By twhetten, on April 19th, 2012
Tom Whetten African Wildlife Photography Guide questions article concerning a “Lioness killed by Maasai Warriors”
I believe this to be a very one-sided story that may or may not be accurate. The story may be just overenthusiastic reporting, or at its worst, a total fraud to discredit the Maasai People. Below I’ve outlined my reasons for my beliefs. Please read the story below, which came from here, then my remarks.
Lioness killed by Maasai Warriors – By the Mara Conservancy
Headlines put out by the Mara Conservancy read “Masai Mara lioness killed during Maasai Warrior in initiation ceremony” April 2, 2012. This morning at 9am, one of the resident drivers in the Mara Triangle reported that the Maasai warriors are hunting the lions at the bottom of the escarpment.
The story continues explaining that ten warriors struck the Oloololo pride when all the morning game drive vehicles and cheetah vehicles left the area. One female lion was killed in this attack. Two spear wounds, one on the back and other on the rib cage, proved to be fatal.
One front leg and the tail was cut off and taken by the warriors. The carcass was still warm when I got there at the scene with the tracker dog unit. This lioness only managed to raise one cub last year and this year she was seen mating with a male only a week ago.
This was not a case of Maasai retaliation against livestock loss, but warriors getting ready to become a “man” by killing a lion before their graduation. We are utterly shocked by the brutality of the attack on our beautiful animal. Our rangers were there at the scene within 30 minutes and have been tracking down the warriors responsible for this attack.
They have discovered the butchered tail and leg just outside the reserve and are tracking as I write this post. I cannot stop wondering who is the true warrior, those who are fighting everyday to protect the lives of the innocent animal or those who take them to satisfy their ego. Now one graduating warrior group succeeded in killing a lion and other groups will soon follow. We are on high alert.
My Comments – Tom Whetten
First, who is the narrator and where did he or she get the information that has been printed as fact? No one takes credit for having written the story! In paragraph three second sentence the narrator states that the “carcass was still warm when ‘I’ got there at the scene with the tracker dog unit”. Who is the “I” making the statement?
Second, Maasai Warriors traditionally proved their manhood by killing a male lion and taking its mane, not a female and taking a leg and tail. The article has the killers abandoning the leg and tail some distance from the kill, so why take the body parts? Doesn’t sound like “Warrior” behavior to me.
Additionally, if no one saw the killing how does the narrator know that there were ten “Maasai Warriors” in the group and that they struck after all of the game drive vehicles left the area?
Finally, in paragraph 4 the storyteller states that rangers were on the scene within 30 minutes. With rangers on the scene in that short of time armed with a “tracker dog unit”, how could the rangers fail to apprehend ten Warriors running from the scene across the Masai Mara with its rolling grasslands?
I freely admit that I have zero information about this lion being killed other than what I read in the article and personal information I gathered during my five trips to the Masai Mara as a Wildlife Photography Guide. Could the article be politically motivated to discredit the Maasai, the only tribe in Kenya trying to maintain their heritage? I don’t know, but ask everyone to be opened minded, the Maasai are great Warriors to be sure, but they are also a friendly and kind people trying to maintain who they are.
Just for your information, here’s how to spell Maasai (the people) and Masai Mara (the wildlife area).
By twhetten, on December 10th, 2011
On our August, 2011 African Photo Safari, we observed or photographed the following wildlife:
- Birds (92 species)
- Lion 40
- Rhino 5 (Black)
- Cheetah 4
- Leopard 2
- Elephant 200
- Mongoose 100
- Crocodiles 20 (Nile)
- Hippos 125
- Wildebeest (40,000?)
- Cape buffalo (400+)
- Warthogs (lots)
- Antelope (thousands)
- Impala
- Gazelle
- Bushbuck
- Waterbuck
By twhetten, on December 7th, 2011
Lodges where we stayed on our August 2011 African Photo Safari:
We drove 1,275 miles in twelve days.
We visited two countries – Kenya and Tanzania
By twhetten, on December 3rd, 2011
We are planning three African Photo Safaris in 2012.
In late January will be a twelve-day photography tour, similar to our previous African Safaris. The exact itinerary hasn’t been established yet but it will be similar.
Birding in Africa will be in early February 2012. Our birding guide will be Robert Luce, biologist and novelist. Additionally we will have African native guides that know birds in Africa.
In mid-August 2012 we will again conduct our “Great Migration” African photography safari to Kenya and Tanzania. The price for each of the three safaris will be about what they were in 2011 if, and I do mean if, both countries don’t increase the National Park fees.
For more information, contact Tom.
By twhetten, on September 8th, 2011
Our August, 2011 African Safari adventure began and ended in Nairobi, Kenya. We were picked up by Impact Adventures (our Kenyan guides) at Nairobi’s NBO airport and driven to our hotel where we intended to spend the rest of the night and the next day recuperating from our long flight. However, as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men.
Around the breakfast table on our “rest day”, we decided we needed to do something – after all photographers cannot just sit around a hotel all day when there is shooting to be done. Therefore, we decided to do a game drive through Nairobi National Park.
The park entrance is actually inside the city limits of Nairobi, making us a little skeptical of what we would see. Incredible as it sounds, we not only saw lions within an hour of entering the park but giraffes, antelopes, warthogs, zebras, and numerous bird species all with Nairobi’s sky-scrapers providing the background.
This is not a zoo, there are not any fences, lions and other animals roam freely – maybe they go to town to shop on Saturday night when the market is full.
From our rest day on, the safari just kept getting better. I will mention a few of the species we saw in each of the areas we visited but certainly not all.
After crossing into Tanzania with Maasai Wandering, (our Tanzania Guides) we visited Arusha NP in Tanzania with perhaps 110,000 Pink Flamingos on Big Momela Lake. Momela in Swahili mean Pink. Swahili is the national language in Kenya and Tanzania.
Still in Arusha NP, we photographed our way through the rain forest around Mt Meru photographing Colobus monkeys, bushbucks, zebras, and numerous birds.
On our first attempt, we were extremely lucky and were able to photograph two separate crossings at different locations with several thousand wildebeest crossing each time. The sight is really beyond my vocabulary to describe! This annual event – consisting of more than 1,500,000 wildebeests, 500,000 gazelles, and 200,000 zebras constantly on the move, searching for fresh grass and water – it really is one of the wonders of the world.
After several days on the Serengeti, it was time to move on. I should mention however that August is the dry season, so we only got stuck once.
From the Serengeti we crossed back into Kenya and onto the Masai Mara.
It was on the Masai Mara that we photographed Africa’s big five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and Cape buffalo) in just under three hours! What a thrill. On the Mara, as it’s sometimes called, we were able to shoot male lions resting in the early morning light. We also photographed a cheetah surveying the countryside from an old termite mound. Late one afternoon we photographed a female Black rhino nursing her calf.
Unfortunately we missed a wildebeest herd of 5 to 8 thousand crossing the Mara river by about 40 minutes What a bummer.
From the Masai Mara we headed back to Nairobi and our flight home. What a let down, twelve days of adventure – now we have to go back to our real world, not the world of our dreams.
By twhetten, on June 11th, 2010
As photographers, we literally make Light-Drawings every time we press the shutter release. As photographers we are striving to create a Photo-Graphic … we don’t want to just take pictures. . . . → Read More: Photographing Wildlife
By twhetten, on June 9th, 2010
I just completed my four-day Cattle Ranch Photography Workshop at the Double Circle Ranch on Upper Eagle Creek in Arizona. . . . → Read More: Ranch Photography Workshop
By twhetten, on May 15th, 2010
Announcing my next African Safari set for February 1-11, 2011. . . . → Read More: African Safari February 2011
By twhetten, on May 5th, 2010
Announcing my next African Safari set for September 4-15, 2010. . . . → Read More: African Safari September 2010 Announcement
By twhetten, on April 22nd, 2010
Here is my new video, “Scenes from Amboseli National Park.” It includes images of wildlife and scenery in Kenya, including Mount Kilimanjaro (in Tanzania) towering behind. These photos were taken on my Photo Safaris to Africa in 2009 and 2010. Ed Bustya, my Web Daktari put the video together using photos I had . . . → Read More: Amboseli African Safari Video
By twhetten, on March 2nd, 2010
One of the participants on our most recent African Safari in February has posted several videos and photos from our trip. I’ve embedded one of Nick’s videos here for you to see. . . . → Read More: Video from the African Photo Safari
By twhetten, on September 1st, 2009
The average day time temperature in Kenya during January is about 77 degrees with a night time average of about 53 degrees. . . . → Read More: Africa Photo Safari Weather for January
By twhetten, on August 25th, 2009
Space is limited in the vehicles and our luggage goes with us from lodge to lodge so please bring soft sided luggage. Remember, we want room for photo gear. . . . → Read More: African Photo Safari Clothing
By twhetten, on August 19th, 2009
I recommend taking at least two camera bodies and a variety of lenses including your 500mm or 600mm lens. . . . → Read More: African Photo Safari Photo Gear
By twhetten, on August 12th, 2009
Tarangire National Park is home to a wide variety of wildlife including elephant, buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, lion, leopard, and cheetah. . . . → Read More: Tarangire National Park
By twhetten, on August 5th, 2009
Amboseli National Park offers one of the most classic and breathtaking views of Kenya, with Mount Kilimanjaro (in Tanzania) as the back drop. . . . → Read More: Amboseli National Park
By twhetten, on July 10th, 2009
On this year’s African Photo Safari in the Ngorongoro Crater, we witnessed a lion attacking a zebra. Dr. Marcus P. Borom caught the attack on video, which you can view below.
Sign up for our next Africa Photo . . . → Read More: African Photo Safari Video – Lion Attacks Zebra
By twhetten, on May 30th, 2009
Many wonder what it is like to travel in Africa. Questions like; what are accommodations like, is the food safe to eat, is it tasty, what about the water, and how do I get around? . . . → Read More: African Photo Safari FAQ’s
By twhetten, on May 24th, 2009
Black Rhino on the African Wildlife Safari
After spending two nights at Lake Nakuru we headed for the next stop on our African Wildlife Safari, the Masai Mara National Reserve. This Kenyan National Reserve is located in south-western Kenya and covers about 950 square miles. Effectively it is the northern continuation of the . . . → Read More: Masai Mara National Reserve – African Wildlife Safari
By twhetten, on May 20th, 2009
Leopard Licking His Chops for African Photography Safari Blog
For seventeen days in February, 2009, I lived a Teddy Roosevelt adventure. OK, it wasn’t quite like the way Teddy did it, but my African Safari was a real thrill that I’ll cherish the rest of my life. My safari wasn’t a big game . . . → Read More: African Safari 2009 – Lake Nakuru
By twhetten, on May 14th, 2009
Lake Victoria, another stop on our African Wildlife Photography Safari, is the world’s second largest freshwater lake and has an area of more than 40,000 sq miles. The lake itself is not a park or reserve. Being only 3-4 hours from the Maasai Mara in Kenya it’s a good place to stop off before . . . → Read More: Lake Victoria – African Wildlife Photography Safari
By twhetten, on May 9th, 2009
The place to be in February is the Ndutu Conservation Area and that is exactly where my African Photography Safari will be. . . . → Read More: Ndutu Conservation Area – African Photography Safari
By twhetten, on May 4th, 2009
Maasai Wanderings is the tour operator I use when I lead my Africa Wildlife Photo Tours to Tanzania. One of the goals of Maasai Wanderings is to provide opportunities to those who otherwise would not have received them. They use a portion of their profits to provide assistance in these areas by funding various . . . → Read More: Maasai Wanderings – Esilalei Village
By twhetten, on April 30th, 2009
Grey-Headed Kingfisher at Lake Manyara on the African Photo Safari
Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania is a small but scenic park we plan to visit in February as part of my African Photo Safari. It is ideally suited for a few hour’s exploring and wildlife watching at the start of a safari . . . → Read More: Bird Photography at Lake Manyara, Tanzania
By twhetten, on April 24th, 2009
Masai Warriors Spring into the Air at Masai Mara
The Masai Mara National Reserve is another must on any serious African Photography Safari. This reserve, also spelled Maasai Mara, is named for the Maasai people and the Mara River that divides the area. The reserve is located in Southwestern Kenya and covers about . . . → Read More: Wildlife Photography in Masai Mara National Reserve
By twhetten, on April 22nd, 2009
The Ngorongoro Crater in Serengeti National Park is a World Heritage Site and is a must on any photography safari to southeastern Africa.
The Crater is the world’s largest volcanic crater that has not become a lake or had its wall eroded away. The floor of the Crater covers about 100 square miles and . . . → Read More: Photographing Wildlife in the Ngorongoro Crater in the Serengeti
By twhetten, on April 9th, 2009
The Serengeti was first discovered by white men in 1913 when Stewart Edward White, an American hunter recorded in his journal: “We walked for miles over burnt out country… Then I saw the green trees of the river, walked two miles more and found myself in paradise.” The Maasai call it Siringitu – “the . . . → Read More: The Serengeti
By twhetten, on March 10th, 2009
Grey Crowned Crane
When you want to see wildlife, all kinds of wildlife, go to Africa. During my 17-day photography safari in Kenya and Tanzania we saw hundreds of species of birds. The birds were incredible with some looking like they’d been painted with an air brush. Two specific birds really caught . . . → Read More: Photography Safari in Africa – Kenya & Tanzania
By twhetten, on February 28th, 2009
By Dawns Early Light
Lilac Breasted Roller
I just returned from a seventeen day wildlife photo safari to Kenya and Tanzania. What a thrill. I’ve posted photographs from my trip on my web page.
We visited and photographed Masai Mara, Amboseli, and Lake Nakuru National Parks in Kenya. In Tanzania we safaried . . . → Read More: African Wildlife Photo Safari to Kenya and Tanzania
By twhetten, on January 8th, 2009
Cactus Wren taken at "The Pond At Elephant Head Photo Ranch"
For a great place to photograph wildlife, visit the “Pond At Elephant Head Photo Ranch” 35 miles south of Tucson, AZ. Bill Forbes, the owner, has provided a place for photographers to photograph the variety of birds and small mammals that come . . . → Read More: The Pond At Elephant Head Photo Ranch
By twhetten, on January 6th, 2009
My Northern Arizona Photography Tour from April 28 to May 1, 2009, covers a lot of ground in Arizona. This Photography Tour and Workshop in Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, the Wave in the Paria Wilderness (subject to permits), Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado river, and the Grand Canyon.
Upper Antelope Canyon-Heart 19076
Antelope Canyon . . . → Read More: Photography Tour of Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, the Wave- Paria Wilderness, Horseshoe Bend- Colorado river, Grand Canyon
By twhetten, on January 6th, 2009
Vivero Verapaz Orchid 2315
Vivero Verapaz 2290
As a follow-up to my article on Orchid Photography at the Vivero Verapaz Orchid Nursery I’m presenting three photographs of miniature orchid. These were extremely hard to photograph as I didn’t have my macro lens with me. Yep, I committed heresy by not taking everything I . . . → Read More: Vivero Verapaz Orchid Photography Safari – Coban, Guatemala
By twhetten, on January 5th, 2009
Canon’s review of the newest EOS digital SLR, the Canon 5D Mark II. A full frame camera at 21.1 Megapixels and the first EOS with full High Definition video capability.
Compact, lightweight and with environmental protection, EOS 5D successor boasts a newly designed Canon CMOS sensor, with ISO sensitivity up to 25,600 for shooting . . . → Read More: Canon’s 5D Mark II information
By twhetten, on January 4th, 2009
Vivero Verapaz Orchid about the size of a pencil eraser
Vivero Verapaz Orchid
Part of my Guatemala Photography Safari was spent in and around Coban. Just a few miles out of town is the world famous Vivero Verapaz Orchid Nursery. This nursery has more than 650 . . . → Read More: Guatemala Photography Safari – Vivero Verapaz Orchid Nursery
By twhetten, on January 1st, 2009
This is the third installment from my Guatemala Photo Safari. I really had a great time photographing Guatemala, the scenery, wildlife, people, and Mayan culture and ruins.
These photographs are of individuals I’d seen in the open-air market and again in the Plaza . . . → Read More: Guatemala Photo Safari – More People
By twhetten, on December 13th, 2008
Guatemala is a beautiful place to visit and a better place to photograph. I’m really looking forward to leading a Nature Photography Tour there next year.
Today I’ll talk about people that I had the chance to photograph. The first thing you need to understand that the Guatemala Indians do not like to have . . . → Read More: Guatemala Photo Safari – People
By twhetten, on December 9th, 2008
Copan's-Tony-the-Tigre-(jaguar) 700 AD
What a November. I spent sixteen days in Guatemala on a Photo Safari photographing Mayan Ruins, open air markets, Mayan descendents in their colorful tribal dress, and of course, wildlife. The day before Thanksgiving I flew to Guatemala City where I was picked up by my photography partner J.L. Christman . . . → Read More: Guatemala Photo Safari
By twhetten, on November 6th, 2008
Sandhill Crane
Bosque del Apache Wildlife Area Photography Tours and Workshops are loads of fun. Having five or six other photographers to talk to and get ideas from enhances for me what is already a great experience. During the afternoon lull we set up a computer projector and view some of our favorite . . . → Read More: Sandhill Cranes and Bird Photography Tour
By twhetten, on October 31st, 2008
Humpback Whale Blowing
In January I lead a Wildlife Photograph Tour to Hawaii primarily photograph Humpback Whales. What a great time.
We spent a couple of days on Kauai relaxing and seeing the sites then moved to Maui to photograph the whales. We spent three days on the . . . → Read More: Humpback Whale Photography Tour – Hawaii
By twhetten, on October 26th, 2008
Elegant Trogon
I have been a busy bee but having a great time. I just realized I haven’t posted any information on Bird Photography Tours and Workshops. Taking photographs of birds is one of my favorite photography adventures. Every time I’m out photographing birds I come away with a good feeling about life and . . . → Read More: Bird Photography Tours and Workshops
By twhetten, on October 25th, 2008
Western-Diamondback-Rattlesnake
Here are a couple of photographs from my Wildlife Photograph Reptile Workshop conducted at the “Pond At Elephant Head”. These photographs are of a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake at full Strike. To capture the high speed strike of a rattlesnake you need to use an electronic photo trigger or you’ll miss it, your reflexes just . . . → Read More: Rattlesnake Striking
By twhetten, on October 19th, 2008
Timber-Wolf Reflections
A Wildlife & Nature Photography Tour in Yellowstone with snow blowing constantly is not my idea of a good time and made for some lack luster photographs. I was able to get several photographs of Elk and Bison that turned OK but nothing special except the coyote with the bird in . . . → Read More: Photography Yellowstone and Teton Wildlife and Nature 2
By twhetten, on October 13th, 2008
Coyote with dinner
While I was in Colorado I had an invitation from one of my Photography Tour www.wildlifephototour.com clients to travel to Yellowstone Park and onto Montana for a week or so of shooting. Needless to say I took her up on the invitation to share expenses for the trip. We did . . . → Read More: Photography Yellowstone and Teton Wildlife and Nature
By twhetten, on October 8th, 2008
Nature photography in Colorado is really something. Fall colors are stunning and waterfalls are still falling
Waterfall Below Cinnamon Pass
hard. Photographing waterfalls can be an extremely memorable, especially if you fall in one with your camera and all. Let me start at the beginning.
I decided to get an early start . . . → Read More: Nature Photography Tour – San Juan Mountains Waterfalls
By twhetten, on October 4th, 2008
Fall Colors
Here are a couple of nature photographs I’ve taken over the past several days, in and out of a snow storms I might add. I’ve been having the time of my life and even scared witless a couple of times on very narrow, cliff sided, and snow packed two track . . . → Read More: Nature Photography Tour – San Juan Mountains Fall Colors
By twhetten, on October 2nd, 2008
I just got back to southern Colorado’s San Juan Mountains to photograph nature scenes with an emphasis on fall colors. I arrived just in time as the colors have just turned and are purely spectacular. I had a chance to get out this afternoon and have attached one of the photographs I shot. I’ll . . . → Read More: Nature Photography Tour – San Juan Mountains Fall Colors
By twhetten, on September 20th, 2008
Columbine Flower at Yankee Boy Pass
In late July the flowers at 10,000+ feet are spectacular. I spent two weeks in the San Juan Mountains in southern Colorado photographing nature and flowers, what a great time. I’m not a botanist and probably couldn’t pronounce the names of the flowers even if I knew how . . . → Read More: Nature photography Tour – San Juan Mountains Wild Flowers
By twhetten, on September 18th, 2008
What is the best focal length for bird photography?
The question seems easy enough, bigger is better! That said the Canon 1200mm, f/5.6 has got to be the best, right? Well, it is if you can afford a lens that costs as much as a car, and you have a gun bearer to carry . . . → Read More: Best Focal Length
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