Animals everytime!

 If I had to make a choice between humans and animals, it would be animals all the way. 

No hesitation. No apologies.                                                                                       Maybe it's because my first memory of life on this planet was seeing cute kittens in my bed. 

I don't know if that's why I love animals so, its just what it is. 

I guess that's also why my first choice of profession from as far back as I can remember, was to have become a vet.

 That dream was only frustrated when I inadvertently killed a baby duckling.😭.

I still occasionally think about it. 

Especially since it is possible that I had buried the poor creature alive when it was only drunk. 

That question will haunt me forever I guess.

So what the heck could have taken me on this path today, you could very well ask?

It's the hoopla on social and other media, accusing an elephant of killing an American woman in Zambia!

It is a blatant lie.

What the elephant did was to charge a safari jeep, overturn it and the wowan died from either something like an heart attack or maybe she was crushed to death by the jeep or other passengers.

Regardless, it was an accidental death and while I am always sympathetic to the families when humans die, THE ELEPHANT DID NOT KILL HER. 

I feel very passionate about this, for unlike humans, so-called wild animals don't kill humans or other animals willy nilly. They usually only resort to killing when hungry, or (they or their babies) are threatened. 

I am a bit uptight about the issue, mainly because I interact with these animals whenever it is safe to do so and get impatient at times when people react with the unnecessary "aren't you afraid" hymnal. 

Elephants, the gentle giants often protect smaller animals.

It's as if they think I am stupid and would put myself in unnecessary danger! 

Elephants are among the gentlest giants in the world. I saw them being used in Cambodia like how we use donkeys and mules in the Caribbean. I actually rode one but found it uncomfortable.  (I don't enjoy riding horses either!)

But to each its own. 

I also learned a bit about those gentle giants in Kenya when I spent a few hours observing them while on safari there.

Waterholes are for all

One thing that has stuck in my mind is how polite they are to each other. Like many humans, they tend to travel around in groups and stick to their herds. When they are enjoying themselves in their water holes, the minute another herd approaches, they leave the waterhole so the newly arrived can enjoy it. 

No holding out or fighting for space like us humans. 

The only time elephants made me feel a bit antsy was in Botswana when a huge herd was approaching our jeep. When they seemed determined to come right up to us, I admit I was kinda nervous. But they simply walked right up to our vehicle, one or two looked at us curiously, then they proceeded on their merry way.

Had this been a group of strange young men, I might not be here today to tell the tale! (especially if they were white men.)

In short, I am not at all suggesting we should put ourselves in danger around so-called wild animals, but in my book, they are far less dangerous than so-called civilized or tame humans!

Love those in the ocean too😊.

                                          

Youtube Link; https: https://youtu.be/4Tf4fwQ87wg

My animals❤️

 I suspect I was an animal in my past life as I just love them.😊

Coquerels Sifika, lemurs from Madagascar 

They are cute and playful

Polar bears grow to 10 feet tall!

Grizzlies only grow to 8 feet.

A very nervous Jaguar

A lazy snow leopard

Pygmy rhinos weigh 90% less than regular rhinos

This lion has no energy and appears sad.

My favorite animals

If I had I not killed my pet duck accidentally as a child, it is quite likely I would have followed my dream and become a vet.

My all time favorites.

Oh well, that's water under the bridge now, as I hate blood so the animals are safer without me.😬

Now I visit zoos every chance I get and go on safaris when I can.

https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2023/03/heaven-on-earth.html?m=1

San Francisco zoo has some pretty nice animals. 

A very active grizzly 

More coquerels 

                            Pygmy rhino

                  Some wonderful animals

      

A boobab tree from Madagascar

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My biggest disappointment in San Francisco was not seeing the annoying, smelly, lovable, rowdy sea lions that used to hang around everywhere on Fisherman's Wharf.

Then my schoolmate Sonia had a brilliant idea. 

Google them.

  Immediately we found them.

Some are sunning their bellies😂

They had been relocated to a special area by Pier 39 in 1989.

There they were, as contankerous, smelly,  playful and loud as ever.

Taking a break

 I was forced to take a break today (27/3, my daughter’s birthday) as the body went on strike. Yup I think I am thirty but it reminded me that I am staring down 80!

Two days ago I started to cough and sneeze then yesterday, got a thorough soaking at the falls.

Not complaining though, for it has been my life’s dream to visit Victoria Falls, and it exceeded all expectations. So, even if it killed me, it would have been worth it.☺️

Would you believe we ran into other Jamaicans there!  Three young ladies, and incidentally, the two sisters are from Santa Cruz, ten miles from where I am from. (Malvern).

The other young lady was from Old Harbor and they are after my own heart, as we ran into them on the lion walk later. They are staying on the Zimbabwe side of the falls but we are on the Zambia side.

And talking about Jamaica, every time someone expressed delight at meeting a Jamaican (they know about us through people like Bolt, Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear etc) I ask them if they know where Jamaica is. 

No one in Zambia or South Africa did, giving answers ranging from America, Asia, Africa to Europe. 

Everyone we asked n Zimbabwe did though.

Very interesting 🧐 

Cold receding but whenever I stand, not feeling too good.

My cousin Anette has gone on a tour of Livingstone, but I wasn’t interested anyway.

If I feel better, may walk around to the croc farm to see how it compares to our premier attraction in Black River and if feeling great, will probably walk to the waterfront although I suspect only boats and restaurants are there. 

Adventurous Jamaicans all😊

Otherwise will just watch tv.

The internet here is not too hot as can’t upload pics as each one takes forever. Today it was off for most of the day.

That’s life.

The Maasai et al

 While Wikipedia claims there are forty-two tribes in Kenya, my very knowledgeable Kenyan acquaintance, said the real figure is actually is forty-seven.

Forty two or forty seven, tribal politics in Kenya is something that would take me many moons to understand. So, after a mere two weeks, I would not be prepared to say I know anything about it.

Red is a dominant color among the Maasai, as it is said to repel lions. Third left is a Kikuyu

However from the little I was able to glean, the Kikuyu is the dominant tribe. Not not only are they largest in number, but in the true spirit of 'divide and conquer,' when the British ruled Kenya with an iron hand, they gave 'special privileges' to that tribe.

Even  today therefore, they are still dominant in every area.

Lessons in changing a tire

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Kenyans, I understand, tend to vote along tribal lines, and the Kikuyu have held the reins of power since independence. 

This has led to some resentment among other tribes, and between 2007-2008, serious violence erupted after the general elections.

Maasai approach to observe the tire-changing activity
Some Kikuyus contend that this stemmed from as an attempt to displace and even eradicate them. They insist they won the elections fair and square.

Ask just anyone in Kenya 'who controls the wealth in the country'  and they will most likely tell you its the Kikuyus.

Even some Kikuyus though, will admit that that the government led by Kenyatta is extremely corrupt.

 

However, many contend that they have to keep voting for them to protect themselves from the other tribes which would like to remove them from power and even eliminate them. '

Maasai herder at Ndong Mountain

I was invited by a Kikuyu informant who is an activist, to ask anyone from other tribes, what they thought of them and did try.

One opinion I did get was that that the Kikuyu are so power-hungry, that they are even trying to replace Swahili as the national language with their own! 

(Like in most of East Africa, Swahili is the dominant language but most people speak some English plus their tribal language.)

Another bit of information I garnered, was that, types of professions and employment usually follow tribal lines.

So while the Kikuyu dominate commerce, many professions and politics, some other tribes are predominantly laborers.

 The Luo tribe to which Obama's family belongs, is the fourth largest tribe in the country and they tend towards intellectual activities.  I was quite amused though, that when I enquired of my Kikuyu informant whether Kenyans celebrated the ascendency of Obama to the  presidency of the USA, I received the cryptic response "The Luo did.")😂

I was genuinely shocked as I had (wrongly) assumed that Kenyans all, would have been overjoyed to have a descendent of theirs, in the Oval Office. But the more I learnt about that county, the more I realized that most Kenyans did not care too hoots about America, what they said or did and most surely would even accept their money!.

The offending creek

That caused my curiosity about the tribal situation in Kenya to really peak!

One person even told me that she could tell what tribe someone belongs to by their body shape!

I can only tell who belongs to the Maasai tribe, and that is because of how they dress.

They are best known internationally as a result of their intimate knowledge of wildlife, which is the heart of Kenya's safari/tourism industry.

While Kenya has a population of some fifty million, the Maasai make up only around two million.  

Despite the massive changes taking place around them, they seem determined to stick to their traditional nomadic/herding ways.

Their wealth is determined, I was told, by the number of cattle they have and most of their land is community owed.  

You therefore see the herders with their flocks of sheep, cattle and goats, roaming lands which are not fenced off.

 I was told by Chief Johnathon from the village near to where we stayed, that individuals can purchase private property by applying to the government. How much land you are permitted to purchase, depends on the size of the family. Most however prefer to continue using community lands.

Chief Johnathon (minus his staff!)

My first encounter with Maasai people was when we were on the way to spend a few days at a safari camp.

We drove for around three hours from Nairobi on an excellent highway. To get to the camp in Maasai land however, we had to take a dirt tract which could only be accessed by a four wheel drive.

As we crossed a creek, there was a loud bang, followed by signs that we had a puncture.

Then it was as if from nowhere, that a small a group of mostly women,  appeared. 

And guess what, they were anxious to take photographs with us, as long as we paid them!

All the Maasai people I met over the next few days, turned out to be extremely curious but nice, helpful people.

Their village adjoins the conservancy where we were staying and in fact that land was leased to the operators by that village council.  Most of the workers therefore were from the  village.

I learned some interesting facts about their lifestyle.

A Massai compound

⚉ Most have Angelified first names but their surnames are their tribal name.

⚉ While the men are generally the herders, the women are housewives and even build the mud houses!

⚉ Maasai in general do not eat wildlife anymore.

⚉ You know who is the chief by how he holds his staff.

⚉ You know a Maasai's wealth by how many cattle he appears to have, but never ask a         Massai how many cows he owns!

⚉ To have respectability a Maasai man should have at least two wives.

The Kenyan tribal situation appears fascinating and even contradictory at times, and it is is something I would certainly love to learn a lot more about.

However, AS TO THE MAASAI, I MAKE NO JUDGEMENTS. AS I GET IT I REPORT IT!😒😒 

(169) Joan Williams, author - YouTube

KENYA: THE MOST AMAZING OUTDOORS

In my many decades on this earth and years of traveling, I have never seen more outstanding natural beauty than in Kenya, in East Africa. 

Majestic snow-covered Mount Kilimanjaro in the background (a Denis Bouillon photo)

Our Maasai guide and driver

In this featured photo, not only is the elegance of a giraffe in the wild captured, but in the background shines Mount Kilimanjaro (killi to local folk.) The irony is, according to our Maasai guide, if Tanzanians, in whose country this scenic mountain is located, want to get a  really outstanding view, they have to come to into Kenya.

 For while geographically, it is located in Tanzania, they claim this only happened because of British Royal politics. For when that empire was carving up Africa, the queen dropped that mountain into Tanzania as a favor to a cousin of hers, since Kenya already had Mt. Kenya the second highest on the continent. This may just be interesting folklore but the fact that the Kenyans have a much more graphic view, makes it believable.

Kilimanjaro at 5985 meters above sea level, (almost 20,000 feet) is the tallest free standing mountain in the world and Africa's highest. It is described as a dormant volcano, although the last eruption is recorded at 150,000 to 200,00 years ago! 

Anyway, back to the natural beauty of Kenya.

Thankfully, the government there is doing everything in its power to preserve its wildlife and environment for generations to come. This is a never-ending task, as poachers from all over the world are constantly trying to frustrate their efforts.

So now, all the parks which fall under Kenya Wildlife Service,  are patrolled by heavily armed rangers who are not afraid to shoot to kill. 

My host Denis, stands atop one of the piles of ashes

They also seize their illegal booty, which includes ivory from elephants and rhinos. 

These are then burnt to take the profit out of poaching. 

We actually visited one of these sites in Nairobi National Park. Here the tons of ivory are reduced to mere ashes. 

Also, no one is allowed to feed the wild animals or take any dead or alive from the parks. To ensure that human carnivores are not deprived, livestock farming in quite vast there, but these farms can only operate if licensed.

A lion relaxes in Nairobi National Park

Admirably, it is not only their wildlife that they are concerned about, but indeed the entire environment. So, for example, plastic bags are no longer used and one-use plastic bottles are not allowed in any of their parks or conservancies.

They also do a lot to encourage their own citizens to enjoy the natural beauty of their country, by establishing numerous parks and forests all over and while outsiders pay large entrance fees, residents normally pay no more than about 1/10th of what the visitors do, to enter those establishments. 

Wildebeests at Amboseli National Park

Kenya is a huge country of 580,367 square kilometers (224,081 square miles) with a population of 50-60 million. 

To tell the truth, it was never on my bucket list to visit immediately, for as a Jamaican who descended from slaves brought from Africa, my first choice had been countries in West Africa, from whence our forefathers were kidnapped and forcefully brought to my island, Jamaica and the west in general. 

However, when my Canadian friends Kelly and Denis, who are as enthralled as I am about natural beauty, started posting the breath-taking photos of Kenya and invited me to visit, wild horses couldn't stop me,

And its probably one of the best decisions I have ever made, for the parks and conservatories I visited during an all too short two week stay, defied my imagination totally.

Local Kenyans on a trek up the steep Ngong mountain 

The special wildlife areas visited were; Nairobi National Park and Orphanage in the middle of the capital city; Lake Nakuru National Park which borders the city of Nakuru, the third largest city in the country; Amboseli National Park near the Maasai conversancy of Selenkay; (I have to do an entire blog on this!) Lake Elementia and Soysambu conservancy.

Incidentally, Kenyans so love our own Usain Bolt, that they actually named a cheetah in the Nairobi National  Park Usain Bolt! 

A bus clearly owned by a Bolt admirer

I was really fascinated that they had such a large wildlife park so close to the city, although some power now seems determined to mar the vista of that park by constructing a huge concrete rail system right through the center. 

This rail system is being designed to straight through to Uganda.

Nakuru, Lake Elementia and Soysambu are all located in the famous Rift Valley, a fascinating place that I had only read about but never dreamt of being able to visit.

The huge concrete train line being constructed through Nairobi National Park

The scenery along the road to get there is lush with well laid out tea plantations, vendors' ware, forests and lots of animals roaming on the sides of the roads.

We also passed through a number of small towns which reminded me very much of scenes in Jamaica. For up front, there were huge open-air markets where vendors laid out large batches of familiar-looking fruits, vegetables and ground provisions.

Sheep and cow skins also displayed in a stall on the roadside

Once we got to the sanctuaries and parks, watching, buffalo, zebras, baboons, monkeys, rhinos, giraffes hippos, every type of antelope etc. in their own natural environment, was to die for.

To get there was a bit challenging though, for while the roads are excellent, for part of the journey,  we had to maneuver between the hundreds of trucks that use a section of the that route to transport goods from Port Mombasa to Uganda and Rwanda, which are landlocked.

This looks like a scene from any Jamaican village

Kenya also has 1300 different species of birds and at the Natural History museum in Nairobi, they have stuffed displays of every single one. 

We also saw quite a number of these colorful creatures in the wild, one memorable scene was seeing a daring kite bird trying to chase a juvenile eagle out of it nest!

Video of some of the scenery along the way to Nakuru.

On this trip too, I gleaned a number of fun facts about animals in the wild. A summary is below.

Some of the 1300 bird species on display at the museum

      

Link;   https://youtu.be/W13GpOB4v9E

FUN FACTS

The white rhino is the 2nd largest land animal in the world (average 4.5 tons). It is not actually white in color but was misnamed by a South African who mispronounced 'wide' in describing how it's mouth is different from the black rhino. Despite this, the black and white rhinos do not get along! 

The white rhino also performs the lengthiest sex act, much longer than zebras which are as well endowed as donkeys, but operates on the basis, slam, bam thank you maam.😂

A Denis Bullion photo

Male buffalo horns start in the center of the head while the females horns start  close to the ears.

Most antelopes operate in harems with numerous females being serviced by one dominant male. However the little Dik Dik is so monogamous that it stays with its partner for life. When its mate dies, it stops eating and mopes to the point where it becomes easy prey for predators. 

Many animal watering holes are made by the huge elephants wallowing in the mud during the rainy season. An elephant is also so adept at using its large trunk that it can easily pick up something as small as a blade of grass, to huge objects with it.

An elephant at a watering hole

Also, elephants walk on tiptoes hence, despite their huge size, they move around silently.

Lions rarely attack humans unless provoked.

The giraffe's tongue appears to be blue as its pink tongue and the green leaves it feed on, gives it that color.

And lastly, many acacia trees are shaped according to how the giraffes feed on them. 

This acacia tree is tall in the middle as the giraffes feed around the edges

Link; https://youtu.be/W13GpOB4v9E

SOME GREAT OUTDOOR PHOTOS TAKEN BY DENIS BOUILLON

Flamingos partially cover Lake Nakuru

Vervet  aka blue balls monkey

A monogamous Dik Dik

Link; https://youtu.be/W13GpOB4v9E