We met Don Bayne on a chair lift while riding up to 7th Heaven on Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler, BC. We arranged to meet for a Guinness at the end of the ski day and talk about safaris, and 10 months later Don and his wife Sheila arrived in Kenya for a 10 day Safari. In spite of Kenya in the grips of its most severe drought for 50 years, the wildlife viewing was spectacular, with the action concentrated at water sources and in areas that had been lucky enough to have enjoyed a rare downpour. However, the human suffering was hard to ignore, and the Baynes took a day out of their wildlife viewing to visit one of the communities worst hit by the drought, and to help them with desperately needed food supplies until the rains returned. The safari ended on a high, as the drought was finally broken during the last days of the safari, and both wildlife and people enjoyed heavy rain that has persisted long after the Baynes headed home.

Though most of the country was terribly dry, the area of the Masai Mara we were based in had enjoyed unexpected rainfall. The resulting green flush resulted in a huge concentration of herbivores, and particularly wildebeest, on the plains surrounding us, and a time of plenty for preditors such as this young male cheetah and his brothers!

We followed these 3 young cheetah brothers, christened "the 3 amigos", as they roamed opportunistically across the plains one afternoon. After a brief "moment" with a lion, they finally caught a young Thompson's gazelle at dusk, but had to give it up to a group of equally opportunistic spotted hyenas!

Lion cubs are usually vulnerable at this time of year, when food is usually scarce. Not this year, as with the drought a herbivores loss is a carnivores gain. These cubs should make it through the critical dry season, giving the lion population a crucial boost.

Hierarchy is established amongst Giraffe bulls by "necking". In reality these apparently ritualised battles, where the bulls take it in turns to swing their armoured heads at their opponents bodies, are deadly serious, and determine breeding opportunities. Here we came across a large heard of 20 or so giraffe, many of whom were engaged in protracted conflicts.

Olive baboon babies are born pink skinned and black haired. This little chap, just weeks old, was exploring his new world, and investigating two adults grooming under a fruiting fig tree.	Serval cats are a rare sight, being primarily nocternal and solitary. This one, passing by a wary Thompson's gazelle, was spotted at dawn heading for a rocky hilliside. Servals are exceptionally quick, and having located their prey with their keen hearing, leap high in the air and come down with both feet on its quarry.

We found the serval while following these lions, a courting couple. A lioness comes into estrus for around 5 days, during which time she will be shadowed by a pride male. They will mate approximately three times an hour for the duration of her estrus.

We were fortunate to see this young male leopard twice during our time in the Mara. Here he had climbed high into a tree, probably to avoid a couple of young male lions that were hanging around not far away! As they drifted away at dusk, the leopard finally descended, not all together gracefully!

We found this cheetah female shortly after she had killed a baby Thompsons gazelle. She bolted her meal, constantly looking over her shoulder for scavangers. Finally satiated she moved to a nearby bush, from where she watched a tawny eagle finish the scraps.

From the Mara we flew north to Sarara, an arid and remote area ringed by dramatic mountains. Here the experience was more about culture and wilderness, and there was plenty of both. However, the game viewing was still great from the swimming pool - where elephant and lesser kudu came to drink regularly!

Bird life in the north of Kenya is spectacular, with plenty of sunbirds (here the rare black bellied and the hunters)...

..bee-eaters (here the little bee-eater) and rollers (here the lilac-breasted roller)

From Sarara we moved on to Samburu, which is as famous for its small stuff, such as this agama, as for its big stuff, such as these endangered grevy zebra (the fact that that both these zebras are male may be one explanation for why they are endangered!)

In Samburu Don & Sheila met Gabriel, a man from the Samburu tribe who has worked with us for a number of years. In the drought Gabriel and his 40 strong family had lost all their cattle, and though he was typically stoic, it was clear that times were extremely hard.

Gabriel graciously showed us around his extremely remote village, and gratefully accepted Sheila and Dons offer for a little help to tide them over until the rains returned.