As I climb into the wickedly large safari vehicle, my guide explains what animals we will hopefully see today on my trip to Amboseli National Park in Kenya.
He speaks of the elephants, those majestic creatures that roam the grasslands like prehistoric animals. He talks about the lions, the hyenas and the variety of birds that we will see today. But then he tells me of the gazelles. Honestly, the gazelles are low on my bucket list to see in Kenya, I mean aren’t they just deer? Apparently, no they are an integral part of African animal life, both for other animals and also humans. First off, I saw two different types of gazelles in Amboseli, the first being Thomson and the second being Grant. These are two totally distinct animals with different colorings, different sizes and different horn characteristics.
They are both unique and special in their own way. So back to the gazelles, the Thomson’s gazelles are small gazelles that have light brown coats with dark stripes running down their sides, a white patch on their rumps and ridged horns that curve backwards. As with all gazelles they are calm but alert always looking out for danger and ready to run in a second. The Grant gazelles are larger with a different horn structure that is lyre shaped and is broader at the base. Also, as they are moving away from you, they appear to be wearing pants! These gazelles migrate backwards, meaning they aren’t following water but can move backwards where there is less water, less competition for food.
As I am standing looking out over the grasslands, my guide asks, “Ok, which gazelle is this one” and “which is this one”. This continues throughout the day asking about these animals, I wondered why these seemingly abundant animals were so important to my safari guide. First off, my guide and hopefully every guide is a teacher, they are teaching you about what you don’t know, but how could you, unless this is your backyard, your job or your passion in life. An amazing guide is passionate about their craft and skill. Take advantage of their knowledge, allow it to seep into your brain and learn for these folks, they have seen so much and are happily willing to impart their experiences and knowledge to you. Take it, it is valuable.
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