MERU RHINO
Several years ago I decided that I wanted to see more rhino while in Kenya so I investigated what was available. My best option appeared to be Meru National Park to the North of Mt Kenya. It is a vast area covering some 880 sq km. Part of the park is sectioned off and forms a rhino sanctuary for white and black rhino and has been expanded from 48 to 84 sq km.
I usually plan to stay for two or three nights at Ikweta Lodge near the entrance to the park. Ikweta is a warm and friendly lodge well run by local people.
The park is not on the popular tourist trail and needs some planning to get there. Internal flights are available from Wilson Airport Nairobi to Meru Airstrip in small De Havilland twin otter or Cessna caravans.
I arrange for my guide and vehicle to meet me at Meru airstrip. The sight of an aircraft landing brings out all the local schools for a visit and to welcome travellers.
The airstrip is in the park so the journey to the lodge is broken by the occasional stop to observe the local wildlife.
A friendly welcome is assured at Ikweta Lodge and Im soon settled into my fully equipped bedroom with en-suite washroom.
The food at Ikweta is good, simple and enjoyable.
The first full day sees us away early before breakfast, just a cup of tea and few biscuits to keep us going and a hamper full of the days provisions to take with us.
The entrance to the park is quiet, no one else about except for a couple of the rangers to open the gates.
I head straight for the rhino sanctuary area and arrive there as the warm African sun starts to show over the horizon.
My first encounter is with a small group of white rhinos coming off the swap area and heading into the bushes and forest areas after a nights sleep on the cool grasses. The herd consists of eight adult rhino, a few juveniles and two young calves. They are all a bit sleepy and they have poor eyesight so we soon find ourselves surrounded by the group. They eventually lose interest in me and wander off.
They are mostly quite gentle with each other but there’s the occasional head to head tussle and horn rattling.
My route takes us into a more densely wooded area where I hope to see black rhino. As I turn through a gulley I suddenly spot something staring straight at me, its a black rhino but before I can lift the camera its off into the dense scrub, they are very nervous. Can’t really blame them as they have, and are still poached for their horns. In Meru the rhino still have there original horns intact unlike many other places where the horns have been removed and replaced with artificial ones for there own safety.
Met up with a group of friendly rangers and exchanged some information about the rhino sightings. They showed a lot of interest in my camera and lens so we swapped ‘armament’. They preferred the weight of their rifles!
On the other side of the swamp I come across a large female and her small calf quietly sleeping on a wide area of road. As she breathes in and out a cloud of dust rises from the murrum track and the dust covers their faces.
The sun is starting to set and we need to head back to the gate and onto the lodge for some food, processing images and a few hours sleep before I do it all again.
It’s was a good few days with 53 sightings of rhinos, mostly white and a lot of images taken.
