The sounds of Samburu

Situated at the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, Samburu National Reserve is the one habitat that at the heart of Rift Valley province in Samburu district breathes life to the vast lifeless arid region. Characterised by plains, hills and parched landscape, it is the presence of this river that supports the existence of the vegetation and informs the presence of wildlife.

The diverse flora and fauna making up the Samburu National Reserve are a rich basket of ambient sounds evoking all sense of human reactions ranging from thrill to the feeling of peace and even a firsthand interaction with nature. The massive water masses of the river flows downstream with cluttering sounds and as the old adage goes “the clatter of the river has some sweetness in it”.

The throbbing sound of the strong 4x4 land cruiser bringing in guests blends in well with natural sounds of the reserve. Quite often, Saba Douglas Hamilton is heard whistling as if to compliment the already captivating sounds surrounding the reserve. Being a Samburu warrior dominated area, the sound of singing warriors can simply not be wished away, the humming, clapping, jingles and the stamping of feet particularly gives the identity of this locale!

Listening to the game in this reserve can get as engaging as the word suggests. As I listened to this particular gravelly zebra panting for breath as the lioness pursuing its prey kept beating the distance between them, the sound of their eventual struggle as the predator meets its prey. The whooping sound of the defeated zebra gradually dies off as the lioness drains out its life single handedly. The growling and roaring of the male lion on the other hand is unmistakable as it marks its boundaries. Its sound will simply clear any doubt of who the king of the jungle is!

As the sun slowly sinks into the horizon and the wind whirls in, the hungry hyenas are heard screaming and laughing as they limp through the grass, sniffing as hard to locate any carcass and left overs to see if the can salvage a bite or two. Normally they scare away other carcass eaters by whooping and screaming and often they succeed.

I always thought that elephants walk with a bang owing to their size and weight until I listened them walk gently and almost silently. They occasionally rumble or trumpet. Walking in the dark you will hear them breaking twigs when they step on them or pulling some to chew. Pretty much unlike their size!

The gazelles and the antelopes on the other hand have a way of alerting each other in times of danger when they snort and bleat. You will always hear them here and there. I would actually say they are somewhat chanty. They are always unrested and the leopards know how to ambush them silently.

At this reserve, every minute that ticks, a unique sound goes with it. There are hundreds of bird species that chirp, tweet and sing different kinds of rhythms to usher in the light of day. The whistles of the thin leaves being blown by the cold winds and the chirping and creaking of insects and crickets marks the approach of dusk. Watching and seeing it is beautiful and captivating, but listening to it, is simply breath taking!

It is the reason I love listening to Africa.