Smaburu, Nakuru & Leopards
 

Hello,
Getting ready to plan 2008 trip (my annual migration)...just ghot back trip report from Rwanda and Kenya forth coming after I shake off some jet lag. What does any one have to say about these areas in Kenya? also, if I wanted to spend a week out of a 3 week trip somewhere specifically for leopard viewing where should I go? Gotta get the flights booked soon! thanks,
Rhoda

Hi Rhoda,

Samburu is great and I saw a leopard there once. However the best place to see leopards in Kenya I think would be at Nakuru and it makes a pretty setting with the warm glow of the fever trees.

Not to take anything away from amazing Africa but if it is leopard your after the best place in the world is my own country Sri Lanka at Yala NP. This was well documented in a BBC production done by Mike Birkhead and Gordon Buchanan (of big cat diary) see http://www.mikebirkhead.com/programm...d_hunters.html

Yala is know to have the higest leopard density in the world today. You can also see some of my leopard pics from yala at http://www.abidally.com.mp/home

Regards
Mohammed
(Sri Lanka)

oopsy sorry! the link should be

http://www.abidally.com/mp/home

I have had very good leopard sightings in Samburu, but the best place for leopard is the Sabi Sands/Kruger area -- it you spent a week in that area, you'd see plenty of leopards.

Some of the Samburu lodges bait leopards, so you should see leopards if you stay there (baiting is controversial, there is a thread on it about a year back).

Dunno about Nakuru, I'll be there in a few months and I thought it was best known for rhinos and flamingos, but I'll keep my eye out for leopards now.

The place we've seen the most leopards was around Seronera in Serengeti, where we saw seven resting in trees in just a couple of days. They are habitutated to jeeps here.

Bill

While Samburu and Nakuru are known for having good chances of seeing leopard, our best leopard viewing so far has been in Laikipia and the Mara.

Bill,
When in Jan will you be in Kenya and where? We arrive on the 29th and will be there until Feb 10th. Going to be mostly in the Tsavo area and near the Aberdares.

We have had better luck with viewing leopards in Nakuru than Samburu. We saw two together in a tree last Christmas which was really great.

When we were at Samburu we only managed to see the one baited by Samburu Lodge. There were many vehicles there so it wasn't a very magical sighting.

Leopards are so elusive that it would be easy to be disappointed. If I was planning a trip to guarantee that I saw leopards I would do what thit_cho suggests and go to Sabi Sands.

<b>Bill,
When in Jan will you be in Kenya and where? We arrive on the 29th and will be there until Feb 10th</b>

Hi Patty, we arrive mid-month and will be flying out either the 29th (KLM night flight) or 30th (Kenya Air nooner), so we will pass you in Nairobi.

We are spending two nights at Lake Baringo, two at Nakuru, three at Kichwa Tembo and five at Mara Intrepids.

Bill

Bill,
Sounds like we'll miss each other. We arrive in the morning and plan to head straight out to Tsavo. Hope you have a great trip! Looking forward to your photos as usual.

My comments echo others.

Both are good for leopards in Kenya. I've seen a leopard in Samburu.

Sabi Sands is much better. In 4 days I had 6 good leopard sightings of 4 leopards at Mala Mala. The other Sabi Sands lodges are good too.