Africa Safari Day 6: Cheetahs and Kilimanjaro - Amboseli National Park

 

We had an incredible experience with this cheetah. We had spotted it the evening before, but from afar. This morning it was much closer, posed on a tree perch, and showed off her four cubs.

    Amboseli National Park, located in southern Kenya near the border with Tanzania, is one of the most popular wildlife reserves in the country. Known for its stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the park offers a breathtaking backdrop for wildlife watching. The park covers approximately 392 square kilometers and is renowned for its large elephant herds, which are often seen roaming the plains with Kilimanjaro in the background. In addition to elephants, Amboseli is home to a diverse array of wildlife, including lions, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, and over 400 species of birds, making it a haven for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts.

    We have two nights here in the park at the Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge. When we woke up this morning there was a large herd of impala grazing on the grass of our lawn. The naughty vervet monkeys are always around and banded mongoose can be seen rooting around the underbrush. A few of us early birds to the morning coffee station even caught a glimpse of a woodland kingfisher before our first game drive. At 6:15am we meet our driver James to head out for our morning safari game drive. Today the plan is to pack as much in as possible, with two game drives and a visit to a Maasai village. Like Diane said, 'You can sleep when you're dead.'

    One of the unique features of Amboseli is its system of swamps and marshes fed by underground water from Mount Kilimanjaro's melting snow, which sustain the park's wildlife year-round. It is quite fun seeing elephants trudging through the refreshing marsh, the babies barely staying above water as they follow mom. The park’s landscape is a mix of dry plains, acacia woodlands, and swampy wetlands, offering diverse habitats for different species. Amboseli is also culturally significant as it is home to the Maasai people, and we had the opportunity to experience Maasai culture through a visit to a local village. This combination of wildlife, dramatic scenery, and rich cultural heritage makes Amboseli National Park a can't miss destination while on safari in Kenya.

We had our first, really good look at Mount Kilimanjaro. At 19,341ft tall, there are glaciers visible at the top, even though it is just below the equator.

    Kilimanjaro was out in the morning, providing a stunning backdrop for our early morning wildlife encounters. The stars of the show this morning were two families of cheetahs. Our first was a mom with four cubs, and then a surprise second encounter shortly after with a mom and one cub. Both groups posed up on trees for some pretty spectacular photos. Cheetah can be a very elusive animal to find while on safari, so to find seven in a morning was just mind blowing.

The intense stare of cheetah mom and cub.

    The afternoon was spent searching around the swamps. We were able to find a lot of new species in this new environment, plus it was nice to escape the dust for a while as well. We saw giant white pelicans, hippos and a reedbuck enjoying the marshy areas, before getting a chance to alight from the vehicle and stretch our legs by climbing Observation Hill. One of our most memorable encounters came shortly after our climb, when we came across a hippo, feeding right next to the road. Hippos can be quite dangerous, and mostly nocturnal for coming out of the water, so it was a rare opportunity to see one very close up.

We had a very close encounter with this hungry hippo. It is unusual to see them feeding during the daytime, especially right next to the road.

A young cheetah cub looks back at mom in the golden grasses of Amboseli National Park.

Checking off different eagle species on our safari, this is the Bateleur Eagle.

There is nothing cuter than baby big cats. This is one of four cubs in a liter of cheetah babies

Another new find for our group. This is a Lappet-faced vulture.

The lions of Amboseli remained elusive this time around, but we still got this encounter last night with a solitary female. I expect more lions to come in the Mara and Serengeti.

The fastest land animal. Cheetah on the run.

Our second cheetah encounter today in Amboseli. This was a mom with one cub, bringing our total for the day to an amazing seven cheetahs.

I don't do many portrait dimension wildlife shots, but I wanted to show just how high up off the ground this cheetah was. It is a great way for them to scout the area for potential prey. We just happened to be in the perfect place to capture this photo.

Cheetah in the early morning light.

Amboseli can be a wonderful place to spot cheetah. This was one of my best encounters to date. This mom had four playful 10 month old cubs. At one point she climbed up the high tree, giving us an incredible photo opportunity.

I always leave this bird as a surprise for people I bring to Amboseli National Park. There are lesser and greater flamingos here in Amboseli Lake, turning parts of it pink for afar.

This lone elephant was giving us a show on our early morning game drive.

This was one of our final encounters on our afternoon game drive. This big bull elephant was soaking up the last rays of the day.

When there is enough time in the animal encounter, I like to change perspectives in my photographs. I zoomed out here to give a sense of place. It also shows just how high this cheetah mom climbed to survey her surroundings.

If you are like me, you may not have even seen the second cheetah in this picture until further searching.

Elephants knee deep in the swamps of Amboseli.

Herds of zebra and wildebeest dot the landscape here at Amboseli.

Calling it a day after two wonderful game drives and a trip to a Maasai village here in Amboseli. The pool is newly reopened, and now heated, so better than ever here at Amboseli Serena.

Sundowners and Tuskers can all be found here at the Amboseli Serena bar.

A view of the landscape here at Amboseli. If you look hard you might even find some cheetah.

The Haggerty's after a successful climb of Observation Hill.

Terry and Diane on the way down after checking out Observation Hill. It is one of the few places where you are allowed to get our of your vehicle inside the park.

Just to show how close we were to this hippo, this is a 1X iPhone photo.

Observation Hill.

Beginning the trek up Observation Hill. Kevin showing off by wearing flip flops.

There is a lot of dust in the air here in Amboseli, which provides some famous sunsets.

New Species Today:

Birds: Bataleur eagle, lappet-faced vulture, grey heron, saddle billed stork, kory bustard, hammerkop, bittern, African jacana, stilts, flamingo, white pelican

Mammals: Cheetah families, banded mongoose, reedbuck