Safaris in Kenya hurt by drought

by Sean McLachlan on

Safaris in Kenya are being impacted by a three year drought that has dessicated the landscape and killed many animals.

In Samburu National Reserve, elephants are dying for lack of food and other species such a zebra and crocodiles are also suffering. Some are moving out of the area and away from visitor’s eyes in search of water. Local herders are hurting too as they have to search harder to find forage for their herds. This has led to increased poaching as locals struggle to feed their families.

The arid grassland of Samburu National Reserve does not have sufficient ground water to handle a long-term drought and much of the land has dried up and become sand. As one of Kenya’s lesser-known reserves, it usually offers abundant wildlife and a less crowded safari experience. Safaris are still taking place, but visitors will be getting a hard lesson in the fragility of the environment along with their pictures of beautiful animals.

Animals that want to EAT YOU: Where to go to make this happen

by Neil Woodburn on

There is something truly exciting about gazing upon a wild animal that would very much enjoy eating you whole.

Most people who have experienced this have done so from the protective comfort of a safari. There are, however, plenty of other opportunities to become one with nature. Forbes Traveler has recently come up with ten of the very best.

The World’s Most Exciting Predator Vacations takes the reader on an international journey into the dangerous feeding grounds of some very ravenous, or just pissed off, animals. Writer Joe Yogerst first debates which of Mother Nature’s killing machines are the most dangerous. Great white sharks, it turns out, are rather low on the list. African buffalo and hippos, on the other hand, seem to chomp man quite regularly.

Yogerst then takes us on a slideshow detailing where to go to see crocs, polar bears, anacondas, lions, sharks, and more. He neglects to mention, however, the most important truism when confronted by a ravenous beast: you don’t have to be a fast runner; you just have to be faster than your slowest friend.

By the way, the photo above was taken by Gadling’s own, Willy “shark bait” Volk who recently smeared himself with pig blood and went skinny dipping with the big boys.