Critically Endangered vultures threatened by wind farm
Published The East African, Nation media 22-28 April 2017
Ruppell’s vulture landing – copyright Munir Virani
Since 2015 four of the eight species of vultures in Kenya have been listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This means they are one step short of becoming extinct.
With an amazing raptor-filled day in Tsavo West
Published Saturday magazine, Nation newspaper 22 April 2017
Above: Lappet-faced vulture with Tawny eagle in Tsavo West National Park at Lake Jipe on the Kenya-Tanzania border
Copyright Rupi Mangat
The road from Grogan’s Castle is a long thin thread through a bush-filled veld of Prosopis juliflora, one of the most terrible invasive plants in the world. These water-suckers compete for water with indigenous species and are so aggressive that one was found with roots at 175 feet deep in the earth.
Aeriel view of Grogan’s Castle with Kilimanjaro
Copyright Grogan’s Castle
Published Saturday magazine, Nation newspaper 15 April 2017
He couldn’t have chosen a better spot to build his castle.
In the first light of the day the 360-degree panorama from Grogan’s Castle is dramatic – with the two ice-clad peaks – Mawenzi and Kibo – of Kilimanjaro from the veranda of the legendary maverick – Grogan himself.
In my mind’s eye l can see him hoping off his eccentric bed – a flat metal sheet bolted against the wall and encased in a wire cage – nothing frivolous about it – and taking in the grandeur of it all – the Pare mountains in Tanzania that are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains stretching from Kenya’s Taita Hill to Tanzania’s legendary Usambara’s and more. Circling around, his eye would have taken in the shimmer of Jipe, the lake on the foothills of the Pare and shared between Kenya and Tanzania and then the wilderness of Tsavo.
Published in Saturday magazine, Nation newspaper on 19 September 1998
This was an amazing camel safari with Yare Camel Safari in 1998 near Maralal around the Karisia hills – we walked/rode the camels 15 kms everyday through the hills and forests – and camped by rivers.
I was pretty poor and travelling on the cheap – in a matatu – getting the most mileage out of every shilling!
Moonlion Safaris 