A walking safari in Lake Naivasha NP

When we reached land, we met our guide, Joseph. He was taking us on a walking safari. I was absolutely amazed by how close we got to the animals! Joseph assured us that we weren’t in a zoo and that the animals were free to come and go in and out of Lake Naivasha National Park, as well as in and out of Hell’s Gate. He said that there are times when animals go off for weeks at a time, but that they usually reappear, especially during the dry season when they are drawn towards the water.

We began our walk by the water’s edge. We got up close to a waterbuck. Joseph told us that they feed on the water hyacinth that grows in and next to the lake. He said that they are good swimmers and that they protect themselves from predators by taking to the water and secreting a substance through their skin that makes their coat waterproof. In the unlikely event that they are caught, in the moments before death, they produce an enzyme that makes their meat taste bitter. It doesn’t save them, but it helps other waterbucks. The killer would not prey on another of their species, and he or she would communicate to others that waterbuck meat tastes bad!

Joseph also pointed out a number of different birds, including:

• A goliath heron
• Grey herons
• Godwits
• Yellow-billed storks
• Glossy ibis – apparently, this is a new species to the lake, having only appeared a few days ago

As we continued our walk, we got really close to:

• Zebras
• Masai giraffes eating thistles!
• Impalas
• Superb starlings
• Greenwood hoopoes
• WildebeestRead more