Some of the last remaining super-tuskers

A 'super-tusker' is an elephant with tusks so large that they can weigh over 50 kilos each. Tusks of this size are usually long and at times, may even touch the ground. Unfortunately, chances of seeing the super-tuskers out in the wild and roaming free are slim. There are approximately 25 individuals left in the world. Most of which live in the Amboseli eco-system and Tsavo conservation area. 

Only recently, two of Kenyas famous super-tuskers died. Tim, the celebrity super-tusker who lived in Amboseli eco-system died in February 2020 at the age of 50 years. Il Talal who lived in the Tsavo conservation area died in April 2021 at the age of 55 years. It is sad to loose such magnificent beasts. But its comforting to know that they both died of natural causes. They lived, and died as wild and free elephants. Their legacy lives on, they both have fathered calves and hopefully their genes will carry on. 

We are lucky have more super-tusker elephants who grace us with their presence. Craig is the more popular bull after the sad demise of Tim. Craig just turned 50 and he is the star of the show in Amboseli. Tolstoy, a 49 year old bull lives and roams freely in the Amboseli eco-system. Lugard, aka LU1 is a 48 year old super-tusker who lives in the Tsavo conservation area. All these three super-tuskers have magnificent tusks. They are all gentle and seeing them out it the wild will leave you breathless. These three bulls are not the only super-tuskers alive in Kenya. There are more bulls - younger and still growing. 

The future of the super-tuskers is not as bleak as one would think. However, these gentle giants need constant protection and a safe free roaming home range for them to spread their genes. 

Super-tusker Craig in Amboseli

Lugurd aka LU1 in Tsavo.

An elephants tale

February 1979, Una one of the elephant cows in Amboseli gave birth to her first calf which turned out to be a male. Four years later, The Amboseli trust for elephants named him Ulysses. The trust always names the elephant calves four years after they are born, this is because their survival chances are higher after they turn four. 

This is a short story of Ulysses, one of the big tusked bull elephants in Amboseli eco-system. Growing up, Ulysses stood out. He is unique and his personality was different. In the mid 90's, Ulysses was the first of his age group to leave his maternal herd to live the life of a bachelor and join the 'mens club'. He grew up to be a fighter, he is not known to back out of a challenge. He's even broken his left ear in a fight with another bull elephant. His broken ear is one of the ways to identify him these days, but he's not the only bull elephant with big tusks and a broken left ear - Palmer also has a broken ear. Now at the age of 42 years, he's become more calm. Last week, I had the privilege of spending almost an hour with this magnificent bull. I was blown away and at times I didn't even pick up my camera to take pictures. He is majestic. What made this sighting even more special was the fact that I was the only one there. It felt special and I could not help but imagine how the super-tuskers looked like when they roamed freely. The fact that such bulls still roam the Amboseli plains freely and as wild as they could be. This gives me some hope that the future generations will get to see, protect and photograph such amazing elephants.

Amboseli trust for elephants has been monitoring and researching on elephants since 1974. Founded by Dr Cynthia Moss and her colleague Harvey Croze. According to research by the research teams in Amboseli, Una was born in 1964 to the UA family. She died in the year 2006 from unknown causes, and she left five living off springs - four females (Undine, Usha, Utwo and Undo) and one male (Ulysses). Undine was born in September 1985, Usha was born in May 1990, Utwo was born in February 1997 and Undo was born in June 2000. Ulysses and his four sisters still live in Amboseli as wild and free elephants. You can get to see them when you visit the Amboseli National park. 

Enjoy the pictures of Ulysses... Until next time, keep safe and take care!

Curiosity of an elephant. 

A competent road inspector.

A trip to Amboseli

Last week I visited the Amboseli national park, in the southern part of Kenya. This is the land famed by elephant herds, the majestic Mt Kilimanjaro and most recently the flamingos have become a good addition to the over 400 bird species that call this place home. The landscape is mostly flat land, and its stunningly beautiful. This also makes it great for photography. An additional surprise to many travelers is Lake Amboseli, and it happens to be in the middle of the park. The lake attracts many animals and birds. There are many swamps as well. The water flows from the Kilimanjaro into these swamps and lake, and in some places the water is crystal clear. 

All covid safety protocols are adhered to. Hotel staff, park rangers and guests are all wearing masks and sanitizing. Maintaining social distancing has become a new norm. At the park gates there are hand washing stations as well. You will find this in place in the camps and lodges too. 

The Amboseli was virtually empty, I could hardly see any cars on game drive. However, this did not take anything away from the magic that's always in store when on safari in Africa. I enjoy my game drives, even if I don't see any of the big five. I am a birding enthusiast as well so I can be easily distracted by birds. On this particular drive I entered the park through the Kimana gate which is on the eastern side of the park. Tim, the charming bull elephant and famous big tusker died close to Kimana gate. 

After driving for about 10 minutes looking around for animals, I heard a bird like call and I immediately stopped to check around on what it was. The call was constant as I scanned around the plains searching for what it was. Then from the corner of my eyes I caught some movement in the distance. I stop the vehicle and looked, a slender spotted cat in the distance. I obviously could recognize the bird like call and I knew what animal it was. I was thrilled to bits to see a cheetah. It was far to get any good pictures but I still savored the moment. Cheetahs are fast declining into extinction with only about 7,000 individuals left in the wild across the globe. This was a mother cheetah, and I suspect she was calling out to her cubs. I could not see any cub and after about 10 minutes I lost sight of the cheetah as she walked into the tickets. That brought to an end my short appointment with the spotted cat. I love photographing cheetahs, they are more active compared to lions and leopards. They have slender bodies that are built for speed and they are very photogenic. Moving away from the cheetah sighting, I had incredible elephant sightings, an Amboseli trademark. There were lots of other animals that are always interesting to observe and photograph like zebras, giraffes, wildebeests, buffaloes, flamingos and pelicans.

Here are some of the pictures from that drive. I still am in Amboseli and I will share with you more pictures and stories... Until next time, be safe!

A cheetah in the distance

Zebras and Mt Kilimanjaro

The power of technology

Technology has always had its pros and cons. With the recent covid-19 pandemic, many of us were forced to work from home. Something we have not done before. These were strange times, our livelihoods had been shaken to the core.

But every grey cloud has a silver lining. We are a curious bunch, we always look for new ways to keep moving forward in life. Due to the nature of my work, I am privileged to got to travel to some of the most amazing parts of our country. The word safari has always had a strong connection with our beloved country. I now move a step further by using videos to show case the safari side of our country. Let me bring the safari to you while you are in the comfort of your home.  

Feel free to subscribe to my youtube channel - Murad Habib and stay tuned for more videos

This is the link to my first video uploaded on youtube. https://youtu.be/trJRz-OftUU 

Plains of Lewa conservancy with Mt Kenya in the distance 

A tremendous bird

Flamingos have got to be some of the most tremendous birds. Most of the eggs are laid (and hatch) at Lake Natron in Tanzania, but the flamingos spend most of their adult life in Kenya. From the five species of flamingos worldwide, two are found in Kenya - the lesser and greater flamingo.

The greater flamingos are bigger, taller and have a light pink shade on their beaks, while the lesser flamingos have a deeper pink color on their feathers with black at the tips and a deep red color on their beaks. 

The greater flamingo feeds on crustaceans and other organisms found in mud while the lesser flamingo feeds on the floating algae found in the soda lakes, it is believed that the algae they feed on gives them the pink color. These are intelligent birds. It is believed that they stand on one leg to retain body heat. They also fly at night, this is to avoid being spotted by predators like the eagles. 

Flamingos are monogamous, they retain a mating partner through out their life. They breed once every three years and the female will often lay one egg at a time. Both the male and female take part in incubating the egg. After 21-38 days the egg hatches. When young, the flamingo chick is white in color, their beaks are straight, then curve with time. For the first three months, the young flamingo chick will feed on milk produced by both parents from the upper digestive tract and other members of the colony can feed the chicks. 

Their average lifespan is between 20-40 years and will start breeding when they are about 4 years. 

Flamingos. Amboseli, Kenya 

The elusive cat

This big cat is often known to be shy, and elusive. However, it is the most wide spread of all the top predators. From the most remote places in Laikipia to the Nairobi National park, the leopard finds its home. A member of the 'big five' in the safari world, a leopard sighting is always breath taking. 

Often mistaken as a 'spotted' cat, its fur is marked with rosettes. It is similar in physical appearance to the jaguar but it has smaller and lighter physique. Both leopards and jaguars can be melanistic and are called black panthers. 

The leopards English name comes from old French that is derived from Latin. Its generic name, panthera pardus is Latin. 

With an average lifespan of 12-17 years in the wild, a fully grown leopard can weigh up to 70 kilos. Their body size can vary, with the males being larger than the females. Often solitary, while on safari you can see two or more leopards together. After a gestation period of 2.5 months, a mother can give birth to 1 to 3 cubs. The cubs will stay with the mother for about 2 years before they venture out on their own. This is a powerful and versatile predator that uses camouflage and stealth to ambush prey. Leopards are agile and strong. They are more active at night and are good tree climbers. They are known to haul their prey up a tree after a successful hunt. Leopards can also ambush prey from the top of a tree. 

Samburu and Maasai Mara national reserves are among the best places to see the leopards in Kenya.

Leopard sightings are never guaranteed while on safari, even in prime leopard country. I have spent hours on game drives searching for them with no luck, yet sometimes I would emerge from my tent in the morning to see fresh leopard tracks, or see one on my way back to my tent after dinner.

Leopard looking out. Maasai Mara

Leopard on the move. Maasai Mara

Fine art photography

According to wikipedia, fine-art photography is photography created in line with the vision of the photographer as artist, using photography as a medium for creative expression. The goal of fine-art photography is to express an idea, a message, or an emotion. 

There is a common belief that fine art photography is black and white photography. This is not always the case, there are many fine art photos in color.

In this edition, I am going to talk about black and white photography as a form of fine art photography. This is one aspect of photography that I am getting increasingly interested in. Black and white photography has something appealing, it has a timeless quality to it, these images are breathtaking, engaging, striking and moody at times. Black and white images remove any distraction of color, and helps the viewer focus on the subject, composition, texture and shapes or patterns. You can still use the same composition techniques as you would in color photography. While shooting, one of the key things to look out for is contrast, these are the light and dark tones. Look for the solid blacks in shadows. 

Another key thing is to train your eyes to seeing in black and white. Visualize the scene in black and white. You also need to embrace the 'grey days'. Always shoot in color then convert into black and white. This way you maintain all the originals. 

Lastly, get an inspiration. There are many professional wildlife photographers who work with black and white. I personally like David Guldens work (besides being a personal friend he is a great photographer who respects the wildlife) I also draw inspiration from David Yarrow. 

Here are a few of my black and white images, enjoy!

Male cheetah. Loisaba conservancy, Kenya 

Male elephant. Amboseli, Kenya 

Male lion with cubs. Maasai Mara, Kenya

Leroy - an upcoming star

 Amboseli Elephants are world renowned. They simply are magnificent.

With the legendary Tim now gone (Tim died of natural causes at the age of 50 years), Craig is the more popular big tusker in this kingdom. Besides Craig, there are other males with some very impressive tusks, some of whom I recon can probably grow bigger than Tims - only time will tell 😎

With other males besides Craig like Pascal, Palmer, Velowski, Adam and Leroy coming into the lime light. These guys will be stars in the years to come. There are about 25-30 young males with impressive tusks who are between the ages of 32 years and 40 years. 

I am particularly impressed by Leroy, a 36 year old bull. One morning straight from bush breakfast I saw him walking back very quickly. He had ventured out of the Amboseli National park and Kitirua conservancy into the neighboring farms in Tanzania. Looks like he did not get a good welcome, and he quickly made his way back home. He is a handsome bull, still growing and getting increasingly popular. Chege, one of the guides at Tortilis camp was very helpful in identifying him. Chege is an outstanding guide, one of the few gold rated guides in the country! Ali (head guide), Jonathan, Juma team up with Chege to make an outstanding guiding team based at Tortilis camp, part of the Elewana collection. They are joined by Festus and Leperes. They all are top guides, great individuals with great personalities. All these guides have shared with me their extensive knowledge and I am grateful to have the chance to work with them and to build long lasting friendships with them.

Leroy. Kitirua conservancy, Amboseli (B&W image)

Leroy. Kitirua conservancy, Amboseli (B&W image)

Leroy. Kitirua conservancy, Amboseli 

A star studded night

The city robs us of one incredible experience, and you got it right - star gazing... the distractions from the sky scrappers and all the light pollution. We only get to see the moon and a few stars and that's about it.  

In the cities and towns you may never get to see how incredibly beautiful the African night sky is. The night sky is filled with billions of stars and galaxies. 

Over the next few weeks I will share with you my journey of photographing the night sky in a stunning location in the southern part of Kenya called Amboseli national park, and Kitirua conservancy to be more specific. 

Every time I look up into the sky, I remember a rhyme which my daughter still sings... twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like diamonds in the sky... 

Night sky. Kitirua conservancy, Amboseli

'Look at the stars. See their beauty. And in that beauty, see yourself'... Draya Mooney 

Something random

While the big five are always great to spot on safari. There are many other animals that are very interesting to observe, and to photograph. Cheetahs are among my favorite animals to photograph. They are very active during the day and are very photogenic 😎 

Hyenas, on the other hand are underrated. But, they are fascinating and good hunters in their own right. 

The plains animals form close family bonds and the tender moments of love between them are incredible. Zebras are great to observe, they groom each other, play and stay active. They often make great photography subjects. 

I will share few random images from Loisaba conservancy, Kenya. Some of which are incredible sightings while on safari.

Cheetah stalk. Loisaba conservancy, Kenya 

 

Zebra in the plains. Loisaba conservancy, Kenya 

Spotted Hyena. Loisaba conservancy, Kenya

Male lion. Loisaba conservancy, Kenya 

Lions - Panthera Leo

Large and powerful! this is the second biggest cat in the world. The Lion is one of the best know wild animals. They find their home in about 28 African countries (African lion), and in India (Asiatic, Indian or Persion lion).

The male lions most outstanding feature is his mane, which varies between individuals. A fully-grown male is about 2 metres long excluding the 1 metre tail. The male lion stands tall, with a shoulder height of about about 1.2 metres and weighs up to 250 kg. The female is a little bit smaller, with a body length of 1.5 metres, excluding the 1 metre tail. A shoulder height of about 1 metre, and an average weight of up to 200 kg. The lion’s coat is short and often varies from buff yellow, orange-brown, silvery gray to dark brown color, with a tuft on the tail tip that is usually black in color.

Lions live in prides, a unique trait in the cat family. The pride consists of females, few young males, cubs and of course the pride males. The pride is multi generational, with the females being related. Each pride has a well-defined territory which varies in size. The prides territory consists of a main core area which is strictly defended against any intruders, and a fringe area where some overlap is often tolerated. Roaring and scent marking is a way the lions choose to proclaim their territories. 

Lions are good hunters, hunting a wide range of prey from gazelles to elephants and giraffes. Females often do the hunting, with the males joining in when hunting bigger prey like buffaloes. 

Lions (both males and females) are polygamous and breed throughout the year. Lionesses are usually restricted to the resident pride males. Lionesses become receptive to mating for about three to five days with the reproductive cycle being variable. During mating the pair generally mates every 15–30 minutes, copulating up-to 50 times in a day. Such extended copulation not only stimulates ovulation in the female but also secures paternity for the male by excluding other males. The gestation period is about 110 days, and the litter size varies from one to six cubs. 

Humans pose the greatest threat to lions. Human wildlife conflict, loss of habitat, poaching, and trophy hunting have caused huge population decline. Lions are classifies as vulnerable in the International union for the conservation of nature (ICUN) with less than 20,000 individuals left in the wild.  

Male lion. Maasai Mara, Kenya 

Lioness and cubs. Maasai Mara, Kenya