Mount Kenya, Kenya’s highest mountain and the second highest in Africa, is an impressive site as it rises from the open plains to 5199m. Covered in glaciers, it amazingly lies just 16.5km south of the equator.

Two black rhinoceros or hook-lipped rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) safely graze the grass at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy – yet unfortunately are another species that has seen a drastic decline in population numbers due to poaching.

An imperial Zebra or Grévy’s zebra (Equus grevyi) grazes alone in the long grasses that drive their migrations across the vast open plains.

This is the first Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) we saw! Camouflaged in the pale dry grass it’s hard to spot them at first, but eventually your eyes adjust and their colour and patterning give them away. 

A young vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) snoozes in the sun.

A small African Elephant calf (Loxodonta) suckles milk from its mother in the early evening light of dusk, while other family members graze on the green tall grass. These Elephants were only about 10m from the vehicle.

There is a real sense of wisdom, emotion and connection when you look into the eye of an African Elephant (Loxodonta), the largest land mammal on Earth.

The plains of the Maasai Mara are home to the distinctive Masai Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi). Standing back to back, these two watch both horizons as the sun sets on another perfect day.

A birds eye view of hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius) wallowing around in the waters of the Mara River, completely unaware of our presence as we silently slide with the early morning breeze.

A hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) glides through water lilies on the Mara River, crossing from bank to bank after a night of grazing on the open plains.

The Maasai Mara is world famous for its healthy populations of Masai Lions (Panthera leo nubica). Here two females rest in the shade of the midday sun, but their eyes are always scanning the horizon for movement, and a meal.

Plains Zebra (Equus quagga) take a well-deserved drink in an offshoot of the Mara River – thankfully for there are no crocodiles here

The rains here spark the grasses to grow which drives one of the greatest migrations of animals on this planet – approximately 1.5 million wildebeest and zebra

A hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) keeps a watchful eye on her surrounds as she wades through the waters with her calf.

The waters of the Mara River are a dangerous place for grazers and this close-to 5-meter monster Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) knows all to well that sooner or later grazers must come to drink or cross the river.

Find out more:

www.kenya-airways.com