Day 4, 5 (July 19, 20) - SAMBURU GAME RESERVE - We will spend the next two days exploring the scrub deserts and doum palm lined rivers of the Samburu and nearby Buffalo Springs Game Reserves. Game is plentiful in this area and we will network back and forth in search of elephant, buffalo, waterbuck, impala, and the tiny dik-dik. We will also scan the thickets for lions and cheetahs, and the trees for slumbering leopards. This area also boasts a spectacular array of bird life, with approximately 350 species recorded. Secretary birds, kori bustards, raptors, and a variety of hornbills are but a small sample of the birds that can be seen here. These northern parks also lay claim to several unique endemic species found nowhere else on earth. They include the Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, and the blue-necked Somali ostrich. Also uncommon elsewhere, the delicate long-necked gerenuk, otherwise referred to as the giraffe gazelle, the desert-dwelling beisa oryx, and the electric-blue vulturine guineafowl are all regularly spotted throughout this region.

The highlight of our journey to Samburu will come in the form of a photographic hunt of sorts. While on a previous trip to the park, Tina had the extreme privilege to witness a genuine anomaly of nature. In the boundaries of this park roams a small herd of elephants with one truly unique member. She is beautiful and graceful - and she only possesses the use of three legs! Though it is unclear whether she was born with her crippling affliction or whether it was human-inflicted, she is a testament to the living spirit and its ability to overcome even the most daunting adversity to persevere and even thrive. In the same manner her family herd is a testament to devotion, for if not for their patience, protection, and unconditional love she would be unable to continue her journey on earth - the herd is her lifeline. To date she is doing well and we will attempt to locate the herd so that you also may witness this astonishing wildlife drama!

Overnights Samburu Serena Lodge (B, L, D)