SWEETWATERS GAME RESERVE |
Nestled between Mt. Kenya to the east and the Aberdares Mountains to the west, Sweetwaters Game Reserve is a privately held reserve covering some 24,000 acres. Although the rains had come to the areas to the south, this part of Kenya was still suffering badly from the 3 year drought.
The grass was dry and the animals few and far between. Another one of those irresistible photo opportunities at Sweetwaters is to pose with Morani the Rhinoceros (he's the gray one in back). Morani's name is derived from the Maasai word for warrior, but as long as you stay away from his horns, you're OK.
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Here, you can experience your first night game drive. People go out at about 11PM, armed with a powerful spotlight, to observe the animals. Surprisingly, few animals are disturbed by the bright light. Unfortunately, people don't spot any night predators, but you do have the unusual opportunity to see giraffe laying down. This is an interesting sight - the body is hidden in the grass and just the long neck and head show.
You also observe elephants continuing to feed throughout the night. When you return to camp, you must wait for a herd of buffalo to disperse from around our tents before calling it a night. Located on the reserve is one of several Jane Goodall Institute Sanctuaries maintained in East Africa. Kept here are a group of chimpanzees originally housed at the JGI sanctuary in Bujumbura, Burundi. When the Burundi government became unstable in 1994, the chimpanzees were relocated here. |
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