I should mention that the Serengeti Plain is in a couple of countries- including Kenya. TV nature programs seem to film it in Tanzania most of the time- and it is there also.
Bouncing around on dirt tracks- in our Datsun van with a home-made pop-top- we came upon this lone bull.
We stopped for about half an hour watching it- our motor still running. The driver shut it down for lions- but never for elephants .
Apparently the old bull wasn't unhappy or anything, but when he walked closer and closer- our driver/guide casually shifted into 1st gear. When the bull was about 15 feet away and raised his trunk- the driver pulled away.
Smart man, he .
1- From 50-60 feet away.
2- Closeup with 400mm tele.
3- From 15 feet away- wide angle lens.
Time to leave.
4- Warrior just outside the Masai village.
5- Woman in charge of some of the children. Inside the compound.
That's a lot of bull Charlie! Eles that feel comfortable enough to approach in a calm demeanor is a very special privilege. Staying calm and allowing them to investigate is very cool....but they can be very dangerous and having an exit strategy is pretty important....having been chased by a herd for almost 1/2 mile in a wonky vehicle with a balky starter, keeping the motor running seems like a pretty good plan to me.
Eric
Thanks Eric, Kirk, Ken and Socrate.
Having lived in San Diego and Portland, Oregon, I'd seen elephants often.
But nothing prepared me for the excitement of seeing these great beasts in their real home!
We saw elephants every day- and I was thrilled every time.
Having this male approach so close without charging was truly memorable.
After we drove away, our guide explained: "Beware the five-legged elephant. That fellow only had four legs, so I knew we was okay."
Words to live by in the plains of East Africa.
The children were not really posing for our small group, but part of the business transaction (we each forked over $10 to the chief) was that everyone would let us approach and take pictures.
Several of the men were near the entrance to the village, and they didn't give a damn one way or the other. When you're brave enough to go out alone and kill a lion with a pointed stick- a few pasty-skinned strangers are unlikely to cause concern.
Charlie
Thanks Morris and Scott.
I flew into Nairobi and found a reputable safari company- signing up for a wildlife search/camping safari in several national parks.
Visiting the Maasai Village was not part of the itinerary- and for an extra ten bucks I thought it was a helluva deal.
Later, the guide asked if we wanted to do the same thing at another village (not Maasai). I was outvoted by the cheap bastards in the van. Ten dollars extra and they said no. I couldn't believe it.
Charlie
Lovely set Charlie and you sure got close to that Elephant.
Very nice to see the pics of the Masai especially of village life before they got over commercialized.
Martin
Thank you Norm, Martin, Ron, Ken Munroe, Scott, Greg, David and Tim.
Knitting socks? . I don't think so. But she might be stringing plastic beads that were ordered through a Sears catalogue .
About the elephant getting within 15 feet of us before we drove away: Even though his trunk was raised and his huge ears out- I don't remember any signs of his being angry. I suspected at the time that he might have moved closer and taken a real sniff of us.
Other than some nervous sweat- he wouldn't have smelled much from me (true, I was wearing brown trousers- but I hadn't soiled them that day ).
Charlie
PS The first time we stopped VERY near a resting pride of lions, killed the engine and left all the windows open... well, I came really close to soiling my trousers- especially when an adult female lion- from 25 feet away- locked eyes with me.
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