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| Dear ATCNews Readers,
Greetings from us all at Gamewatchers Safaris & Porini Camps! |
| The rainy season is now almost over and it is the start of a brand new safari season here in Kenya. |
| This time of year brings a sense of rejuvenation in the Conservancies, with the flora and fauna refreshed by the recent rains. The plains game and other herbivores like elephants are attracted into the areas where there are new grasses and vegetation – and the Big Cats, hyenas and other predators welcome the abundance of prey. |
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| Each year Porini Camps close for the annual rains between mid April and the end of May, and for the past few weeks our teams have been working hard preparing the tents, camps and Conservancies ready to welcome the new season’s guests.
This year, for the first time, Porini Lion Camp remained open during this "low season", giving guests the opportunity to visit when Olare Motorogi Conservancy was unusually lush and green. Visitors have been very happy with the excellent standard of wildlife-viewing this season. |
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World Travel Awards: Winner! Gamewatchers Safaris has been announced as the winner of "Africa’s Responsible Tourism Award" at the World Travel Awards gala ceremony held in Mauritius on Saturday. Now in its 26th year, the World Travel Awards are globally recognized as the most prestigious honours programme in travel and tourism and the ultimate industry accolade, known as "the Oscars of the travel industry". Thank you to all those who voted for us and for supporting our commitment towards preserving Africa’s unique wildlife, landscapes and supporting local communities. |
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Camera Trap at Porini Mara Camp To discover more about the varied wildlife to be seen in and around Porini Mara Camp between dusk and dawn we thought it would be interesting to set up a hidden camera. An infrared sensor detects warm objects that are moving. So when an animal moves past the sensor it captures an image. This way we can monitor an area of habitat for weeks or even months. The camera has been placed in strategic positions around the camp and so far we have seen a variety of animals including bush buck, jackals, hyenas, hippos and even lions on a kill such as in the images below just in front of the family tent. |
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| We’ll keep you updated on the comings and goings throughout the season. |
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| Discover Some Unusual Cats & Dogs
Everyone wants to catch a glimpse of the "Big Five" on their safari adventure – and from Porini Camps they often can – but Kenya has many other interesting creatures to discover. For example, cats such as the Caracal (Felis caracal) and Serval Cat (Felis serval) can be seen in our Conservancies, and the African Wild Cat (Felis lybica), which is very rarely seen by tourists, is spotted by Porini guests from time to time on night drives. |
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| Domestic cats are descended from the African Wild Cat, with humans having tamed the species during the Neolithic period. As lifestyle changed from one of hunting and gathering to one of agriculture and settlement, the wild cats were attracted to rodents in grain stores, and the association ultimately led to domestication.
Mainly active by night, they use fine-tuned hearing to hunt prey, usually mice, rats, birds, reptiles and insects. Our Porini Camps safari guides and guests have also watched the African Golden Wolf (Canis anthis) a less commonly seen member of the Dog family. |
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| Formerly classed as a variant of the Golden Jackal, the species was, in 2015, proved to be more closely related to grey wolves and coyotes.
The African Golden Wolf is well-adapted for dry conditions and is primarily a predator, targeting invertebrates, rodents and small mammals such as juvenile gazelles. |
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Porini Camps Mammal Guide Find out more about the varied wildlife we see from Porini Camps in our new Mammal Guide. This has been produced by Rustom Framjee from London who has stayed at our camps with his family on several occasions and who also spent some time based at Ol Kinyei Conservancy carrying out research. The Guide includes useful facts, figures and images of 72 animals seen on game drives from the Porini Camps and Nairobi Tented Camp. Find out more: Mammal Guide by Rustom Framjee… |
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Family Tents at Porini Safari Camps An African safari is the perfect experience for families, and a lovely way to create life-long memories. Children aged over 8 years are welcome at all our Porini Camps, either sharing a tent with adults or (for older children) in their own tent. For families wanting more space we have introduced Family Tents. Porini Mara Camp, Porini Lion Camp, Porini Amboseli Camp and Porini Rhino Camp now feature these family units comprised of two Twin / Double tents connected together by an additional private lounge area. |
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| These are ideal for families with children, extended families or groups of adults travelling together.
Family Tents are priced the same as two Twin/Double tents, but are available on a first come first served basis – so book early! Find out more: Family Tents at Porini Safari Camps … |
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New: "Lion King" Family Safari With the much-anticipated live-action remake of Disney’s "The Lion King" due for release in July 2019, we have put together a rip-roaring 10 day family safari, following in the pawprints of Simba, Mufasa and their friends. The new photo-realistic version of the film is produced with computer-generated images, but based on real video footage taken in Kenya. The tour combines Kenya’s best wildlife areas: Nairobi National Park, Selenkay Conservancy, Amboseli, Ol Pejeta, Meru National Park, Olare Motorogi Conservancy and the Masai Mara National Reserve), with flights between camps and including day and night game drives by 4×4, guided walks, sundowners, Masai village visit, the Elephant Orphanage and the chance to see the World’s last two remaining Northern White Rhino. Olare Motorogi and the adjoining Conservancies in the Mara eco-system together with the Mara Reserve have the highest density of free-roaming lions in Africa, as discovered by the Mara Lion Project who conducted extensive research into lion locations and behaviour in 2016. Find out more: 10 Day Lion King Family Safari … |
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Tanzania Announces Plastic Bag Ban East African countries are at the forefront of efforts to reduce plastic waste and help the environment. The Tanzanian government has issued an official memo to travelers planning to visit the country not to carry plastic bags with them effective 1 June 2019. Visitors are advised to avoid bringing plastic bags or packaging in suitcases or hand luggage. Special desks will be designated at all entry points where such banned plastic materials must be surrendered. Tanzania follows Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda where plastic bags have already been banned. Ziploc bags that are specifically used to carry toiletries will be permitted as they are expected to remain in the permanent possession of visitors and are not expected to be disposed of within the country. |
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| The Porini Safari Camps teams are now ready and looking forward to welcome visitors and to share with them the stunning views and exceptional wildlife of our Conservancies – come and join them!
If you have not yet arranged your next safari then get in touch using our online contact form or simply hit reply to this email and let us know how we can assist. We look forward to hosting you at the Porini Camps this year. Best wishes, |
Jake Grieves-Cook |
