Safaris dawn to dusk

Safaris dawn to dusk
Francis the park ranger manning the floodlight for our after-dark safari in Amboseli National Park.

Tuesday was a long day. We left on our first safari at 6:00 in the morning, came back for a late breakfast, then went out again at 10:00, then relaxed at the hotel in the afternoon, then went out for an after-dark safari after 7PM, followed by a late dinner.

We got a glimpse of the top of Mount Kilimanjaro just after sunrise, then it disappeared behind the clouds for the rest of the day.
A hyena near the cheetah kill site that we had seen the day before. The body of the Thomson's gazelle was no longer visible, most likely because it had been hidden by overnight by cheetahs or hyenas.

Speaking of that kill site, we heard an interesting story of something that had happened when we there. We were watching the cheetahs lounging near the kill (five of them total), and suddenly they all jumped up and ran away. (I didn't get a photo of that, because I was looking another direction at that moment.) At the time, we wondered what had startled them. And back at the lodge, we learned the answer.

There was a traffic jam near the cheetahs, with many safari vehicles parked on the road, and it was impossible to get past. Two women in a small car – elephant researchers – were annoyed that they couldn't get past to get back to their accommodations. So one of them stepped out of their vehicle, knowing that the cheetahs would be startled by this. The cheetahs ran away, the safari vehicles scattered, and they were able to drive past.

A tourist who was at the site saw it, and took a photo of their license plate when her guide explained to her what had happened. She then had her guide take her to the park ranger station, where they reported the incident and gave the license plate number. There's a big fine for being out of a vehicle in the wildlife areas of Amboseli, so the impatient woman is probably now regretting her little stunt.

A cheetah was saw from a distance today.
Two hyenas.
We were very close to these buffalos, and they were looking at us curiously. Then Willie said "watch this," and he made a harrumphing sound like a hippo. They all turned around and started walking away.
Flamingos near Ol Tukai Safari Lodge.
When we got back to the lodge and saw that Megan's favorite drink was the cocktail of the day, we knew what to do.
A late night walk outside our room at Ol Tukai Safari Lodge in Amboseli. Next we have a travel day to Tsavo West, then a full day of safaris in Tsavo West, and then Friday we'll head for home.