Turkana Tribe of Kenya

Turkana tribe is the second largest pastoral community in Kenya. This nomadic community moved to Kenya from Karamojong in eastern Uganda. The Turkana tribe occupies the semi Desert Turkana District in the Rift valley province of Kenya. Like the Maasai and tribes, Turkana people keep herds of cattle, goats and Camel. Livestock is a very important part of the Turkana people. Their animals are the main source of income and food. However, recurring drought in Turkana district adversely affect the nomadic livelihood.

Like the Maasai and Samburu, the Turkana people are very colorful. Turkana people adorn themselves with colorful necklace and bracelets. Their decorations are made of red, yellow and brown colored beads. Cattle's rustling is common in Turkana district and round its border with Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia. Tribes inhabiting this area are often involved in tribal fights for livestock and water. Cattle's rustling has been a common phenomenon for many decades and appears to be a sort of cultural game for the nomadic communities living in parts of the Rift valley and its surroundings. With the proliferation of small arms, cattle's rustling has become more dangerous and the Kenyan government has intervened in solving the problem.

With a population of about 250,000 people, the Nilotic language speaking Turkana people have successfully maintained their tradition compared to other tribes in Kenya. Turkana men cover their head with mud, which is then painted blue and decorated with ostrich and other feathers. The main garment for the Turkana people is a woolen blanket. The type of attire worn by a woman is determined by her marital status. Body tattooing was traditionally used to indicate achievement in the community. Men or warriors who killed enemies were tattooed to indicate what they have done for the community. Most of people in Turkana tribe adhere to traditional beliefs while 5 to 15% are Christians but very few are Muslims.

Tourism in Kenya

Most tourists come to Kenya for a close encounter with African wildlife- and you don’t get much closer than being kissed by a Giraffe. This is a common occurrence at the Giraffe Centre, a conservation and education centre located just outside Nairobi, where visitors learn about these gentle giants through intimate experience.
Founded in 1979, The African Fund for Endangered Wildlife Kenya was created in a bid to save the endangered Rothschild Giraffe. Kenya is home to 3 sub-species of giraffe, the common Maasai giraffe, the darker coated reticulated giraffe, endemic to Northern Kenya, and the Rothschild.
This most rare species was originally found in Western Kenya and by 1980 loss of habitat to agriculture had reduced their wild numbers to less than 140. AFEW raised funds to captive breed the animals at their centre in Langata (a short drive from central Nairobi). Eventually 4 herds were reared and released into suitable National parks and Reserves: Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya, Mwea Game Reserve, Ruma National Park and Nasalot Game Reserve in Kenya.
Ongoing release programs have seen translocations to Soy Sambu Ranch near Lake Elementaita, Kigio Conservancy near Gilgil and Sergoit ranch in Eldoret. Today the wild Rothschild Giraffe population in Kenya is over 300.
Today the Giraffe centre remains a breeding centre and even more importantly, an education centre for the public. A well crafted information centre teaches visitors all they need to know about giraffes and their conservation, while a nature trail through the surrounding dry upland forest lets them explore typical giraffe habitat.
But the real attraction here are the giraffes themselves, and no visitor to the centre will come away without having gained a very personal experience of the world’s tallest animals.
Specially designed wooden platforms mean guests will find themselves eye to eye with members of the resident herds. On arrival, everyone is given a handful of special “giraffe treats’ which are very popular with the more sociable herd members.
Hand feeding a giraffe lets you discover the remarkably gentle nature of these huge creatures. Giraffes are herbivores who feed almost exclusively on leaves, which they pluck not with their teeth, but with a long, prehensile tongue.
The giraffes at the centre are so at ease with their human visitors that they will happily eat from your hand, or if you’d like, from between your lips with a soft lingering kiss.
Beneath the giraffes, family groups of warthog laze in the sun and take advantage of the occasional dropped treat.
This is most certainly not just a tourist attraction. The real aim of the centre is to sensitize Kenyans, especially the youth, to the importance of conserving nature and the environment.
Every day tourists visit the giraffe center and for many it is their first time to see a live giraffe- and any initial fears are quickly dispelled by helpful Kenyan guides, handfuls of treats, and the occasional kiss.
After this experience, the tourists attend lectures, take a guided walk in the forest, and become a part of the centre’s ongoing program to create ambassadors for conservation. In recent years, over 55,000 tourists have had this remarkable experience.
All over Kenya, Africa, human-wildlife conflict is creating a dividing line between people and wild animals- which are seen as threatening, dangerous and unnecessary.
The giraffe centre is helping to blur this divide; international visitors whose entry fees are supporting these programs mingle with gentle giraffes, and learn about their value to Kenya’s great natural heritage.
Every visitor to Nairobi, Kenya should take the time to visit the Giraffe centre, a great way to spend a morning or afternoon that supports an even greater cause.

A “BLACKLEG” AMONG LIONS

Perhaps we shouldn’t call him Blackleg. He is certainly no con artist or trickster. But he is a marked lion nonetheless. From the day he was born the fur over the entire length of his inner right foreleg from under the chest to paw, has been uniformly pitch black.

She is one of the four cubs raised on the eastern fringes of Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve. At first it was thought to be a plastering of mud on her leg or an unimaginable injury sustained as a result of fighting.

Blackleg though has never shown any sign being inconvenienced by this puzzling anomaly. Indeed he was-from the outset- the dominant cub always boisterous and spoiling for a fight with his siblings.

The latter comprising of two females and one other male has no such distinguishing black marks.

After all Blackleg’s peculiarity must simply be a birthmark.

Giraffe in Masai Mara

The giraffe population of Kenya's Masai Mara reserve has declined by up to 95% because of increased human settlement around the unfenced park, according to a new study.
Scientists at the Nairobi-based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) found that the numbers of giraffes, hartebeest, impala, warthogs, topis and waterbuck all fell "markedly and persistently" throughout the 1,500 sq km reserve between 1989 and 2003. Their sample counts were backed by government population estimates that showed actual losses as high as 95% for giraffes, 80% for wart­hogs and 76% for hartebeest for the period dating back to 1979.
The authors of the study, which was funded by the WWF and will be published in the British Journal of Zoology in May, say it presents the most detailed evidence yet of the rapid decline of ungulate, or hoofed, animals in the Mara, in south-western Kenya.
The main reason for the population decrease was the rapid expansion of human settlements on the land next to the reserve. The area was traditionally used by wild animals for seasonal grazing but is increasingly being turned over to livestock and crop production.
"The situation we documented paints a bleak picture and requires urgent and decisive action if we want to save this treasure from disaster," said Joseph Ogutu, a statistical ecologist at ILRI and lead author of the study. "If nothing is done, these declines will not just continue but accelerate as the human populations around the reserve increase."
The Mara reserve sits at the top of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, which hosts the spectacular annual migration of up to 2 million wildebeest and other animals. Bordering the park is an area known as the Mara ranchlands, which is mainly home to the Masai ethnic group.

Nairobi National Park is the main tourist attraction for visitors to Nairobi. Visitor attractions include the park's diverse bird species, cheetah, hyena, leopard, and lion. Other attractions are the wildebeest and zebra migrations in July and August, the Ivory Burning Site Monument, and the Nairobi Safari Walk and animal orphanage. Inhabitants of Nairobi visit the park and thousands of African children on school field trips visit the park each week.

The park's Wildlife Conservation Education Centre has lectures and video shows about wildlife and guided tours of the park and animal orphanage. These tours are primarily, but not exclusively, to educate schools and local communities. There has been criticism about animals' housing, and they now have more spacious housing in a more natural environment. The Kenya Wildlife Service has created a Safari Walk that highlights the variety of plants and animals that are in Kenya, and how they affect Kenya's population.

Golf in Kenya

Golf in Kenya
For the traveling Golfer teeing off in one of Kenya’s many world class golf courses makes for a perfect break from a safari. Kenya’s weather is ideal for golf all year round making it one of the world’s top golfing destinations.
Golf is undoubtedly one of the world’s best travelling sports. Golf offers the chance to relax and unwind in a natural environment while participating in a highly competitive and skilled game.
For the traveler seeking a diverse range of golf courses, combined with world class standards and service, Kenya is the perfect choice.
Kenya’s courses offer international golfing standards and some of the world’s finest design and landscaping. Our golf and country clubs have the best facilities in the region and high quality service built on Kenya’s reputation for welcoming warmth.

Vipingo Ridge Golf Resort on the North Cost of Mombasa lies in the centre of a 2,500 acre former sisal estate. The property rises from just above sea level to a 140 metre high ridge before falling off again to the scenic lake and game conservation area to the west of the site.
The two golf courses at Vipingo Ridge are the first in East Africa to be built to a truly international standard, with the world renowned USGA specification being used for all aspects of the course.
The large and undulating greens at Vipingo Ridge are cultivated with fine Bermuda grasses to guarantee fast and true putting surfaces.
A fully automated irrigation system and a large inventory of new green-keeping equipment ensure that the playing surfaces are maintained in pristine condition all year round.
Kenya’s world famous wildlife is never far away. A round of golf in Kenya can often be a nature walk in itself, with a remarkable profusion of bird life and wildlife surrounding the greens.
You don’t have to move far from the green in Kenya to discover a world of travel opportunities. Kenya offers endless choice of activities suited for adventure or relaxation.
No matter how you want to spend your time off the course, you’ll find plenty of options. Next time you are on a Kenya Safari, remember to pack your golf clubs.
Muthaiga Golf Club
Muthaiga enjoys the influential position of having been one of the Kenya’s pioneer golf courses and it serves as a home to the Kenya Golf Union and plays host to the most prestigious golfing event in the country, The Kenya Open.
The course club is situated at the Kiambu Road towards Kiambu about 200 metres (220 yards), further on the left. The original nine holes were laid out at Muthaiga in 1913 and the club foundation stone was laid in 1912 and the golf course become an amenity for the club members and their friends.
Muthaiga lies at the edge of Karura forest and so sports many indigenous trees. The suburb Muthaiga was actually named after the Kenya greenheart, or as the Kikuyu call it, The ” muthiga” tree, Known for its healing properties.
The golf club has the “muthiga” tree on its coat of arms. A variety of trees and flowering bushes not only come into play on almost every hole, but also make this course one of the prettiest to play. By 1926 the course was later extended to eighteen holes to accommodate the growing membership.
The club decided to take on Associate members who later formed the Associate Members clubhouse which then became the clubhouse for the entire golfing section in 1921. The Golf Clubs Cadre of proficient caddies is at your disposal. Most of these men are sufficiently low-handicapped players themselves that their advice is well heeded on questionable distances and shots.
Muthaiga is still noted for it’s very fine greens which gives the club a beautiful layout and one that has may challenges in store for both the regular and the visiting golfers.

The Mountain Gorilla

A gorillas DNA is 97% - 98% identical to that of humans, so it is not surprising that their name actually derives from the Greek word ‘Gorillai’ which literally means a ‘tribe of hairy women’. In fact the Gorilla is the next closest living relative to humans after the two chimpanzee species.
There are generally considered to be two species of Gorilla and at least two subspecies of each. The Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is recognized as a sub-species of the Eastern Gorilla. Longer and darker hair distinguishes the mountain gorilla from other gorilla species; these physical characteristics enable it to live at high altitudes were other gorilla species would be immobilised by the cool temperatures.
Like the other species of gorilla, the mountain gorillas have adapted to a diet of fruits, leaves and shoots; although largely vegetarian in nature they are also known to occasionally supplement their diet with small insects. They can eat an incredible amount in one day, adult males can consume as much as 34kgs.
Mountain gorilla is a highly social primate, living in relatively stable, cohesive groups held together by long-term bonds between adult males and females. There is normally one silverback per family group of between 5 and 30 gorillas; he is responsible for the decision making as well as the safety of the group.
Up until 1902 the mountain gorilla was wildly regarded as a myth by the western world, that was until Robert Von Beringe observed a mountain gorilla in the foothills of Bwindi, the first European to do so. From that day onwards the mountain gorilla's fate became inescapably intermingled with human demand. By 1989 a census showed that there were only 320 mountain gorilla’s remaining in Uganda’s Bwindi National Park. The mountain gorilla is still considered to be critically endangered, but numbers in Bwindi National Park have improved by 17% in the last decade, thanks in large parts to Ugandan conservation efforts. The money that is made through gorilla permits is directly reinvested into conservation efforts by the Ugandan Government.
The mountain gorilla is native to only two regions of Africa, the Virunga volcanic mountains and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. According to a census taken in 2003 there are estimated to be around 380 mountain gorillas in 30 social groups spread around the three national parks of the Virunga volcanic mountains. Mgahinga, in South West Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are the three national parks of the Virunga volcanic mountains of central Africa. The second population of mountain gorillas are located in the south-west of Uganda in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest; which according to the 2003 census is home to 320 mountain gorillas.
Between the 1989 census and the 2003 census gorilla numbers have grown by 17%, with approximately 700 mountain gorillas left in the wild. However it must be remembered that the mountain gorilla continues to be classified as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Habitat loss, poaching, human disease, and war all contribute to the gorilla’s extremely high risk of extinction. A study published in Science concluded that a 2004 out break of the Ebola virus in Central Africa may have killed around 5,000 gorillas. With a population of only 700 mountain gorillas remaining in the wild it’s easy to see why there is such concern.
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