Tag: kenya

‘Would you have stepped on it?’ Deadly snake ridiculously hard to spot

The puff adder is nearly impossible to spot until the narrator zooms in and reveals the venomous snake hiding in the bushes.

The puff adder is one of the deadliest snakes in Africa, and also an expert at camouflage.

Can you spot the puff adder in the accompanying image, or in the footage before the narrator zooms in? (Footage posted below.)

Or, as asked by Watamu Snake Farm in Kenya: “Would you have stepped on it?”

As for the image, look just left of the dangling gold leaf and good luck. The answer is best provided in the footage as the narrator discusses the snake’s ability to remain hidden while it “lies in wait.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCHH8gSoBrO/

A few facts about puff adders, courtesy of Siyabona Africa:

–The puff adder gets its name for its propensity to inflate itself and hiss when threatened.

–The puff adder’s venom causes swelling, blisters, and tissue damage. Snake bite victims are urged to seek medical help as quickly as possible. (Most fatalities occur because of a secondary infection or improper medial care.)

–The puff adder is extra dangerous because it typically holds its ground when danger approaches, relying on camouflage. It will not retreat from footsteps and it will bite if stepped upon.

From Siyabona Africa: “The Puff Adder is responsible for more bites and fatalities in Africa than any other snake due to its habit of not moving away from approaching footsteps, instead blowing out air as a warning, hence the name.”

Video shows elephant snoring like a beast – remind you of anyone?

The large bull elephant had been tranquilized so vets could treat a poison-arrow wound inflicted by poachers.

A large bull elephant that was tranquilized recently so veterinarians could treat an arrow wound appears to have slept deeply throughout the procedure.

That is, if its powerful snoring was an indication.

The accompanying footage, shared via X Tuesday by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, requires high volume to appreciate the magnitude of snores issued by the pachyderm.

“Reminds me of my husband,” reads one comment beneath the post.

While many might relate to that sentiment, the operation highlighted a serious issue facing bull elephants in Kenya: poaching.

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a group dedicated to conserving wildlife in Kenya, explained the decision to tranquilize the elephant:

“This big bull was darted … so that a poisoned arrow wound could be treated!

“The treatment itself cannot commence until the patient is sedated and, as here, snoring like a very big baby!

“Using his experience, the vet estimates the size and weight of an elephant to determine how much of the anesthetic drug will be needed to knock it out (too much could be fatal).

“Once down, ground teams rush in to commence treatment. The outcome of this case was positive.”

Tourists fail to spot lion in ‘funny moment’ caught on video

The tourists seemed aware that a lion was close, but they had no idea how close.

A Kenya-based photographer on Thursday captured a “funny moment” involving two tourists hoping to spot a lion, seemingly unaware that a lion was standing immediately behind their truck.

Pareet Shah’s footage (posted below), captured in Maasai Mari National Reserve, shows the lion hidden from the men as they stood inside the vehicle and scanned the landscape.

Shah told FTW Outdoors that he did not know the tourists and explained:

“The sub-adult male lion from the Topi Pride came out from behind the bush and the tourists were scampering in their car looking for lions, not to realize there was one just behind their car! It was a funny moment.”

The vehicle belongs to Matoke Tours Africa and one of Shah’s followers commented, jokingly: “Welcome to Matoke Tours! We guarantee you will get very close with lions but you will not be able to see it!”

Matoke Tours was good-natured, sharing the clip via Instagram and writing: “Ehm… where did the lion go? Our travelers probably never imagined we would take them this close! Amazing shot by [Pareet Shah].”

Maasai Mara National Reserve is in southwestern Kenya. The Topi Pride is dominant in the Topi Plains region.

Watch: Lions swim across flooded river as though it’s no big deal

Richard Generally, a tour guide and photographer, captured the remarkable scene on the Rongai River in Kenya.

A safari guide based in Kenya has shared footage showing two male lions crossing a flooded river and emerging on the opposite bank as though it was just a casual swim. (Footage posted below.)

“Three Sankai boys crossing the flooded Rongai River this morning,” Richard Generally, referring to the Sankai Pride, described Tuesday via Instagram.

Lion Lovers shared the footage hours later and cautioned, “Be quick guys, watch out for crocodiles.”

The footage begins with three lions pondering the crossing and two of the three entering the water and being carried swiftly downstream. The two are then shown on the opposite shore, looking back across the river.

Generally assured in the Instagram comments section that the third lion also made it safely across.

The footage was captured in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in southwestern Kenya.

–Image and video courtesy of Richard Generally

Orphaned elephants’ adorable ‘milk heist’ caught on camera

Footage has surfaced showing orphaned elephants checking milk bottles for extra sips after the containers had been stored by keepers.

Orphaned elephants are seemingly unanimous in their belief that feeding time is not over simply because their keepers have taken away their milk bottles.

The accompanying footage, shared by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, shows several clever young elephants gathered around a wheelbarrow and testing used containers for last sips.

The Kenya-based conservation group stated via social media:

“The year may change, but the brazen milk heists remain the same. This video was taken back in 2021, when Mukkoka, Nabulu, Maktao & Naboishu seized their window of opportunity, descending upon the milk wheelbarrow, assiduously checking all the empties for leftovers.”

The elephants are using their trunks to place bottles in their mouths the way keepers do at feeding time.

At least one keeper, undoubtedly amused by the animals’ resourcefulness, is shown watching over the elephants.

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, based in Nairobi, rescues and rehabilitates elephants that become orphaned by poachers with the goal of “reintegrating them into a protected wilderness.”

Rare footage shows massive python navigating Kenya stream

A photographer on safari in Kenya has captured rare footage showing an enormous python navigating a shallow stream.

A photographer on safari in Kenya has captured rare footage showing an enormous python navigating a shallow stream.

The footage was captured in the Mara Triangle by Ollie Outram, an associate snake handler for East African Reptiles.

The research group stated via Instagram: “Pythons are very comfortable in water and usually use wildlife trails leading down to water to ambush their prey. They are very good swimmers and can spend quite sometime underwater.”

East African Reptiles explained that Southern African rock pythons can measure about 20 feet and the snake in the footage appears to be fully grown.

The group added: “They are a harmless constrictor, but a bite from a large python can cause significant damage and will need treatment from a doctor.”

Orphaned elephant ’embraces inner helicopter’ in adorable video

A 2-year-old elephant rescued as an orphan in Kenya is overcoming her shyness and was recently seen twirling her trunk as though ready to fly.

A 2-year-old elephant rescued as an orphan in Kenya is overcoming her shyness and on Friday was seen twirling her trunk as though ready to fly.

“Out in the forest this morning, Amali decided to embrace her inner helicopter!” The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust described in a video tweet. “Rescued just 6 months ago – a victim of drought – Amali was shy for a long time, but recently she’s really coming out of her shell.”

Amali resides at the Omani Springs Reintegration Unit in the Kibwezi Forest. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust uses this part of the forest to help orphaned elephants “move beyond the tragedies of their past and live as nature intended.”

Amali was rescued in the Tsavo Ecosystem last October and appears to be making tremendous progress.

Saints’ Paulson Adebo visits Kenya for NFL Africa Camp 2023

The NFL has a global reach, as illustrated by Saints corner Paulson Adebo visiting Kenya to participate in NFL Africa Camp 2023:

It’s important to remember that the NFL is a global enterprise. Paulson Adebo and his New Orleans Saints teammates made the trip to London last year for a game with the Minnesota Vikings, and there’s a (slim) chance they’ll be flying to Europe again in the fall for a matchup with the New England Patriots in Germany.

But that’s a concern for another day. For Adebo, part of his offseason was spent traveling to Kenya for the NFL Africa Camp 2023 events. He’s one of several NFL players with African ties to volunteer their services, along with Emmanuel Ogbah, Ikem Ekwonu, Brian Asamoah, and Arnold Ebiketie.

Adebo was born in Farmington, Mich. to first-generation immigrants from Benin, a West African nation of about 13 million people. So this was something of a homecoming for him. It’s cool to see Adebo experiencing this and doing his part to help the sport grow overseas and be a good ambassador for New Orleans.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[stnvideo key=”mVPJV9C5H3-2679463-7618″ type=”float”]

TV report on elephants reminiscent of famous Yellowstone broadcast

Footage showing a TV reporter trying to maintain his composure as a young elephant teased him with its trunk is reminiscent of a famous Yellowstone broadcast involving bison.

Footage showing a TV reporter trying to maintain his composure as a young elephant teased him with its trunk has gone viral, largely because of the man’s reaction when the elephant tickled his nose.

The scene was somewhat reminiscent of a 2020 incident in which a U.S.-based reporter gained notoriety for his “I ain’t messing with you” response during an encounter with bison in Yellowstone National Park.

Alvin Kaunda, an intern for Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, is shown in the top video succumbing to the nosy elephant and bursting into laughter after enough had become enough.

“I wanted a very nice background with the elephants,” Kaunda, who was raising awareness about the plight of orphaned elephants, told Ghetto Radio Nairobi. “I’d kept my distance, but I was so focused and didn’t even realize they were getting close. I felt the ticklish trunk but just tried to keep my cool. It wasn’t normal, but I liked the experience.”

ALSO: Bear smells worst kind of trouble on tree, reacts accordingly; video

The footage reveals the inquisitive, playful nature of elephants in a friendly environment.

The Yellowstone incident, involving then-NBC Montana reporter Deion Broxton, involved free-roaming, unpredictable bison. (See footage below.)

Broxton’s wary response is largely what propelled the video to a viewership of more than 15 million.

He was about to begin his broadcast when he spotted bison approaching from his right. Bison can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds; Broxton wanted no part of their close company.

Still on camera,  he says, “Oh my god, oh my god.” Then, “I ain’t messing with you, oh… no” as he walks out of frame toward the safety of his vehicle.

His tweet was a fun distraction from news related to the growing COVID-19 pandemic.

It was also appreciated by Yellowstone National Park, which advised in the comments: “If you use the same common sense in national parks that [Deion] does in this clip you’re gonna have a good time.”

[listicle id=1980234]

Source: Philadelphia Union nearing move for Kenyan midfielder Odada

The Union are nearing a new addition at defensive midfield

The Philadelphia Union are nearing a move for Red Star Belgrade midfielder Richard Odada ahead of the MLS stretch run.

The 21-year-old Kenyan international is a deep-lying midfielder. Since making his debut with Red Star Belgrade in 2019, he has made appearances on loan in Serbia’s top two flights.

Odada is currently on loan with Graficar Belgrad of the Serbian second division.

A source tells Pro Soccer Wire that a transfer between Red Star and the Union could potentially be completed within the next week, pending the receipt of his P-1 visa. The move could see Odada land with the Eastern Conference club ahead of their stretch run and their chase for silverware.

The Philadelphia Union declined to comment on this report.

Sacramento Republic knocks off Sporting KC, continues magical U.S. Open Cup run

With 22 games played, the Union are atop the Eastern Conference with 42 points. They are second in the league, three points adrift from the top spot held by LAFC.

There is a need for midfield depth on the Union roster, in particular in the central part of the park. Odada’s ability to cover ground and be a physical presence should see him into the squad’s rotation.

Odada has made four appearances for Kenya’s national team.

[lawrence-related id=5329,5258]