Tortilis Camp News

AMBOSELI – GREEN – 22nd Dec 2009

Thankfully the usual short rains arrived on time early in November, and have continued regularly through December, so the whole Amboseli area, especially to the west is finally looking green, and Mt. Kilimanjaro has a mantle of snow!  Elephant families moved out of the park during the rain to take advantage of green foraging in the greater ecosystem, and are now drifting back.

The effects of the drought has meant that cattle populations surrounding the park have been decimated – so these communities more than ever are relying on tourism!  Within the park the wildebeest population has been reduced to a few hundred and the zebra to a few thousand - the overall effect being that grazing is recovering fast, and the remaining populations are in a healthier position.  However – the predator populations have done so well out of the drought that their numbers have increased (hyena to 350 and lion to 52 at last count!), life in the wild is never easy!!