Jonathan & Angela Scott’s Blog

Wanted to share our thoughts via an Introduction we just wrote for a new book to be Published by Bradt called ‘Swimming with Dophins, Tracking Gorillas’:

Sitting in our safari vehicle surrounded by lions in the Masai Mara in Kenya is as close to paradise as Angie and I could hope for – seeking out encounters with wild animals has shaped our lives. Hardly surprising then that my first response when I opened Ian Wood’s thoughtful and informative book Swimming with Dolphins, Tracking Gorillas was to dust off my rucksack, fill it with cameras and lenses, and head for the bush (into the wild; out on safari??). Colorful images of lions and bears, penguins and dolphins along with many other iconic creatures made me realize how incredibly fortunate Angie and I have been in exploring wild places and getting to know their charismatic inhabitants. Yet we are acutely aware of the impact that wildlife-based tourism can have – for better and for worse. Kenya’s thriving travel industry generates much-needed foreign exchange for the country, helping to conserve our/its National Parks and Reserves. But without careful planning tourism can easily show its destructive side threatening the wellbeing of the very environment that sustains it.

I like to think of myself as an optimist – someone that finds resonance with the phrase ‘better to light a candle than to curse the darkness’; someone who believes that there is still time for us humans to come to our senses and reconnect to this extraordinarily beautiful planet of ours and treat it with the respect it deserves. So it is alarming to witness the speed at which the last remnants of our natural world are disappearing. Which is why we need books like Swimming with Dolphins, Tracking Gorillas. They encourage us to be adventurous in our travels while treading lightly along the way. Ian Wood conjours up imagery/images in words and pictures that reflect a personal journey, a quest to experience those magical meetings with truly wild creatures that most of us can only dream of. The delight of rounding a corner along a sandy track in India’s Kanha National Park to find a tiger lying in the dappled shade of a tree or chancing upon a leopard gamboling about with her cub among the rocky hideaway known as Leopard Gorge in the Masai Mara come easily to mind from our own scrapbook of memories.

Travel to far off places can be both exciting and affordable. The challenge is in knowing where to start and when to travel. In this instance you can sit back and relax – Ian Wood has done the hard graft for you. I particularly loved the Calendar section that clearly indicates the best months to see the animals Ian features, each colour coded and organized into ecozones alongside a mouthwatering array of Encounter Highlights pinpointing exact locations. Planning your next wildlife adventure has never been easier.

Jonathan and Angela Scott – Nairobi, Kenya

Hi Everyone

Shortly we will be asking all our Facebook ‘big cat followers’ – currently around 5000 people – to transfer to a dedicated Fan Page to allow us to subscribe the many hundreds of people who are waiting to to communicate with us on Facebook. You will still be able to add your comments and thoughts. But my current profile will be shut down in the next few weeks.

Best from us – Jonathan and Angie

Nice little puzzle for you all. What happened to the cubs born to Mama Lugga/Red, White Eye, Kali (Bibi’s Mother) and the oldest female in the Marsh Pride in 2002 – Notch? I know that we lost some of these as subadults – and certain too that not all individuals born in these four litters survived. The pride spend quite a bit of time – as it does each year – outside the reserve during the wet season when the area (particularly Musiara Marsh) gets waterlogged and most prey moves to higher ground. This leads inevitably to conflict with cattle and retaliation – spears or poison. Could it be that the 3 Graces were from this creche of many cubs? That would make them around 10 years old. Or – as some people think – were they part of the group of 8 subadults born in 2004/2005 i.e. sisters or cousins to Notch’s Boys? That would make them 7 to 8 years old??

Your thoughts lady’s and gentleman would be much appreciated!

Hi Everyone

Hope you are all enjoying a wonderful weekend wherever you might be. The rain has eased here a tad – but not sue how long that will last. In the old days the rains started end of March early April and continued in to early June – April/May the big ones for mega downpours. Now you are never sure if we are going to get drought or deluge. This year both the Short Rains (mid Oct to Dec) and the Long Rains have been pretty heavy.

Will get back to you on PEL in the next day or so. But it is a huge shame that the BBC Natural History Unit has got itself involved in such a lightweight series – maybe its hands were tied. Nobody does wildlife better than the NHU – we all know that and it has been a huge privilege to be associated with the NHU for the past 30 years. It changed my life – and something I am hugely proud of. But when the ‘Entertainment’ mix starts to become the most important driving force in wildlife shows – rather than informing and creating a sense of wonder – then it is treading on thin ice and can all go horribly wrong. There is so much ‘old’ material (shown previously) and so little genuinely ‘live’ material – bar the Presenters delivering their links – that calling it LIVE with a capital L lacks credibility. And it really does no favors for the incredible Blue Chip brand that the NHU represents to all of us – PLANET EARTH.

During the heyday of Big Cat Week we were often reminded that there was a big difference between the style of a BBC2 program and the style best suited for BBC1. From what I can gather the TV Controllers, Commissioners – and to a lesser extent the Producers – dictate this style, sometimes it would seem contrary to what the audience would like. BBC2 is generally for more serious, informed programing for a dedicated audience of informed people – I think. BBC1 in the main is meant to be more ‘entertainment-style’ in its feel, opening the door to the more ‘reality-style’ shows that have become all the rave.

Big Cat Week seemed to me to have just about got the balance right. It was entertaining in the way it was Presented but crucially it still tried to be informative and to add value to the superb wildlife images by having knowledgeable people providing insights to what was going on (and as to what not might be evident to viewers from watching the pictures alone). Yes, we named the animals – as much to help us communicate with each other – and you – as to who we were referring to; not because (in our case at least) we wanted to anthropomorphize them. We love the lions, leopards and cheetahs for what they are – extraordinary fellow denizens of this amazing world of ours. They are quite fascinating and complex in their completeness – they are lions, leopards and cheetahs not surrogate humans. And we had hoped that we helped to move away from the more sensational series on Animal Planet and Nat Geo that at times revert to the big bad animal formula – and Nature Red In Tooth And Claw. Surely the amazing insightful work of Dr George Schaller and Dr Jane Goodall – and the revelations of wildlife camera people like Alan and Joan Root and Des and Jen Bartlett – and the imagery and communication skills of of naturalists like Sir David Attenboroug and Sir Peter Scott – counted for something? Why retreat to hype and exaggeration?

Big Cat Diary/Week had to resist attempts at times to try and change the language we used to describe the various animal characters we were working with due to this desire to get the BBC1 feel rather than the BBC2 feel. But we balked at this suggestion and were relieved when a high ranking person with overall control of the series said that we should never feel the need to do anything that we did not feel comfortable with for the sake of being more ‘entertaining’. And that is why in the main Big Cat Diary/Week stood the test of time with its audience for 12 years on air and has left such a feel good effect with participants and audiences alike. Not only was it hugely entertaining it had credibility. We felt we could look anyone in the eye over our story-telling/commentary and that you ‘our audience’ trusted us and believed in us. I have had experience as a youngster of the other kind of wildlife shows – and I never want to go back to that.

It may have poured with rain in the Mara – it bucketed down most afternoons and sometimes late into the night – but as always the Mara delivered when we needed it to. We are helping our good friend Michel Zoghzoghi who is writing and photographing a book on Predators around the world – to get some great shots on Africa’s big cats. This time he wanted to concentrate on leopards and knowing that Olive (Bella’s daughter) had recently given birth to 2 cubs – we are told they are around + 4 months old (anyone want to update us on that?) – we figured that we would spend most of our week-long safari around the Talek River. But the ‘river’ had become a torrent – it was more like the Mara River which had risen to heights we had forgotten were possible – hadn’t seen it like this for +10 years – the last 5 or so have been droughts rather than deluge that I had forgotten what ‘wet Mara – or Lake Mara’ looked like!!

Nairobi has also had huge storms with all the normal downsides of that – leaking roofs and power cuts.

Back to the Mara for catch up time with the big cats:

Has White Eye gone for good? The Governor’s drivers say they think she has – and that probably due to conflict with Masai. Even thought the grass is green and growing at a rate of knots (will be up to the bonnet of a vehicle before the end of the month in parts of Paradise Plain) there are still big herds of cattle camped along the edge of the Reserve and within it. I reckon that up to 10-30% of the Reserve is affected by encroachment – and this is no longer just a dry season event – it is seemingly year round and is certainly part of the reason that ‘boundary’ prides that seasonally spend part of their time outside the Reserve are constantly affected by the loss of pride members due to spearing or poisoning. And when the herdsmen come into the Reserve the same happens. Just as I was leaving Mara on 5 May our good friend Jackson Ole Looseyia (who you will be able to see on the BBC Planet Earth Live event between now and the 22 May) was going out with one of the Governors drivers to check on the identity of a lioness who had been seen at the edge of Musiara Marsh with 2 cubs. Could that have been White Eye??

During our week-long safari we spent time with the 4 Musketeers who are now firmly established with both the Marsh Pride – Bibi, Sienna and her sister (or cousin) Sophie, and 4 younger sub-adult/young adult females. They also wander further to the East as far as Topi Plains where they consort with an offshoot of the Marsh Pride – the 4 (Marsh) Sisters who have already had their first litters of cubs – and lost them – and whose original 2 pride males have disappeared (some say one of them was killed as a result of a fight with Notch’s Boys). These 4 females are around 5 years old. They sometimes wander along Rhino Ridge too and eek out a living between the Marsh Pride and the Paradise Pride. Offshoots of the Marsh Pride – groups of young females exiled from the main pride due to lack of resources (food and breeding space) – have always adopted this kind of strategy sometimes prospering and sometimes fading away.

3 new Pride males – one with a beautiful black mane – are now being seen around the Serena Pump House area – sometimes north of the River (on our side of it) and sometimes south of it on the Serena side of the Mara River. They are fine looking animals – more mature than the 4 Musketeers but younger than Notch’s Boys (7-8 years old) – and it will be interesting to see who prevails in this area between the two groups of males.

There is a beautiful female leopard that had her two cubs in this area and was often seen on the beautiful rocky outcrops and croton thickets. We caught up with her on 3 occasions and watched her with her 8 month old male cub. It appears as if she may have lost the other cub. She had a Thompson’s gazelle kill in a Boscia tree. There was a big male leopard in the area too. This particular female is young and beautifully marked – in perfect condition with clean ears and no signs of the fights that territory holders of both sexes engage in at times.

We did not see even one cheetah during our trip!!

All for now. Stay safe!

Wow. Big storms here in Kenya – the weather men say that Western Kenya is in for flash floods and to be cautious – and as you may or may not know the Masai Mara is in Western Kenya!!

Going to be fun and games in the Mara when I get back there on 28th April – Saturday – thank goodness I don’t have to drive down – can only imagine what the roads must be like right now. Hoping to see Olive and her two cubs – but all that long grass and paddling around will make it tougher than usual. James Robertson – our friend and neighbor (his house is in the Giraffe Sanctuary) – saw the three of them on his last safari and had a wonderful hour or more with her – very few people visiting right now so that is one benefit. Fingers crossed. And if we can get to see Zawadi to that would be a real bonus. Don’t reckon the old girl is going to be around that much longer – she was seen mating since she lost the last of her litter of two cubs. Life goes on!

Meanwhile the big storms are causing havoc with our roof – leaks all over the place – and we expect a white ant/termite invasion to start eating our woodwork – they always do when the rains are like this. Been a few years since we had really good Long Rains so must not complain too much – the country really needs good rains.

Yup – we’re home! Yesterday was a long, long day – and night. Our Kenya Airways flight from Mumbai to Nairobi was delayed from its already unsocial time of 0030 in the morning to around 0700 in the morning. Managed to catch some sleep on one of those wonderful sleeper beds in the airport lounge – good work JetAirways who do a great job in India and Sri Lanka and who kindly granted us 20kg excess baggage so that we could get all our kit and shopping safely back home. So many people gave us copies of their wonderful books in India and Sri Lanka – and we had a number of Buddhas that we cherish to bring home too! They provide a wonderfully calming influence in our beautiful home.

Slippers, Simba and Isis were almost beside themselves with excitement at our arrival home – and Little Cat finally made her entrance when the dog chaos had subsided. She is such an amazing cat – so it was wonderful as always to see her. The dogs looked so fit – and Simba is true to his name and an enormous animal – and still growing!!

There has been some rain – so everywhere looks beautifully green.First stop on the way home was the Art Cafe at Galleria in Langata for a coffee and slice of apple pie and coconut ice cream! Great to see friends and acquaintances after so many weeks away from home.

We are struggling to keep our eyes open right now – and can hardly wait to fall in to bed this evening.

Got to go!!

Hi Everyone

Two rather weary travelers heading for home after an epic 7 week safari through India, Bhutan and Sri Lanka – happy to have seen all the wonderful things we have experienced and for the warm welcome from so many people on our travels.

We spoke at a function at the Cinnamon Lakeside in Colombo this morning to help celebrate the publication of a lovely new book from Chitral Jayatilake and his team at Chaaya Wild in Yala National Park sponsored by John Keells Hotels and Resorts called Reflections of the Wild – and to update people on our joint initiative Leopard Guardians which we are evolving with Chitral and John Keels and other stakeholders from the worlds of tourism, conservation and local communities to try and help raise awareness about the status of the leopard in Sri Lanka – and in particular in Yala National Park – and around the world, and to try and create good practice by tour drivers and guides in the National Parks in Sri Lanka. We are also hoping though a dedicated Leopard Guardians website to highlight other leopard ‘hot spots’ where people can enjoy great leopard viewing in places like the Masai Mara in Kenya (Governors Camp and Rekero Camp for instance) and in South Africa (Londolozi and Mala Mala Private Game Reserves in the Sabi Sands region adjacent to Kruger National Park).

Right now though, we are going to very happy to see our beautiful home again on the outskirts of Nairobi in Kenya – and to spend time with Little Cat, Slippers, Simba and Isis – and just recharge our batteries and try and edit those thousands of digital images we have accumulated – of tigers and temples, the Paro Festival in Bhutan, and of leopards and elephants and a glorious and colorful array of Sri Lankan birdlife.

So a huge thank you to our friends in India – Travel Inn India who did such a great job for us as ground handlers for our two tiger safaris – to the unbeatable quality of service and all round excellence that we always enjoy with the Oberoi Group of Hotels and Resorts, and to Chitral Jayatilake and his team at Nature Trails and Walkers Tours – and John Keells Hotels and Resorts – in Sri Lanka. Their patience and integrity was much appreciated.

Next up a week long safari in the Mara at the end of the month with our great friend Michel Zoghzoghi from Lebanon in search of Olive the leopard and her cubs – and Notch and his Boys. Then time for a R&R trip to Italy with son David to celebrate his graduation from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco after 4 very intense years of study with outstanding results. So bountiful congratulations to you David.

And Angie and I are both due Birthday Celebrations – myself tomorrow (in the Mumbai airport!!) and Angie on the 27 April.

Take care.

Hi Everyone -

Just in from our Bhutan adventure – what a wonderful experience it was too! The Bhutanese people act in such a dignified manner – so hospitable and gracious that it is humbling and enriching to behold. Makes you sit up and take a close look at ones own way of being – and to try and live a more balanced life. Might sound a bit daunting but actually it’s empowering.

The Paro Festival was a feast for the eyes – as colorful and photogenic as we had hoped. The problem was in trying to get a balance between ‘being a photographer’ and tapping in to the whole experience as a human being. On reflection I wish I had spent more time sitting and absorbing the essence of the ceremony and its meaning – rather than racing around in the quest for the perfect shot. Angie found a much better balance by sitting and reflecting on the Buddhist way of life among the thousands of Bhutanese gathered for the festival. It really did very much feel like a joyous gathering of families – young and old sitting and engaging – never seen so many chillies spread thickly over rice!

Prior to our arrival back in Paro we had an exhilarating activity mid-way through our trip when Angie set up a river rafting excursion for us one morning in Punakha – great break from our ritual of early morning wake-ups and just the ticket for a bit of team bonding! We took a bit of a dunking in the spray at times but loved drifting past the bridge decked with a riot of colorful prayer flags leading to Punakha’s magnificent castle-like Dzong or temple fortress.

We are now enjoying a break at the Oberoi Grand hotel in Kolkata for a couple of days before heading to Delhi and then Sri Lanka.

Big storms here in the last day or so, so keeping our fingers crossed for our flight out.