Baby elephant crossing
Samburu
In the beautiful sunrise we came across a baby zebra that was only a few days old, it just sat on the ground, too weak or cold to get up. |
| Greve Zebra calf |
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| Lilac-breasted Roller |
A Lilac-breasted roller hunting is very difficult to photograph, but we managed to get a few shots
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| Lilac-breasted Roller hunting |
We spent a little time with some elephants who were playing in some puddles
And another herd of elephants where the mother tried for quite some time to get her calf across the swamp. She kept calling out to her herd, we weren't sure if that was just to say she was okay or if she wanted help. No-one came.
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| I'm not sure if I can do this mum |
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| Saddle Billed Stork |
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| Martial Eagle |
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| the naughty Vervet Monkey will steal anything if you let him |
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| Reticulated Giraffe's sparring |
We were nearly back in camp when we came across this lioness who was sitting near her kill. Our first lion!
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| Lioness |
About the Samburu People
To marry, a man must pay for the woman's dowry – the number of cows is based on the tribe, somewhere between 9 and 10 cows. If they don’t have any cows the husband to be can buy them, if the bride’s parents want money, then he will have to pay the equivalent of a cow which is about $500 US for price for a good one.
They are polygamists, so they can have more than one wife. If they separate, the wife cannot remarry, but of course the husband can take another wife! A man with many cows may need many wives to help with the milking. Our guide was one of ten children, they could potentially have 60 children if he has a lot of wives.
Every 15 years or so, a new and individually named generation of warriors will be initiated. This involves most boys between 12 and 25, who have reached puberty and are not part of the previous age-set. One of the rituals is a circumcision ceremony performed without anaesthetic, which has to be endured without even so much as a wince.
When the next generation is formed, the previous one become junior elders, until they in turn become senior elders. The men cannot marry until they become an elder, while the women marry very young.
Samburu Law
If possible, the elders try to solve the problem themselves and dish out the punishment. If someone is caught stealing, then they have to pay what was stolen back by 3 times eg 1x cow, repay 3 x cows. If they commit murder with intent, they are turned over to the Kenyan police.
Burial
When buried they used to be treated according to the generation they belong to. A warrior or a child is taken out of town and left to the scavengers. If they were an elder, they would be wrapped in cloth, a ceremony performed and be given a burial. This still happens in less civilized areas but in the major towns; everyone is given a burial.
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