Kenya 2023: Chapter 23 – The Oloololo Gate

As we neared Kichwa Tembo (meaning “head of the elephant” in Swahili), we came upon another group of baboons. Greg, ever the comic, made baboon noises at one that was sitting on the edge of the road. Either startled by his near-baboon face or the horrific insults Greg had hurled in baboonese, the primate took a look of alarm and ran off. Others lingered forth, and we were treated to perhaps the best example of the evolution of man. The grass here was shorter than in other places, only about 3 feet or so. A lone baboon, seeking to search for other members of the troop or keep an eye out for danger, stood on his back legs, hands out. It was a remarkable sight and immediately made us think of early hominids in the East Africa Rift, standing tall above the grass to look for food or for predators. 

By 13:00 we reached the Oloololo Gate at the far north end of the park. Like the gate at Purungat, the signs had a number of skulls surrounding it. A small display under the awning of the entrance had a handful of Mara Conservancy souvenirs. We each purchased a shirt and a sticker. Lenny kept the attendants honest on the pricing.

It felt good to get out and stretch our legs a bit. The day had warmed considerably with big blue skies and increasing patches of clouds to the east (remember weather systems run east to west in the southern hemisphere). We took a few pictures with Dad’s 35 mm and we were off again in search of the Marsh Pride.