More news from Porini Camps

Greetings Porini Enthusiast!

Pictures speak louder than words! August is one of the best months to be in Kenya ( other than the intense cold days we have experienced this year!). I will hold my tongue and let you follow through this month’s newsletter as you let your creative mind tell you a story behind each photograph…

This is Porini…

Aleema

Aleema Noormohamed
Marketing Executive

Gamewatchers Safaris

We want to thank all those who voted for us. The World Travel Awards are one of the most prestigious awards of the travel sector and serve to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.
Gamewatchers and Porini Camps have been nominated for 3 awards!
The Africa Gala Ceremony will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, on the 16th of October 2013.
Voting Deadline has been extended to 2nd September 2013. If you haven’t yet voted, please click on the button below. We highly appreciate it!

Gamewatchers and Porini Camps are nominees in the following categories:
"Africa’s Responsible Tourism Award"
"Kenya’s Leading Inbound Tour Operator"
"Kenya’s Leading Safari Camp Brand"

Porini Lion Camp: 10 spacious tents. Small and exclusive. Porini Lion Camp is located in a unique and stunning setting on the banks of the seasonal Ntiakatiak River within the Olare Motorogi Conservancy. This large area borders the Masai Mara National Reserve and is home to an abundance of animals including the Mara’s renowned Big Cats. Tents are large and comfortably furnished. En suite bathroom with safari shower, wash basin and flush toilet. The camp is staffed entirely by members of the local Maasai community apart from the manager and head chef. Porini Lion Camp has a prestigious SILVER eco-rating with Eco Tourism Kenya. For more information, please click here.

Porini Lion Camp Highlights

Gamewatchers Kenya Safaris – Porini Lion Camp

Historically, the Maasai are a nomadic tribe in the Great Rift Valley who have increasingly become semi-nomadic over the years. Amboseli is home to a large Maasai population who rely on the landscape to graze their cattle. The Maasai lifestyle and culture is centred around their cattle, with a family’s wealth being determined by the number of cattle that they keep.

Cattle are traditionally kept at night within a "boma" (an enclosure with a fence made from thorn bushes) inside a small Maasai village called an "enkang" made up of a series of individual huts that are constructed using traditional techniques and natural materials such as cow dung, branches and mud. The thornbush bomas are meant to deter predators from entering the livestock area. However, the strengthened Lion Proof Bomas with chainlink wire fences and strong wooden fencing posts have proven to be much more effective in protecting the community’s livestock against predation at night.

Materials used to build the fence for the project

On August 10th and 11th 2013, Gamewatchers hosted the Born Free Foundation who generously chose one of our Eselenkei community members (Ledikae Parlole) as a beneficiary of one of their lion-proof bomas. Due to increased habitat loss, predators are increasingly entering populated areas and attacking the livestock of the communities. At Gamewatchers, we aim to create a safe-haven for wildlife in order to prevent them roaming outside of the protected areas and killing livestock. Thanks to the help of the Born Free Foundation, Ledikae and his family can sleep soundly at night knowing that their valuable livestock is safe within the confines of their boma. Please click here for more information on the project.

Everyone lends a hand in this project – Born Free, Gamewatchers and the Community

Should you wish to donate to Gamewatchers lion-proof bomas project, please contact our Conservation and Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Chantal, atmanoa for further information.

contributed by Harry Maina – Porini Camps Manager

Meet Acacia. She has a 7 month old cub, who was nicknamed Porini, as it was born in the safety of the surroundings near Porini Lion Camp. Acacia is already a mother of two – Yellow and Fig. Yellow is a fully grown male by now and Fig became independent early this year as his mother was getting ready to give birth to Porini. Fig is capable of hunting on his own and bringing his dinner up on a tree. However, Acacia has been seen to occasionally "invite" him to a meal when she has made a kill. There was a time when she had also "invited" both Yellow and Fig to an evening meal! This was indeed a lucky sighting as leopards normally prefer being on their own!

This is Fig

Acacia and Yellow on a tree

Acacia makes her appearance often as she is a resident of the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, and her "sons" have also found a niche they call home in this area.

Guests are very lucky to have been seeing Acacia and her "boys" quite often this season!

"What are you looking at?" Selenkay Conservancy

Giraffe Twist – Nairobi National Park

Strolling Elands in Ol Pejeta

** All photographs above are courtesy of Gamewatchers Safaris**

Meet our camp manager at Porini Rhino Camp: David Githaiga. He has been with Porini Safaris for the last 4 years and was at Porini Mara Camp for 3.5 years before moving to Porini Rhino Camp at the beginning of this year.

David Githaiga of Porini Rhino Camp