breakfast : britney hope ; sign : kellie davenport ; leopard : flpa / alamy |
to meet Annette , a female cheetah . I cautiously run my hand over her silky dotted coat — she purrs like a docile house cat . After a few strokes , my shiny watch becomes an irresistible target and the cat goes for a playful nibble . I ’ m instantly reminded that in spite of her purring , Annette is still a wild animal and it ’ s time to move along .
The nexT morning , I awake to the sounds of Kenya — crested francolins , chatty birds who ’ ve rightly earned the nickname “ East Africa ’ s alarm clock .” The terrace of my room faces Mount Kenya ’ s lush slopes and is the perfect spot for sipping a cup of Kenyan coffee , one of the country ’ s biggest exports .
I see the mountain up close on a morning horseback ride . During the guided jaunt , I trot past zebras , hyenas and warthogs . Guests can book this safari for the surprisingly cheap price of $ 25 USD per hour . Halfway through the journey , our guide delivers us to a scenic ridge where a breakfast spread awaits . I dine on a full-service feast , complete with white table linens , hot coffee and fresh eggs — all while watching Cape buffalo in the distance .
While a horseback safari provides a preview of Africa ’ s iconic animals , a game drive is a must when in Kenya . Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a protected
|
360-square-kilometre habitat , teeming with lions , rhinos , zebras , giraffes , gazelles , buffalos , hyenas and countless bird species . Game drives typically last a few hours and depart in the morning , afternoon and early evening .
While all of the country ’ s private conservancies and public reserves offer remarkable sightings of African wildlife , Ol Pejeta stands apart . It ’ s home to the world ’ s last three northern white rhinos , a species now officially declared extinct in the wild . While Pejeta conservationists hope the two females and one male might procreate , breeding efforts have thus far proven unsuccessful . To keep the trio safe from poachers , who butcher the animals for their horns , armed guards accompany them around the clock throughout their 280-hectare enclosure .
Rounding a corner on my afternoon game drive , we spot two guards , rifles at the ready , standing near a hulking grey mass . The animal , with his wide snout and short ears , happily grazes on grass 10 metres from our vehicle , oblivious to the tourists ogling his every bite . His guards , however , mean business . They immediately instruct us not to take photos , which can be tracked by poachers via electronic location stamps . Everyone sets their cameras aside to revel in this once-in-a-lifetime moment .
|
A couple of dAys post-rhino and another short plane ride later , I step onto the legendary savannah of the Maasai Mara . The sprawling 1,500-square-kilometre region is the undisputed jewel of Kenya ’ s national park system . Famous for the Great Migration of wildebeest herds , it ’ s also home to the legendary Maasai warriors .
At the airstrip , I meet our guide , who is outfitted in a colourful shuka , a bright red-and-blue checked wrap . After a pleasant exchange of jambo ( a more affectionate version of “ hello ” in Swahili ), I learn he is Jackson Ntirkana , one of the region ’ s last lionkilling warriors . While he maintains a traditional Maasai way of life , Jackson also works as a cultural ambassador for Canadian charity WE .
One of Kenya ’ s 44 tribes , the Maasai are a semi-nomadic people . They migrate between southern Kenya and the Serengeti of northern Tanzania , a region known collectively as Maasailand . As an ancient and fiercely proud culture , steeped in legend and ritual , they ’ ve largely withstood Western modernization . But things are changing .
Over the next few days , I ’ m immersed in Maasai culture and learn about their customs , home life and , yes , killing of lions — a practice that ’ s now illegal in Kenya . During visits to local villages and nightly fireside chats , the story of Jackson ’ s warrior life emerges . He is part of a generation trying to »
|
||||
AMA InsIder WInTer 2017 31 |