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Kenya: The Giraffe, Friendly Looking Yet Potentially Dangerous
The giraffe is one of the easy animals to find in various kenyan parks. It is easily identified by its long neck and beautiful spots. It has a such graceful walk and and almost a friendly glance to you from up there. But like all the animals in the park, never cross the giraffe in the wrong way.
The big cats in Africa, love to prey on different animals. The giraffe is no exceptional. Lions often attempt to attack it especially when it is with calf, but chances that a hunt of the giraffe will be successful are minimal. Being one of the few animals that can kick with all the four legs, the giraffe makes even the biggest of the African lions avoid it and go for easier prey.
Understanding the animal behavior, likes and dislikes can make the difference between life and death in parks. For instance when near elephants, it is important to keep silent at all times. The cats seem playful even when they are most dangerous and the buffalo needs no provocation to attack. Never stand on the way of the hippo to the water, but ultimately, always maintain a safe distance from all animals in the parks even when the animal can be classified as a no threat.
On one of their morning routine check up trips, Martin and colleagues woke up to a very foggy morning. The check up involves a drive through the park to confirm that all has been well the night before. Martin was seated at the back of the landrover while two warders and the driver were in front. After driving for only a few meters from the gate, Mr Koech a warder requested to have a feel of the vehicle.
He had just learnt driving, and the wheel gave him a lot of excitement.
Visibility was poor. One could hardly see beyond ten metres. Koech who could not be described as a smooth driver, was having a ball, swerving and breaking the landrover. The bumpy Koech drive was more of interest this morning and it seemed they will go back to the camp without any incident. Even when they encountered a herd of giraffes, nobody paid much attention. Koech in his aggressive style drove straight into the herd. His intention was to go accross to the other side and leave the animals at peace.
One rule about the giraffe is that the bull always walks behind the family. He oversees that the females and the young are safe from a vantage position, behind them. Anyone or anything that interferes with this set of affairs is an enemy who should be dealt with ruthlessly. Without his knowledge, Koech had broken one of the cardinal rules of the giraffe, by driving through the family. Due to poor visibility, the vehicle was moving slowly.
The first kick hit the edge of the windscreen, forming a muddy blackout. There were two others on the sides almost simultineously leaving everyone baffled and confused. Koech had now stopped the vehicle, uncertain what the cause of the mayhem was. There was one last massive kick on his door before the bull girrafe gracefully trotted towards the rest of the family.
Unknowingly to the crew, the girafffe had put the landrover between his legs for intruding into the family unit. This rare encounter could easily have proven deadly had it not been for the strong reinforcement of the side landrover bars. All this was done in utter silence. Indeed the giraffe never makes any sound and most of its communication is with gestures and movement. But it is one animal that one does not consider dangerous and you often see people walking past the giraffe daily. But as is with the case all African wild animals, even the friendly looking ones are basically wild and they roam independently, instictively defending themselves and their kind in the true sense of survival for the fittest.
James G. Kamweru is a tour operator and has been organizing and reporting on Vacation, Travel and Tours for years. For More Information Visit his site at <A HREF="http://www.nguyosafaris.com/parks.html">Kenya</A>
