| The most charismatic of all the animals that roam the | | | | train station.The full grown adult stretches between 1 |
| savannas of East Africa are the big cats. Safari | | | | to 1.5 m and can reach a weight of 60 kg. Man (and |
| enthusiasts exercise great patience and go to great | | | | especially woman) has always been jealous of the |
| lengths to ensure a sighting. To behold the beauty | | | | leopards beautiful coat. Those of East Africa have |
| and splendour of the big cats in the wild is a prospect | | | | round spots unlike the square spots of the southern |
| that warms the heart of every nature lover. Among | | | | African species. Leopards are solitary animals and you |
| a number of the ancient civilizations - the Romans, | | | | hardly ever find them in groups. The sexes associate |
| Sumerians, and Egyptians- the big cats were held in | | | | only long enough to mate! Females are ready to |
| fascination and in higher esteem than any other wild | | | | breed at about 2 years of age, when they produce |
| animals. Some were indeed taken as gods, and many | | | | up to 3 cubs after a gestation period of about 90 |
| are the kings who have set images of the big cats | | | | days.The leopard therefore faces less danger than |
| on their royal emblems.The big cats have in the past | | | | either the lion or the cheetah. Notwithstanding that |
| been more widely dispersed in the world than they | | | | they are very widely distributed in East Africa, you |
| are today. In our time, the redoubts of the big cats | | | | are unlikely to see them in large numbers. In addition, |
| are in Africa and small pockets of Asia. The cat | | | | this most secretive of cats is nocturnal. The traveler |
| family is known by scientists as felidae and refers to | | | | who is determined to see them must be very calm |
| an assortment of animals grouped as small and big | | | | and patient, for only the most persevering are |
| cats. The small cats are less well known and | | | | rewarded. Even scientists have such trouble spotting |
| appreciated. In East Africa small cats include wild cats, | | | | them, with the consequence that they are not as |
| sand and serval cats. The small cats are very | | | | well studied as the other cats.The leopard is the |
| widespread in almost all habitats in East Africa. But | | | | strongest climber among the carnivores. And they |
| they keep their heads down and elicit little conflict | | | | spend mostly their days inactive, draped over tree |
| with man- the ultimate enemy of all wild animals.The | | | | branches. So, to se them, set your sights to the |
| big cats you find outside Africa include tiger, jaguar, | | | | treetops. You are further advised to take your game |
| leopard, cougar and Iberian lynx. The big cats are the | | | | drives very silently and watch out at rivers and |
| most committed carnivores in the entire animal | | | | water holes. The leopard is a stalking predator and |
| kingdom. They are mostly nocturnal and rather | | | | lies ready to pounce at such places where prey |
| secretive in nature. In common with primates, they | | | | would seek food and water. Some lucky people also |
| read a lot from facial expression and love to play. | | | | come across leopards basking on the rocks early in |
| The big cats capture and kill their prey. To witness a | | | | the mornings.The cheetah is the smallest of the big |
| lion on a hunt is truly fascinating- if for a moment you | | | | cats of East Africa. It can reach up to 1.4 m in length; |
| take your mind from the fate of the prey. For all the | | | | males can weigh up to 55 kg and females 40kg. For |
| fame of the big cats of East Africa, there are just | | | | the inexperienced, it is difficult to tell apart from a |
| three of them: lion, leopard and cheetah.The lion, so | | | | leopard. But you can distinguish it by the long |
| called the king of the jungle, is the largest carnivore in | | | | teardrop-shaped lines on each side of the nose, from |
| East Africa. The adult lion stretches between 1.4m to | | | | the corner of the eyes to the mouth. It also has |
| 2.2 m - excluding the tail. The male can attain a | | | | protruding and streamlined neck and thin legs. This |
| weight of up to 225kg, while the hefty female | | | | animal is specially adapted for speed and it is indeed |
| reaches 168kg. The lion is noted for its exceptional | | | | the world's fastest mammal.From a resting position, |
| strength and has been known to bring down the | | | | the cheetah can reach a speed of 80 km/h in less |
| much larger buffalo, which has about 4 times its | | | | than 3 seconds. It can run a stable speed of 105km |
| weight. For this reason, kings have understandably | | | | h, compared to a man's 37km/h. But take heart, it is |
| sought to be associated lions. But they hesitate to be | | | | not a man-eater. The cheetah lacks the stamina to |
| associated with its reputation for sloth- for the lion | | | | be more than a short distance runner. It is not a very |
| shamelessly spends up to 20 hours daily resting.Lions | | | | social species and lives either singly or in small groups. |
| are social animals and of the big cats, they are the | | | | Females are ready to procreate from about the age |
| only ones to live and hunt in family groups. The group | | | | of 2 years and after a gestation period of about 90 |
| or pride usually consists of a number of related | | | | days give birth to up to 6 cubs. Hunting by day only, |
| females and few unrelated males. Young females | | | | this solitary hunter relies on its famed speed and |
| usually join their mother pride, but young males | | | | keen eyesight. It technique is to stalk stealthily and |
| venture into the outside world to seek female | | | | then take a short killer dash when prey is within 30 |
| company. Females in a pride practice communal cub | | | | m.The cheetah is mainly found in grasslands, |
| rearing and hunting.Lions are highly territorial. Males | | | | woodland savannas and semi deserts. It survives |
| enforce territorial integrity, by means of their | | | | best in vast ranges where prey is plenty. This cat |
| characteristic fierce roars, scent marking and periodic | | | | has never enjoyed wide geographical distribution or |
| border patrols.Lions of the same pride develop strong | | | | high densities. And numbers have drastically fallen |
| social bonds and practice head rubbing and social | | | | over the last few decades. Today not more than |
| grooming. Females give birth after a gestation period | | | | 12,000 remain worldwide, mostly in eastern and |
| of 3.5 months. After only 6 weeks, the cubs are | | | | southern Africa. In East Africa, the only areas where |
| induced into a lifelong habit of meat eating. Cubs play | | | | you can easily spot cheetahs are Maasai Mara in |
| in imitation of adults and this helps in the | | | | Kenya and Serengeti in Tanzania. But the cat is also |
| development of such useful skills as stalking prey. | | | | present, though in fewer numbers, in Tsavo in |
| Though born to kings, cubs need protection from | | | | Kenya, Mkomazi in Tanzania and Queen Elizabeth in |
| hyenas and leopard. And also from non-pride male | | | | Uganda.Scientists have classified the cheetah as an |
| lions- for the reason that females will not mate until | | | | endangered species and think that it faces possible |
| cubs are about 18 months old. The cubs therefore | | | | extinction. Only one species -jubatus remains today. |
| stand in the way of a mating encounter.Fighting off | | | | The lack of genetic diversity, possibly caused by |
| males bent on infanticide appears to be one of the | | | | inbreeding, is yet another handicap in ensuring the |
| reasons why females live in prides. The moniker "king | | | | long-term survival of this cat. In its daily life, the |
| of the jungle" is misleading, for buffalo and hyenas | | | | cheetah faces competition from other carnivores |
| sometimes kill lions. Elephants too have no fear of | | | | such as lions and hyenas. In some areas, Maasai Mara |
| the king - they will charge at lions to encourage them | | | | of Kenya for example, instances of lions killing |
| to move on. But man remains the biggest threat to | | | | cheetah cubs are very common; hyenas too eat |
| lions and he has hunted the lion to extinction in most | | | | them. The lion kills the cubs only to destroy and |
| of the world. The lion population in Africa is today | | | | never eats them -an extremely disgraceful show for |
| estimated at only 23,000 and the survival status is | | | | an animal that would be regarded as king.Cheetahs |
| listed as vulnerable in international conventions.In most | | | | are active only by day. In East Africa's game |
| parks and game reserves of East Africa, however, | | | | sanctuaries, tourists interrupt critical activities like |
| the lion is impressively visible. Particularly in the grassy | | | | feeding and suckling of the young. There are |
| plains and dry forests where the large plains | | | | incidences of mothers abandoning their cubs under |
| herbivores they prey on thrive. You will easily see the | | | | the pressure of human curiosity. Considering the |
| king in Ngorongoro and Serengeti in Tanzania and | | | | challenges facing the species, conservation options |
| Amboseli, Nairobi, Lake Nakuru, and Maasai Mara in | | | | are yet limited by the fact that cheetahs do so |
| Kenya. In some other locations- such as Lake | | | | poorly in captivity and almost never breed unless |
| Manyara in Tanzania, Tsavo, in Kenya and Queen | | | | free. Spare a thought today for the cheetah, whose |
| Elizabeth in Uganda, patience and skill is called for.Early | | | | future is so uncertain. If you want to do more, talk |
| the last century, lions received extremely bad press | | | | to the Cheetah Conservation Fund( And hope that |
| when they disrupted the building of the East African | | | | such glorious days as when it was honored as a |
| railway in the Tsavo area of Kenya by feeding on | | | | cat-goddess in ancient Egypt will yet come again.East |
| the workforce. The movie "The Man-eaters of | | | | Africa is a year round safari destination. The rains |
| Tsavo" has captured this macabre drama. It is in this | | | | come around April- May and November-December. |
| atmosphere that Theodore Roosevelt, the American | | | | This does not however, much affect the travelers' |
| president who was a pioneer safari enthusiasts said | | | | ability to get around. In general the best time to go |
| of lions: "except when resting and in the breeding | | | | on safari to see the big cats is over the drier months |
| season, the whole career of a lion may be best | | | | when the grass is short and sighting animals is so |
| summed up in the single word: rapine".Lions when | | | | much easier. But in areas such as the Maasai Mara, |
| deprived of their usual prey occasionally attack | | | | the animals are so plentiful that you are going to see |
| domestic animals and even human beings. Lions that | | | | lots of them regardless of the season. The peak |
| are infirm- such as the old and the sick can easily | | | | tourist season falls around January to February and |
| attack humans and you are advised to exercise | | | | July to August. April to June is the low season and |
| caution and take your photos from the safety of a | | | | prices for accommodation in the lodges can be as |
| car. So if you are out camping, watch out! All said, | | | | much as 40% lower than in the high |
| incidences of lions attacking humans are extremely | | | | season.Accommodation on safari varies from basic |
| rare. The image of the lion has recently been | | | | camping to luxury lodges and tented camps. Out |
| rehabilitated in the minds of many by the popular | | | | there in the bush, you will be pleasantly surprised that |
| children cartoon drama "Lion King", whose hero is | | | | there is a variety of East African safari lodges:-- |
| Simba- Swahili for lion.The future of the lion in the | | | | Kenya Hotels & Lodges- Tanzania Hotels & |
| savannas of East Africa is not assured. The main | | | | Lodgeshaving all the trimmings of 5 star luxury. But if |
| challenge is conflict with man, his ancient enemy. | | | | you want to rough it out,you will find campsites in |
| People living in areas bordering parks, sometimes | | | | almost all the game reserves and national parks. It is |
| inflict the ultimate punishment to lions when they are | | | | generally recommended to take an escorted safari |
| caught preying on livestock. In the Serengeti plains of | | | | package:-- Kenya Safaris- Tanzania Safaristhat |
| Tanzania, the king has recently experienced attacks | | | | includes transport, park fees and accommodation. |
| by a viral disease know as FIV -Feline | | | | The reason for this is that the tour guides are usually |
| Immunodeficiency Virus. FIV, just like HIV in humans, | | | | well versed about the animals, where to find them |
| results in lowered immunity making the animals | | | | and how to get there and have other such useful |
| vulnerable to other diseases. Unlike HIV, however, | | | | local knowledge. But if you have a lot of time and |
| the primary means of transmission of FIV is bite | | | | need more freedom as you get around, then taking |
| wounds and not sexual intimacy.Of the big cats of | | | | a rental car is an option.On safari, wear light cottons |
| East Africa, the most elegant is the leopard. The | | | | and linen. Warmer clothing is needed for the evenings |
| leopard is the most naturally adapted of the cats. It | | | | and for your early morning game drive. Some |
| can survive in almost in any habitat offering sufficient | | | | rainwear is advisable between March and June and |
| food and cover. That is why, of the big cats, | | | | October and December. You should bring along a |
| leopards thrive in the most diverse range of habitats; | | | | decent pair of sunglasses. The glare you experience |
| and of land mammals they enjoy the widest | | | | in bright tropical light is a new and uncomfortable |
| distribution in the tropics. In East Africa, they have | | | | experience for most. It is also a good idea to carry a |
| been found in the most unlikely of places- from | | | | pair of binoculars. They are very useful for spotting |
| deserts, to mountaintops and even in cities. That not | | | | animals and will earn you the envy of your less |
| withstanding, scientists were surprised, when in 1990 | | | | knowledgeable traveling companions. |
| three leopards were found living in a Kampala city | | | | |