elephant limping badly.. camouflage and beauty….

Yes Beauty BUT theres a twist  that needs to be addressed!.. ‘Rubbish’.. plastic strewn around a spring??!!…

I think alot of people are happy its December… the end of a long ‘rubbish’ year!.. We are still here, and so far have not had to start eating the camels to survive!.. I’ve been wondering what one does with a hundred beautiful bull camels if we don’t get any safaris!!?? .. Theres no corona out here in the bush so ‘come all ye good people’.. come and walk, laugh, and sing.. give the camels a reason to be alive!…  away from the news, the wars, the modern world!! ..

I was walking down this beautiful lugga recently and just thought this MASSIVE rock that had split in half was amazing.. What caught my eye was this sweet little minature garden!

…. every ones wish in the front garden! You see to the lower right the lovely miniature garden of eden!!!

here it is the mini garden..

So much part of Northern Kenya… Lugga’s.. They are fasinating to walk down, winding dry river beds that take you all the way from the mountains down to the dry country…  as you get to each corner you get this urge to keep going .. and this lugga is one of those.. The landscape is different every corner you take,  trees change around each bend, AND soooooo many lovely birds and reptiles, living in these rocks!!

just a beautiful lugga

we walked the whole lugga its so special

cliff chat

agamas… look at the difference between the male and female

Same lizards… youngsters .. the camouflage is amazing

rock martins.. Same as the rock colours

even theres water

BUT.. OHHHHH but.. look what we found… Rubbish (plastic)..  in this BEAUTIFUL spot, even in the eye of the spring… Milgis will have a big meeting with the community that use this spring to explain the WHOLE story of plastic rubbish.. Most of the packets in the water here are washing soap… Not that long ago omo and all these soaps were sold in cardboard boxes… CAN WE NOT GO BACK TO THAT??

Rubbish at the spring

Freddy and Harry mentioned in my last blog who are helping us make a film on ‘ the repercussions of burning the forests’ are also making a short film explaining all about plastic rubbish…  Both films will be shown along with our Ramate e Losho film to ALL communities in Milgis coverage..

plastic rubbish in the eye of the spring

Onwards down the lugga waterfall after water fall.. BUT dry.. Imagine what it looks like in the rains…

Lovely waterfall

A stop for breakfast…

Breakfast with the camels!

a lovely bark snake slides past!

Recently two of our uni students, Safarin and Lotemo got married in a very interesting half traditional and half modern wedding… What I know is they had many supporters!!  In Samburu land you don’t invite the guests, the guests invite themselves and the more people that come the better!! thats what i mean by supporters!!!

Safarin in her traditional gown to start with..

Then she changed for the celebrations.. Here she is with all the warriors… impressive!

her husband and her best man.. All 3 Uni students of the MIlgis

I just wanted to mention that all the many students, that you good people reading this, have kindly sponsored through schools, colleges and universities, are all doing well.. and coming back to help and are all FANTASTIC ambassadors to our work… Together we will win!

Last month we had a difficult time once again getting help for this elephant.. He was limping REALLY  badly and had not moved more than a half a km for about 10 days from his spot.. We tried to get close to find out his problem but he was not having it!.. If only one could tell a wild animal, all I want to do is help!… Thankfully KWS vet Dr Njoroge, and Pilot Ian lemayan pitched up, and after rather a stenuous and chaotic time trying NOT to stress the elephant, again he was not making it easy!…  they managed to dart him and THANK GOODNESS it was not a gun shot wound or the dreaded ‘lokuchum’ ..  It was either a minor fracture of a small bone, or a bad sprain.. Anyway.. after the treatment he got up well, and moved, or lets say limped off east down the Milgis lugga BUT so happy to say that 3 weeks later our scouts that had been checking on his progress said he had safely joined a herd and was almost better…

the team crossing the flooded lugga

crossing the lugga

Off to do a good job.. Ian the pilot recording the event

Njoroge the KWS vet arranging his affaires before they head into the bush

young male.. the job had to be done very quick as it was very hot and water to pour on him was quite far..

While the eley is sedated, holding his trunk open with a stick so he doesn’t suffocate.. I ‘love’ the bracelet

Checking under the leg to see if there are any obvious wounds or broken bones.. lifting his leg is no easy feat.. thank fully for once no wounds or septic sores..

the doctors getting the job done quick as its very hot!

our scout, Ndunene ( meaning tree beard)  from the Northern end of Lenkiyou.. (Matthews)  who got to know this elephant very well following it for 14 days.. VERY HAPPY TO SEE ‘HIS’ now FRIEND hopefully sorted..

Talking of rescues!!!

We rescued this huge chameleon crossing the road.. pushed him on his way

Safely in a tree… in one minute the same chameleon had changed his pattern completely!.. Dishy chap!!.. Its unbelievable!! or lets say magic!..

And finally I hope you have been watching Saturn and Jupiter get closer and closer in the sky.. its been so exciting for us all here..

getting close.. a few days ago.. Jupiter and its moons and Saturn

Last night.. So close !

‘Happy days’ to you all and to the end of 2020.. And a wonderful start  and positive thoughts for 2021!

Milgis lugga blessed by this rainbow! After an incredible wind that whipped a huge blanket of dust and fine sand into the air, that blocked out the mountains and the sky, BUT it suddenly cleared for this beautiful evening..