Kicheche Spot of the Week

Single parent, double, surrogate or foster, the faunal kingdom is underwritten by families. Right now all Kicheche camps resemble one big nursery: cheetahs, elephants, rhinos, leopards, lions, even primates are all dropping their young. Fortunately for the predators, so are the topi and even some late arrivals into the antelope creche, so the larder is burgeoning.

Sandra Barrett was determined to take her Kicheche safari and although she has had a frustrating wait (three cancellations), it seems her timing was impeccable for her fourth time lucky.

You know the scene, you are driving quietly with eyes peeled and the radio crackles with an excited gasp from a Motorola Maa missive. The critical word of the hurried translation is 'cubs'. Few things increase the pulse of any Kichechian than this simple four letter word.

The Martens have travelled to Kicheche so many times (critically bounteously in the last two years) that they are almost part of the furniture. With a pair of gorgeous girls, they clearly feel completely at home in the bush and particularly at the eponymously named Kicheche camp there. James Nampaso is like a brother and uncle all in one, but even he was not prepared for their frankly ridiculous game drives.

Royalty in camp again.  Jules Oldroyd seems to have her faunal subjects on a lead as she photographs award - winners quicker than British favourites dropping out of the All England club.

Meet the Bergers, no strangers to Africa but first timers to Kicheche Laikipia. They and Peter Karuiki put on a whopper of a safari. Each sighting was a nugget seemingly choreographed to outdo the previous one, from elephants in the sunrise to rainbowed rhinos. Aardvarks are tough, but not to this crowd. Leopards in Laikipia are even harder currency but one of the girls spotted this beauty on the flame-grilled grass.

When camps close for the season it is not just a close season for staff, it is a period away from the animals,  many that guides and guests have grown attached to. Throughout the year we answer countless questions from people wanting to know the whereabouts and welfare of their favourites. For many - they tell us this too - Spot (obviously everyone reads it as well as gazing at the pictures...) is like leafing through a family album.

Andrew Obaga is excited, he has good reason to be: three spanking new tents, a well-appointed, deceptively spacious freshly-designed photography mess and a young starting chef who's orange shortbread this afternoon has already been labelled as best in class, by a 25-safari veteran.

The Kicheche inbox has been groaning for a fortnight now with cwt. of Fig images. (Particularly from those who sent them at 10MB resolution or Tiff files!!) As important as the beautiful imagery are, the many heartfelt words touched us all and particularly those at Bush Camp.