Walking in the foothills by oL Donyo Lodge

 Rain has been falling almost daily at ol Donyo Lodge for six weeks. The dark clouds usually start floating in around mid-morning from ol Donyo Hill behind the lodge or the twin peaks of El Mau facing the lodge. The smell of rain fills the air, a grey sheet comes racing along and in minutes everything is drenched in the downpour.

Thankfully the rainstorms don’t last long very long and guest activities can resume in short order. But the results are spectacular: Fresh grassland, pools of water everywhere and a lovely coat of snow for Mount Kilimanjaro.

The recently sprung puddles of water have meant fewer visits by the resident bull elephants to the lodge’s waterhole as the pachyderms choose to graze further afield. But One Ton (now Three-quarters Ton after losing a good chunk of his left tusk some weeks ago) still pops in for a drink.  A young male elephant has been hanging around the acacia forest with the nervous disposition of a juvenile just come out into the world.

Ground hornbills, Chyulu Hills

Nevertheless, game drives are still rewarding: Giraffe, zebra, elephant, black-backed jackals, lion, hares, ground hornbills and all kinds of antelopes. A lioness with cubs and three juvenile males were spotted on separate game drives. And a few nights ago, the whole lodge was treated to the thunderous roar of a pair of lions in camp at 4 o’clock in the morning. Some of you may be aware of the historical decline of felines in the area, so the regular spotting or overhearing of lions and leopard over the last few months is delightful evidence of the gradual return of big cats to the Chyulus.