur in well-watered savannahs, bordering the lakes and rivers, where herds of 1,000 are common. Their habitat also includes refuge from danger and heat in the form of woodland, reeds, thickets, pastures, and access to wallows, water and mineral licks. The buffalo depends more on the quantity of the grass that it eats than the quality because it must eat tons of it. To enable it to take big bites, it has a long muzzle and incisor teeth. It uses its tongue to bundle grass. It can digest coarse and tall plants than most other ruminants. When grass is scarce, buffaloes browse woody vegetation.

Clan

Clans of related offspring and females socialize in subgroups. A hierarchy determines which bull breeds. Lone bulls and all-male herds are predominately sedentary and old. Calves are born after a gestation period of nine months. Weeks pass before they can keep up with a pack. Until then, they are under their mothers’ protection. Groups also cooperatively defend members.

d) Rhinoceros

Three out of the 5 rhino species are now considered to be under critical survival threats. The rhino averages 1.5 tons in weight. It has a firm skin and large horn in the center of its face. Poachers prize a rhinoceros’ horn, which is nothing but keratin, the same protein that makes up fingernails and hair in most animals including humans. The rhino also has a relatively small brain compared to its size. It regularly gets to 60 years old, as it has no real predators apart from hunters. Rhinos have a keen sense of smell and hearing, but it is well known for having pathetically poor eyesight. The rhinoceros spends time in thick savannahs and forests where there is plenty of food and sufficient coverage for hiding. It is an herbivore and eats leaves, grasses, shoots, fruits and buds to gain the nutrients that it needs to grow and survive. Although it is an herbivore, it is known for its aggressive nature and will charge towards oncoming predators to scare them away. Poachers typically catch them when they drop their guard while drinking from a waterhole.

e) Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus weighs around 8,000 pounds making it the second largest land animal after the elephant. Biologists compare its weight and size to that of the Indian rhinoceros and the white rhinoceros. Because of its physique, people falsely believe that the hippopotamus 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, but in the wild, they rarely live more than four decades.

Peculiar physical characteristics

A male hippopotamus can grow up to 1.5 meters tall, 3.5 meters long, and weigh 3,000 kg. When it comes to the physical size, males weigh around 30 percent bigger than the females. It has a vast body on stumpy legs, a short tail, an enormous head, and four toes on each of its foot. There is a sharp nail-like hoof on each of the four toes of the hippo that is used to attack predators who come in for the calves. The skin grows to be thicker on the flanks but thinner on the rest of the body and nearly hairless. The color of a hippopotamus is brown to dark grey, with pinkish under-parts.

Family ancestry tree

The hippopotamus belongs to the family of Hippopotamidae. Historically, morphological comparisons have linked Hippopotamidae to peccaries and pigs. These groups diverged from members of the order Artiodactyla around 45 million years ago. However, molecular studies suggest that cetaceans and hippos have an earlier common ancestor and that they are closely related.

Shorter family member

An interesting living species of the hippopotamus that belongs to the same Hippopotamidae family is the rare pygmy hippopotamus. Fascinatingly, a pygmy hippo, unlike its other family members, is approximately only the size of a pig. Less gregarious than the common hippos, it occurs in the lowland tropical forests with one or two others or alone. The pygmy hippo is not as aquatic as its other family member, though, it hides in the water when pursued. Since 2006, the Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the pygmy hippopotamus as endangered. There is a fossil in the archaeological archives resembling a pygmy hippo that dates to 21 million years ago.

Low energy requirement

Hippos do not eat much vegetation compared to other titan beasts, considering its enormous size. This little consumption is caused by their low energy requirement because they are buoyed in the water much of the time.

Aquatic herbivore

The lifestyle of a hippopotamus centers on the water. It must have regular dips in the pool. No other wild creature on earth loves water as much as a hippopotamus does. The ancient Greek aptly named it hippopotamus, which means river horse. Hippos adapt very well in the water, be it rivers or lakes or any swampy or marshy areas. They seek refuge from the heat of Kenya savannahs and keep their massive physiques cool by submerging themselves in these water bodies for up to 16 hours during the day. They are good swimmers, graceful in the water, and can remain breathless underwater for five minutes. 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 any predators around, mainly crocodiles, while lying low. 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.

Red sweat discharge

Hippos prefer areas with shallow waters so that they can sleep half-submerged in the water. They are often seen lying in the waters of lakes, swamps and rivers next to grasslands. While basking in the sun, they lose water rapidly through the skin making them dehydrated. Therefore, when they are on the shoreline, they are often seen retreating to the water to cool off through periodic dips because they do not sweat. But nature provides them with a self-producing lotion that keeps their skin moisturized because the skin gets dry easily even after little exposure to the sun. Their skin glands release an oily pinkish or reddish substance, which acts as a skin moistener and sunblock by filtering out ultraviolet radiation, also protecting against germs. This lotion-like liquid that oozes out of their skin gives rise to the age-old legend that they sweat blood.

Safe from predators

Hippos are safe from all predators because of their aquatic lifestyle, gigantic size and habits. However, young hippos are vulnerable to lions, crocodiles and hyenas, especially if they are on their own. But soon after their birth, both the mother and the young join schools that provide some protection against these predators so that the calf remains relatively safe. Although the females live in schools, they do not associate themselves permanently with other cows, but they maintain bonds with the offspring for several years. Even though the hippos are safe from the predators of the jungle, people prey upon them.

Red-eye travel

Heavy grazing and trampling near the river, denudes large areas of all grass, which leads to soil erosion. When the sun sets, hippopotamuses come out of the water and travel overland to browse and feed on soft, short grasses and fallen fruit. But if they find anything threatening on land, they run for the water, even matching a human’s speed. In times of famine or drought, they may embark on migrations looking for water. They also travel communally in search of water during the dry season. They travel along single-file pathways that are familiar to them as far as 10 km in one night to consume 80 pounds of grass for about five hours. Hippos recognize individuals by the scent that they use during night treks to follow each other nose-to-tail. Territorial and subordinate males make dung piles along pathways, which function as olfactory signposts. Sometimes, the exodus results in many deaths.

Reproduction life cycle

In the wild, the females of hippos become sexually mature at the age of 7 and 15. Males mature slightly earlier than cows, between the age of 6 and 13. However, in captivity members of both sexes become sexually mature as early as 3 and 4.

Aggressive mating ritual

Dominant bulls older than 20 years initiate the mating. Bulls monopolize areas around the river as mating territories. Subordinate males are only tolerated in the area if they do not try to breed. Cows aggregate during the dry season when most mating takes place. The way the hippos show aggression during the breeding season is quite hilarious. Territorial bulls stare at each other, then with their rear end sticking out of the water, flip urine and feces in a full arc by wagging the tail. This routine indicates that it is an occupied territory. Most of the aggression of the opponents is noise, splash, a yawning display and bluff charges. But when they engage in combat, they slash each other upward with the lower incisors. Wounds can be deadly despite the thick skin there. Thankfully, these battles are sporadic, only erupting when strangers invade territories during the mating season.

Calf to giant

Unlike other herbivores in Kenya, fertilization results in each female hippopotamus giving birth to just one calf after a gestation period of eight months once every two years even though it mates throughout the year. The just-born hippo is considerably massive, weighing around a solid 100 pounds or 45 kg right at birth. It weans at six to eight months and begins to eat grass impressively as early as when it is one month old. The calf sometimes struggles to climb onto the mother hippo’s back to rest and to remain above the water. But the calves can also suckle underwater or on land by keeping their nose, eyes and ears closed. It is an endearing sight to watch the calf, soon after its birth, close its nostrils and ears to nurse underwater.

Weird culinary etiquette

The mouth is a meter wide, and the lower canines are sharp, exceeding 30 cm in length, which aids while grazing in the savannahs of Kenya. The long incisors and canines are used strictly as weapons when eating vegetation and small plants. While browsing the grasslands, it is fascinating to watch them grasp the grass with the full lips and jerk the head. They do not chew the cud but, through a fermentation process, extracts protein by retaining the food in the stomach for a long time. The digestive process expels enormous quantities of nutrients into the rivers and lakes thereby supporting the fishes of Kenya that are crucial as a protein source in local people’s diet. This way hippo gives back to the society by ejecting the minerals from their bodies so that fishes can survive abundantly.

Hunting and poaching

The marine areas where hippos live become decimated because of an increase in farmlands. When they go trekking at night in groups looking for water and grasslands, they tend to trample and raid these lands. Consequently, human beings resent hippos for ruining their crops. Such destruction led to determined and early efforts to exterminate them. At the same time, hunting in their habitat increased when their meat became a source of food during the wartime chaos. Moreover, after the elephant-ivory ban in 1989 on an international level, hunting pressure on hippos increased because hippo teeth are the next best alternative to ivory. And there continues to be a global demand for hippo teeth as ivory. Over time, hippos became valued for their meat and ivory, which led to an increase in hippo hunting. The killing of these animals rose sharply not only for their meat and teeth but also for their hide. Thus, a combination of the increase in farmlands, the demand for hippo meat during the war, and the restriction on elephant hunting directly resulted in a decline in the hippo populations.

Threats from humans

Around 2 or 3 decades ago, the census indicated that the hippos did not face the risk of extinction. But in just roughly a decade, hunting and habitat destruction have caused its population to drop to a twentieth. These gentle giants are currently at risk from hunters and habitat loss due to urbanization. And today, hippopotamuses are on the brink of extinction because of an increase in poaching. Therefore, the only significant threat to their survival is human beings.

Mutually dependent ecosystem

Some people fear that the decrease in its numbers could affect fishery because its feces provide nutrients for the fishes in lakes and rivers. This reduction of hippos or the erosion of any other living beings or even some species of animals can also impact humans. The ecosystem for all creatures is mutually dependent, meaning that when a species disappears, the entire world is affected.

Survives in Kenya

Once ranging over the whole of Africa and beyond, hippopotamus now lives only in central, eastern and southern Africa. However, in the recent past, overhunting had exterminated all species of hippopotamus in conjunction with climate change. At the present rate, experts claim that they will soon become extinct if people do not take preservation efforts seriously. Nevertheless, Kenya remains to be a popular destination for international tourists to spot this goliath animal.

Greater kudu, sitatunga

Some of the herbivores are less wild than the others and even very friendly towards human beings. Two of such approachable animals in the wild are the greater kudu and sitatunga. Some people hunt them for their unique twisting horns and their hides.

a) Greater kudu

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. Males are different from females because of their impressive six feet long spiral horns and fringe under their chins. Both the lesser and greater kudu have distinct spots and stripes covering their bodies. These distinctive markings camouflage them and protect them from predators. If threatened, they stand still and are extremely difficult to spot. They can also jump over 8 feet. These animals occur throughout Kenya in mixed woodlands, hills, bush lands and mountains. It eats leaves, flowers and fruits. They can live up to eight years.

Topographical body features

Coloration of the greater kudus varies individually and geographically. Males are chocolate brown to gray-brown, while females are bright to brown chestnut, and calves are rufous-red, spotted, striped and woolly coated. Adults are long coated with characteristic whitish marks on the ears, face, cheeks, body, feet and legs. Females are considerably smaller than males. Ivory tips and two twists characterize the horns of the males. Hyenas, wild dogs and big cats hunt the greater kudu to great extent.

Male characteristics

Male kudus are solitary, but sometimes form teams of their own. They are polygynous who associate together or with the opposite sex only until they are sub adults. When they turn to adults, they avoid each other. Males bark at night, as an alarm signal to announce their location. They only join the females during the breeding season. A male who follows the female utters a suppressed roar. The male is rarely aggressive in the wild, and their hierarchy depends on age and size.

Female characteristics

Female greater kudus tend to form herds. The bark of the females is higher pitched than the males. Females form small groups of 10 individuals and their young.

b) Sitatunga

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. They frequent the innermost parts of the marshes. Swamps are productive ecosystems, and the animals can live at very high densities. They lie on platforms of vegetation that they prepare by repeated trampling and circling. They are active both nocturnally and diurnally and may move along established pathways into the marshes at night.

Food consumption behaviour

Browsing takes place in both swamp and dry land. They often come out at night from swamplands to browse on foliage and creepers in nearby dry land and adjacent forests. But they feed at any hour where they feel protected. Feeding activity only happens in a small area for many days; then they shift to new grounds. They feed while immersed and move slowly through the vegetation. At times, they elevate the hind legs while immersing the forelegs. Sitatunga selects flowering stage plants. They may rear to reach tall grasses, sedges and foliage, and the males break branches with their horns. A sitatunga when feeding on long leaves wraps its tongue around them, pushes them into its mouth, and cuts them with its incisors. Alchornea, which is common in Lake Victoria, is a favourite for sitatunga. They also ruminate in the water.

                                    Adapted water runner

Sitatungas are usually inconspicuous, clumsy and slow land runners. But they are good swimmers and their plunging run in the water works well. They exhibit elongation of the hooves with a wide splay and naked pad like design. Their splayed and broad hooves keep them from sinking in the ground as deeply as other animals.  Also, this swamp-dwelling antelope possesses great flexibility of the feet joints representing adaptations for walking on marshy and boggy ground.

Manner of mating

Breeding occurs throughout the year. A male approach the female in a low stretch posture while she may back away slowly. When he comes within a few inches of her, she suddenly bounds away. Then a considerable commotion is caused in the swamp. The male continues to follow her, but always stays behind. When the male gets an opportunity, it lays his head on her back while lifting his forelegs off the ground. The female responds with her neck winding and angling it down obliquely and turning her head sharply up, forward and then backward with her mouth wide open. At this moment, the male mounts on her back. This mounting attempt is characteristic of the sitatunga.

The calf’s life

The average gestation period is 247 days. Females produce a single calf at an average interval of 12 months. The mothers keep their calves hidden on platforms in secluded dry reeds that grow in deep water. The way the mother teaches the calf to stand on its own feet and fend itself is fascinating. First, the mother licks the young’s snout before moving away. Then the calf follows the mother, and she guides it to a protected place to suckle. Calves follow their mothers this way for several months, as they are unable to move deliberately like adults through the swamp. Both males and females attain sexual maturity of a calf at approximately 1 year.

                                    Fighting for survival

Wild dogs and lion prey on sitatungas. Leopards catch some that venture into the forest. Sitatungas are also vulnerable to snare-trappers because of their use of regular pathways. Beaters even drive them into deep water or into nets where spearmen in boats dispatch them.

Bongo

The marginalized minority wildlife in the jungle of Kenya has 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.

Range of distribution

The lovely bongo antelope occurs in the remote forests of Kenya. Interestingly, these less-known Kenyan antelopes are the biggest among the surviving species. Based on the research done so far, biologists have recorded two living sub-species. The populations of these sub-species have declined so much that they are listed as threatened in some areas and even extinct in some others. There are reports that the mountain bongos now live in only four regions of Kenya. This rapid population decrease throughout their natural range is mainly due to hunting, habitat loss and deforestation.

Beautiful patterned body

The bongo of Kenya is a heavy-bodied and large antelope with stunningly decorated torsos. Their bodies have glossy and chestnut or orange coloured coat with perpendicular white streaks that help them to stay inconspicuous in the thick forest. Also, they have white patterns on their face, a crescent-like white figure on their throat and white stripe between the nose and eyes. A very narrow mane runs along its torso all the way down to the hind. Their strong legs have bands of black and white stripes, and their tail is tufted at the tip. One of the distinctive characteristics of bongos is their spiralled horn with twists. The male bongo’s long elegant horns spiral 80 to 90 or even up to 100 cm in length. But the horns of the females are shorter, lighter-coloured and less coiled than that of the males. Both males and female bongos have large ears giving them sensitive hearing that they need for their survival.

Very rarely seen

Due to bongo’s elusive and shy nature it leads a nocturnal life, and hence it is an animal that is rarely seen by human beings. As with many antelope species, bongos flee almost immediately when they feel alarmed and can disappear quickly into the forest. When they run, they keep their horns very close against their body to prevent getting tangled up. Apart from bleating, they produce a variety of calls to communicate when they are in trouble including grunts, moos and snorts and also to warn others of danger. To cool down in the extreme heat during summer, they wallow in mud that they rub onto a tree.

Making of calves

Female bongos occur in the Kenyan savannahs either on their own or with large herds that can contain up to 50 members of the same sex. Male bongos, on the other hand, are solitary and only come into contact with their own with the intention of breeding with these females. Interestingly, almost all mating of bongos tends to happen between October and January. If she gets pregnant, she gives birth to a single calf after a gestation period of nine months. To try and protect the calf from predators, the mother gives birth in dense vegetation where she leaves it lying for about a week, during which she regularly returns to nurse. When the calf is capable enough to fend for itself, they both merge with other females and their young. The calves grow fast, and their horns start to show at three or four months. Weaning usually occurs at six months, but calves remain with the herd much longer than that.

Nutritious plant matter

The bongo feed only on plant matter to gain the nutrition they need to survive because it is an herbivore. Food passes through their system very slowly compared to other animals, and this maximizes the nutritional intake. They are selective browsers that feed on shoots, sprouts, roots, leaves, twigs, bark and grasses. The bongo has a prehensile tongue that enables them to reach leaves higher up, grip onto them and strip them from the branches. This adapted organ of its body also helps them when pulling roots on the ground or breaking twigs from trees.

Threats to survival

Bongos tend to be most active during the dawn and the dusk. And they browse only during the night so that they can be safe from the carnivorous killers with whom they share their habitats. But they occasionally forage during the day without leaving their surrounding dense vegetation. Among the various marauders in their surroundings, leopards and lions are the most common threat of bongos. But the young calves are also vulnerable to predators from hyenas and pythons throughout much of their distribution. Another danger to bongos that is a significant concern to biologists and field scientists is their susceptibility to diseases. Deforestation brought on by greedy human beings has also obliterated much of their once wide range. However, they are at the most prominent risk from humans who hunt them both directly and by trapping snares. 

Superstition

There is a fascinating superstition surrounding the animal by the native people of Kenya. They believe that just touching the bongo with their fingertips or a light brush will cause spasms. Therefore thankfully, in such areas where these gullible people live, bongos are not too affected by hunting or poaching. However, in this day and age, as modernity creeps into the daily lives of the bush people, it does not take much to change such attitudes. Once they realize that these are indeed false beliefs, the future survival of bongos will be unpredictable.

2) Carnivores

Typically, all carnivores are predators. They use their power and force to their advantage. Kenya is full of such predators. The popular wild animals that roam around the vast savannahs of the country are the leopard, wild dog, hyena, serval cat, genet and jackal. The exotic and less known of the carnivores are the caracal, banded mongoose, bat-eared fox and aardwolf.

a) Leopard

Closely related to lions, jaguars and tigers are the dominant and graceful cats called leopards. Many of their populations are critically endangered. Leopards are light coloured with dark spots that are called rosettes due to their resemblance to the shape of a rose. These spotted coats allow them to merge with the leaves of the trees that they hunt from until they leap with a deadly pounce. This feral cat is so active in trees that it often carries its kills into the branches. It hopes to save it from scavengers such as hyenas by dragging the carcasses of large animals aloft. The coat also blends in well in the savannahs. Thus, these predators stalk antelopes, pigs and deer too by stealthy movements in the grass. Leopards are also strong swimmers and are very comfortable in the water, where they eat fish and crabs. Where humans settle, they attack dogs and, occasionally human beings. Female leopards usually give birth to two grayish cubs with hardly any spots. The mother hides the litter and moves them from one safe place to the next until they are mature enough to begin learning to hunt. The young live with their mothers for two years. Otherwise, they are solitary animals.

b) Wild dog

Unlike other dogs, the long-legged wild dog has only four toes per foot. It is also called painted dog referring to its irregular, mottled coat featuring patches of red, brown, black, yellow and white fur. Each animal has its unique coat pattern and has rounded ears. They are also known as Cape hunting dog. These canines communicate by touch, vocalisations and actions. Wild dogs typically roam the sparse woodlands and open plains of Kenya. They live in groups and are social animals. Wild dogs hunt antelopes and other prey, mainly if their quarry is injured or sick. They tackle them in cooperative packs that share food and assist weak or ill members. One breeding pair dominates each herd. The female has 2 to 20 pups that become the responsibility of the entire group. Wild dogs supplement their food with rodents and birds. They have also developed a taste for livestock, as human settlements expand. Unfortunately, because of this, farmers who fear for their domestic pets often hunt these animals. In the recent past, wild dogs are threatened by diminishing space to roam in their habitat. They are also susceptible to diseases spread by other animals.

c) Hyena

Many tribes in Kenya leave their dead to be eaten by hyenas. Some human beings consume these animals too. Biologists have been observing them for some time and have discovered some strange behaviour. These fascinating creatures are not very well understood. Hyenas can be dangerous towards human beings. They will attack humans, especially if they are perceived to be sick, hurt or incapacitated. Hyenas are highly intelligent social animals that are known as scavengers, although they are formidable predators too. They frequently steal fresh kills from leopards, lions and cheetahs. Hyenas can weigh 190 pounds, and their bite can crush bones. Their intelligence and ability to hunt enable them to kill much more often than other animals. Interestingly enough, though hyenas look dog-like, they are more closely associated with cats. Their closest relatives are genets and civets. Visual inspection of these animals makes it appear as if all of them are males, but they are not. A hyena tribe is made up of females. The dominant position of the matriarch is hereditary, whose pups within the clan will also be of high status.

d) Serval cat

Typically found in Kenya, a serval is a cat with a lean body and gigantic ears and longest legs of any cat breed. The coat of a serval cat has shades of orange or tan with dark brown or black markings. The pattern helps it to disguise itself when hunting in grasslands. The serval is a solitary cat that can live for up to 20 years. Some people keep serval cats as pets, but they are limited in their numbers. Most serval cats are found at zoos or large cat rescues because it is not a domestic cat. It is a wild animal that has inherited instincts that needs nurturing in a distinct environment. There are also many risks surrounding its possession. Moreover, several countries have prohibited their ownership or require licenses to own one.

e) Genet

Active primarily after sunset, a genet is a short-legged animal with long tails, pointed nose, large ears and retractile claws. Its coloration varies among species. However, it is usually pale grayish, marked with dark stripes and spots. The tail has white and black bands. Genets live in pairs or alone. They frequent grasslands, forests and bush and are as nimble in the trees as they are on the ground. They eat small mammals and birds. 

f) Jackal

The jackal is a member of the dog family. There are four species of jackal. They are the golden jackal, the black-backed jackal, the side-striped jackal and the Ethiopian wild jackal. They have a wide range of sounds that are specific to each family, meaning that it is rare for families of strange jackals to come into contact with one another. Jackals live in the crevices of dens and rocks made by other animals so that they can keep cool off while they sleep. Jackals are territorial animals and have no hesitation in defending their area. They live in packs of roughly 10 to 30 individuals. They use these large groups to work cooperatively to protect one another. But they prefer to hunt alone or in pairs. Jackals hunt small mammals, reptiles and birds. Some species of jackal eat poisonous snakes. They are carnivorous mammals and often scavenge the remains of kills. The jackal is a nocturnal animal. So, they tend to have a higher probability of ambushing their prey. Although the jackal is a carnivore, many individuals eat plant matter when meat is scarce.

g) Caracal

The name caracal comes from a Turkish word meaning black ear. The animals were once trained for bird hunting because they can leap and knock down up to 12 birds at a go. It is the most formidable of Kenya’s small cats and the most prominent member of them. Males can weigh up to 40 pounds, and females up to 35 pounds. They stand about 20 inches at the shoulder. Caracals live in the savannah and woodland regions of Kenya and prefer the more arid, scrubby habitats. They will also inhabit montane and evergreen forests. These cats are nocturnal but are also active during daytime in protected areas. A caracal is a desert lynx that does not possess the same physical attributes, such as the ruff of hair, of the other lynx family members. Instead, it has a dense, short coat, usually tawny-brown. The characteristic that caracals share with the lynx family is the black at the back of the ears. Caracals are solitary animals. Their social interactions are limited to mating, except for mothers with litter.

Family life

After a gestation period of 81 days, female caracals give birth to approximately 1 to 4 kittens. It takes around 10 days for them to open their eyes altogether. They will remain with their mother for a year, attaining sexual maturity by then. Caracals prey on mammals such as rodents, hyraxes, hares and small antelope. However, they will not hesitate to kill animals larger than themselves too, such as springbok or young kudu. They have also been reported to store their kills in trees. Caracals are notorious for livestock predation due to which human beings kill many caracals. Some bush tribes consider its skin and meat to be a luxury.

h) Black banded mongoose

Having a broad habitat tolerance, the banded mongoose inhabits grasslands, woodlands, riverine areas and rugged country. It is considered a small mongoose. Adults reach approximately 600 mm in body length. Tail length is about half the length of the body and head. The banded mongoose is distinguishable by a series of dark bands across the back. The tip of the tail and the feet are also usually black, but the rest of the body matches the color of the fur, which ranges from reddish-brown to whitish, with variation among specimens. Females become sexually mature at ten months of age. Males may begin forming spermatozoa when they are four months old. She participates in courtship by anal marking him, or lying on her back and fighting with him, which will make him reciprocate.

i) Bat-eared fox

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 favour short savannah and grasslands. But if threatened, they rush to the dense shrub areas and tall grass. The bat-eared fox is a highly social animal. They dig lairs that protect them from high winds and extreme temperatures. The male undertakes most parental duties, while the female fetches food. They are relatively common throughout Kenya and are mostly seen foraging either early in the morning or at night in warmer months and daylight when the weather turns colder. The pointed teeth of a bat-eared fox enable it to efficiently and quickly chew its meals to help in digestion.

Diet

Their diet includes invertebrates like ants, termites, scorpions, crickets and spiders. These animals control harvester termite populations, which many farmers consider a pest. They also eat birds, mammals, reptiles and desert truffle. They never drink water as they obtain all the moisture they need from their food.

Threats

These foxes are the target of carnivores like leopards, lions, cheetahs, wild dogs and hyenas. Pups are vulnerable to predators such as the martial eagle and the black-backed jackal. Humans are also responsible for a large number of their deaths, as a result of poison and traps intended for predators. Moreover, people hunt them for their pelts. Diseases such as rabies, canine distemper virus and canine parvovirus, as well as habitat loss and drought, are bat-eared fox’s other threats.

j) Aardwolf

An aardwolf belongs to the hyena family. It is the only member of the subfamily Protelinae and the surviving member of the Hyaenidae. Aardwolf is a dog with the back legs shorter than the front ones. Thus, it has a distinctly bear-like walk and a sloping posture. It also has a mane at the posterior of the neck that is held erect, several black stripes on the legs and body, and less powerful jaws. 

Distribution range

The aardwolf lives in areas of land covered with shrubs or stunted trees. Aardwolves are nocturnal and shy. They hide and sleep in burrows all day long and come out only at night for foraging food. They use existing dens of others, despite being able to create their own. Aardwolves often memorise and return to nests so that they can save themselves from the trouble of finding a new nest. The aardwolf does not hunt its prey.

Diet

The diet consists of carrion and larvae and particularly termites, with its long, sticky, tongue to collect them. Hence, the primary ecological role of the aardwolf is controlling the termite populations. For humans, this can be very important because termites can be destructive to farms. But aardwolves make sure not to kill the mound or eat them all up so that there is no interruption in the food supply. As they consume the termites, the worker termites decrease and the warrior termite increases who spray toxic terpenes, which becomes too unbearable for the animal. 

Family life

Young aardwolves become sexually matured at the age of two. The mating season differs but happens during the spring or autumn. During the mating season, male aardwolf will search for her, which can result in a battle between two males. The male raises the young. However, since they frequently mate, the jilted lover looks after the cubs. After the 110-day gestation period, the female produces up to four cubs that spend around six weeks in the lair. Three months later, the cubs begin foraging under the supervision of the mother. When they become 4 months of age, they are independent. But they remain in the same shelter until the following mating season. 

The rich abundance of wildlife in Kenya attracts international tourists from all walks of life. This diversity is mainly seen in the national parks and reserves. All the beautiful animals spotted during a safari drive in the game parks of Kenya, both herbivores and carnivores, are wild. However, habitat loss brought on by human beings who convert much of their habitat to farmlands causes many of these wild creatures to become either extinct or rare. Moreover, hunting, predation and disease also contribute to its obliteration.

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