Multiple Rhino, white and black

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We got up early for a game drive around Samburu in the hope of seeing Leopard or Cheetah, but after 2 hours of extensive looking we came up short. Not to worry though, we saw plenty of giraffe, elephant and even a Warthog.

Now a warthog has 2 gears (so my father used to tell me as a boy). When it walks its tail sticks straight out the back, but when it runs its tail goes into 1^st gear and it sticks straight upright. Still made me laugh watching them over 30 years after last visiting Samburu with my parents.

We then headed on to Meru National Park, another lesser and more isolated park in the North of Kenya, our main hope being to see Rhino. The road got progressively worse and we figured not too many people could possibly visit, but we eventually made the gate.

At the gate, they had no maps and their best directions were follow the track and take a right and you will find some Rhinos. So we set off with low expectations and headed in the directions suggested. Eventually we stumbled on to about 20 armed men in military fatigues tasked with guarding the Rhino, they said we should go round a corner up a hill and we will see 3 of them. Then they said but not until 4pm as it is too hot.

So we set off to find some other animals and find a place to camp. We found the public campsite which I imagine 20 years ago was very nice, but the Baboons peeing in the small pool and the fact that all the buildings were falling down suggested it had seen better days. So we kindly thanked the staff and headed off but not before asking where we might see Buffalo. Their simple answer was down the road.

So we set off down the road joking that nobody knew where any animals were, not 10m from the campsite entrance we saw Buffalo. We then saw a large number of Giraffes before heading to what was marked as “Hippo pool”. One thing there wasn’t was Hippos but driving along the track we stumbled into about 20 elephants.

As we crept closer to the elephants a large whiter one stepped forward and whilst it would be an exaggeration to say it charged it did take half a dozen bold steps forward at the car which clearly indicated to us we should take a different track.

We then headed back to find the elusive rhinos and after an hour of trying we gave up and headed to the park gate when out the corner of my eye we stumbled on three elusive Black rhinos. Elated we then headed to the gate where a military man stepped out the bushes and asked how our day was and if we have seen Rhino? He then pointed to the side and said there were 2 more, these were White rhino. Seeing our excitement he offered to take us on foot to see them. We got up close and personal which was great but it seems he was doing something he shouldn’t so when another military truck came by he made us hit the deck while it passed!

Elated we headed out of the park and found a little hotel of dubious quality to spend the night, but we’re too happy to mind.

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