Spent the morning trying to find a Fundi..(claimed to be a Swahili word..but we used it in Rhodesia) meaning a person who is knowledgeable about whatever subject is being discussed at the time. I needed a fridge repair specialist..Searched high and low in Voi but to no avail.
Headed for Tsavo West National Park, the Northern section.. I had travelled through the Southern section on entering Kenya (saw nothing and so was apprehensive). It's a 40k journey to get into the park and I was heading for some natural springs about 60k into the park ..didn't make it. Roads not so good and there were a few things to see on the way..
I drove around about 75% of the pond but saw nothing..
This herd of Buffalo was coming up for a drink but turned around and went elsewhere
The Zebra, far more cautious, let the big boys check it out.
There was something that worried the game.
I know you all know and have heard about the Lions of Tsavo.. So I'll keep it brief ..
The Brits were building the railway from Mombasa to Entebbe in 1898. While building the bridge over the Tsavo river they encountered problems with lions who had acquired a liking for human flesh. Amongst the thousands working on the line, many were Indian. The man eaters had a field day. Workers started fleeing the job. Hunters were called in to fix the problem Eventually the two lions were shot not beflore killing and eating a reported 135. Obviously the Lions liked indian food.. The Lions can be seen in a museum in Chicago and of course Hollywood made a film about the story.
Tsavo west had some of the smaller antelope.
The tragedy of the Rhino.
Tsavo West has a Rhino sanctuary about 90 sq kms,(started at 25 sq kms.) with a population of about 70 Black Rhino.
The facts are enough to make you cry. In 1970 there were an estimated 7- 8000 rhinos in the Tsavo eco system. By 1990 about 20 remained.. I say again 20. Almost all losses were due to
human poaching. Hang your head in shame China and Asia more generally.
A sanctuary was set up in West Tsavo ( heavily guarded ) There were 3 black Rhino in 1990.
It now has about 70.
A relocation of Rhinos to a non sanctuary area in Tsavo East has resulted in poaching
and has not been not very successful..
1000 Rhinos are poached in South Africa each year about 1 every 10 hours. I went into the sanctuary at 4.00 pm when it opened but didn't see any rhino ..I did see this!
Time to head out of the park..At the gate a warden asked for a lift into Voi..
She was off duty for 4 days and going home. A lovely woman, with 3 kids, whose husband taught at the local college and was doing his masters in Languages..
I had noticed a lot of trucks on the Mombasa to Nairobi to Kampala road stopped at the side of the road.. two, three, sometimes four parked close together. I asked the warden why..She said that these truck drivers had had a good business going, carrying containers from the port to Nairobi and when they stopped for rest, some and sometimes a lot of items would go missing..while they slept! Today, if the container door is touched, an alarm goes off at H.Q and police are called. That scam is now history. The latest scam is selling Diesel. If a company is not carefully monitoring fuel consumption or has a driver on a $/km fuel deal, the drivers then sell the diesel to others and theses trucks are together to trade. Often you see truck driver is doing 70 kph when he could do 90 ..they have worked out the most fuel efficient rate for their vehicle and may save 60-70 litres on the journey. This they sell at say $1.20 (the going rate is $1.50). It's a great way to make a 100 bucks.
Tonight it's a meal then bed, and tomorrow it's to Nairobi.
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