Animals seen North of Aruba, 29/12/99

The giraffe shown in this shot was undaunted by our presence.

We spotted this lone Grant's Gazelle shortly after we left Aruba. They are often seen in the area.

When we came across the second family of giraffe however they were grazing either side of the road & were a little more concerned. I missed the best shot of the running giraffe as I couldn't get the right angle with everybody else trying to photograph it.

This picture isn't such an unusual site in Tsavo ( East or West ) - the elephants are commonly known as the Red Elephants of Tsavo. The colouration comes from the Tsavo soil, which is more red than brown. We often see elephants' backs in the distance leading to many false calls, as they look identical to the termite mounds that abound aplenty. The secret is to spot the ones that move - which is easier said than done when travelling at 40-50 mph!

The hills in the background of these photos are Taita Hills the other side of Voi.

We caught this bull elephant just as he was crossing the road. He was obviously agitated, which can be dangerous if you get too close. Our experience suggests there's a lost of bluster and little action, although it's enough to make Alison uncomfortable.

We only realised later after reviewing the photos why he was so aggressive - look carefully for his fifth leg!