Please can anyone tell me if it is worth doing night game drives when I visit Kenya in May? What animals will I see on a night game drive that I wouldn't see on a day-time game drive? Will vehicle headlights and high-power spot lamps disturb the animals? If so, how are game drives conducted to avoid disturbance? I can see there are a lot of very experienced people on this forum; any information or personal experiences would be much appreciated.

Thanks.
- Edited by Cody on 15.03.2010, 04:58 -

Original von Jason
Please can anyone tell me if it is worth doing night game drives when I visit Kenya in May? What animals will I see on a night game drive that I wouldn't see on a day-time game drive? Will vehicle headlights and high-power spot lamps disturb the animals? If so, how are game drives conducted to avoid disturbance? I can see there are a lot of very experienced people on this forum; any information or personal experiences would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Hi Jason

I hope many find your thread as it's uploaded under "African music"

Anyway:

Any game drives vehicle should be equipped for red or green filter for their spotloghts as the normal spotlights blind particularly gazelles and by shining onto them cats/predators get easily aware and by accident the spotlight will lead to an easy hunt as these gazelles are blinded/immobilized!
So when duóing night drives you should carefully watch your guide so that he switches off the lights when seeing gazelles, using coloured filters and never shine the spotlight directly onto any animal. Some guides simply don't know.

Now to the animals - you only see nocturnal animals which are hiding during dayloght:

Jenet (belongs to the family of mongoose)
Bush baby
Owl
Civet (cat family)
African wildcat
maybe an aardvark (which I haven't seen yet and I have been on safari at least 40 times)
As mentioned above gazelles
Leopard
Lion

the latter in hunting mood.

There are lots of nocturnal animals and some night drives are really rewarding.

Just give it a try where offered.

Happy travels!

PS

I would like to know about your itinerary - and maybe a trip report despite I owe the community one about my Feb trip to TAZ/KEN which will come soon

Ciao Jason,

Night game drives is a very different experience and it is all down to the guide / driver who knows how to act and look aftwer the wildlife. At night there is a lot more activity as grazers are out, even the massive hippos, cats hunt as well but you have to take care as Pippa said with the spot light.
If you can - go for it and of course with a good company!
Will be good to read how you get along.
When will you be going?

Cody

I will copy and paste this in the correct place but it is also fun to annoy the webmaster Simba as he is on some Greek beach again somewhere....