Postcards from Africa - Cerval sighting

"I saw something!" squeaks the Hungarian. Echoes of "what", "where" fill the jeep. "There!". Overactive imaginations conjure up a leopard. The driver dismisses us pointing to the tall grass free of any creatures. We persist, and make him circle around ignoring his boredom. Nothing. Safari. Journey not destination, so we make another pass and a lush flash of yellow spotted with black streaks past us, disappearing into the tall grass. A cerval cat!! Seen in our animal book, but not on our list and yet there it was, spotted and hunted down by amateurs, the thrill all the sweeter for it's unexpectedness and almost ephemeral sighting. We are bwana! While it was mostly a blur, you could still feel the plump lushness of it's shiny coat, feel a sense of sleek feline superiority. It's smaller than all the other predators in the Mara, a pale golden colour with black spots, and pointy ears. Usually not on anyone's list of must see sightings, but damn! what a thrill! We are also severely chuffed at having been the ones to spot it instead of the guide, but that's what three nights in a superlative camp will do to you. At Kicheche, Laikipai, the guides would see blurs miles away while we'd be doing our chorus of, "Where? Where?" and of course, he'd do that while he's driving the jeep through bumpy terrain. Incredible! Starting our safari at Laikipia where the animals are less plentiful, the environment harsher, the camp and its guides truly knowledgeable and focused on conservation was a blessing. While the Mara is lush and rewarding in terms of sighting, it's commercial and apparently less concerned with teaching visitors anything about the land or its inhabitants and success is measured by brief sightings of the Big Five, like a tourist with the ubiquitous checklist - been there, done that. The Kicheche Camps are extraordinary. Both in terms of hospitality and service as well as what they know about the land and it's animals and their educational but non intrusive approach to the safari. If you have any interest in wildlife and nature, look for the Kicheche lot.