Back from the Masai Mara!

Back from the Masai Mara!

 

Lately Kenya has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, with the result that tourism into the country is being negatively impacted. The areas where there have been problems are the north, some parts of the coast and some neighbourhoods of Nairobi – all far away from safari destinations. However it seems that there are fears that the safari tourism will be threatened – despite the fact that even in the problem areas tourists are very rarely targeted. This is bad news for those of us fond of wildlife. Wildlife conservation and protection in Kenya depend heavily upon the revenue made through tourism. With less tourists there will be no cash or incentive to protect Kenya’s famous wildlife. Far more seriously this could have a devastating impact on many people’s livelihoods.

All the bad news did not put me off visiting Kenya a couple of weeks ago. I knew most areas are relatively safe, including the Kenya’s crown jewel – the Masai Mara so I did not hesitate for even a microsecond before jumping onto the plane. All I found is friendly hospitable people, lots of animals and many unforgettable memories. I hope my photos will inspire you to visit for the first time or keep on visiting! Kenya, its people and its animals need you!

The photo shows a quite energetic lion cub chasing jackals off the pride’s kill. The stomachs of all lions in sight were bulging after eating and they were slowly moving away from the kill, but still this little cub could not stand the idea of letting someone other than its family have a bite!

Techs: Canon 5D Mark III | Canon EF 200-400mm f4L IS USM Extender 1.4x @ 400mm | f4 | 1/250s | ISO 400