Amboseli was practically unscathed the ivory poaching done in the 1980s, consequently it still boasts some of the region's oldest and bulkiest elephants. Towering above the park is the jagged dome of Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world (5 miles high). The mountain is usually shrouded in clouds, but you can see it behind the two elephants if you look carefully. Much of the snow on the top of Kilimanjaro has melted in the last few years; the locals attribute the disappearing glaciers to global warming.
The following 3 pictures are some of my favorite animal shots:
The Cape Buffalo is considered one of the "big five," so named by the early game hunters as one of the five most desirable (and dangerous) animals they wanted to shoot and bring home. Imagine the large head mounted on someone's wall (not allowed anymore). The horns are massive; the horn size and shape is variable and dependent on age, the old bulls carrying the prize sets. Notice the 6 birds perched on his back. These are Oxpeckers, or Tick Birds who remove ticks and blood-sucking insects from the buffalo hides
The Gerenuk is a large, slender gazelle with an extremely long neck. They live in pairs or small groups in dry, scrubby areas where they eat leaves of trees and bushes. They often stand on their back legs, allowing them to reach leaves and shoots that are out of reach for most other animals. They do not need to drink water, obtaining all the liquid they need from their food.
Baboons are the most common of East Africa's primates. We have seen many baboons, but if we stop to watch a troop of them, ranging in size from a handful to 150 individuals, they are always interesting. Many of the animals of Africa just graze, but baboons are always moving, grooming each other, climbing, jockeying for position. I love the way the mothers care for their young...always nearby, often carrying them protectively.
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