Day Three we are moving resorts, so we will start out with another early game drive. Oh boy it’s early, even the animals are still sleeping hahaha We had a few hours out then we headed back for breakfast and pack up (so glad I can say that now lol) and head off to Tsavo West.
It takes about 2 hours to get to the West and when you stop at the gate for the driver to give the gate our details you get surrounded by sellers. This one gentleman had a hand-crafted elephant but it was way to big to take home. I feel a bit bad that I can’t buy everything, especially knowing these people need money, but they need to realize we can’t keep buying everything.
In the reserve we went to the Rhino Sanctuary where we hoped to see some beautiful Rhinos. It opens only at a certain time and is very protected in hope that the Rhinos can repopulate. We saw a few giraffes, zebras, gazelles but after driving for a few hours we didn’t see any Rhinos. This reserve is very large and there are only 80 Rhinos in it. They are very difficult to spot because they like to be in dense bushy areas and they like to be alone. As much as we wanted to see one, it was also a good feeling knowing that they can hide so well that it’s harder for poachers to find them.
This, with fingers crossed, was going to be a very exciting evening. We enjoyed our morning out and a few hours drive to the next resort. The resorts are all quite quiet right now and we’re not sure why, but it must be because in July or August time is the wildebeest migration and people save up to see this. To be honest as much as we love company and meeting new people around the world sometimes it’s great you don’t have to fight for space or people getting in the way of photo opportunities. This resort, Ngulia Safari Lodge, is famous for a Leopard coming around for dinner. The restaurant and sitting area overlook an area that holds a “stage” it’s a man-made construction of logs that represent a tree where the staff would hang a goat’s leg for the leopard to come eat. They leave it there for the evening and the leopard doesn’t always show up when we are awake. We had our dinner and sat there drinking, while we all waited for the leopard. They hang the meat about 6pm and I was getting anxious that she wasn’t going to show up. About 2 hours later there was a commotion and as we looked up there she was. So, I grabbed my spot where my camera was (I already set it up so I could have the best spot, which was right in front of the structure) and started snapping photos. It was so awesome watching her eat this leg of meat. Now from where we sit to take photos to the structure it’s about 10 meters and there is NO fencing to stop her from jumping into the restaurant. This has happened in the past, but no one got hurt and as you sit there taking photos you are very aware she could get annoyed and come at us. Leopards can jump lol We are told to keep the noise down so she doesn’t get irritated and run away, of course you don’t want to ruin it for others. The table next to us was a bunch of crazy German young men and they don’t know how to be quiet and it got to the point where the staff and David had to tell them to shut up. The leopard stuck around for about a half hour eating the leg and she ripped the rest off to take back to her den. It was such an amazing experience to be that close and we went to bed very happy and with some great photos.