Francois and Yvonne De Mey
for their very kind
and timely donation
Jane and Julian McKeand for their very generous donation
All our old and new subscribers all over the world, we appreciate your efforts in attracting new members
Remember little Karen the bushbuck rescued after its mother fell victim to a leopard early last year?
Karen has grown into an especially beautiful "teenager". She has ventured out onto the Game Ranch, as yet unnoticed by our resident population of male bushbuck.
Each time Karen has returned to the company of her wild friends at the animal Orphanage, the only home she can remember.
Karen is a much photographed buck. It is not just her trusting gentle manner, visitors always comment on her graceful beauty, her shiny velvet coat especially.
One morning recently I was lucky to stumble upon "Karen's secret". She has her own beauty routine!!
At first light, while any would be visitors are still in sweet slumber, Karen's off to see "her groomer". Nestling up close to the pen where the sykes monkeys reside is the signal and "work" begins.
The obliging monkey extends his hands through the fence and grooms her, bit by bit; picking up any parasites such as fleas and ticks she may have acquired during the night. Of course these make a choice gourmet bite for the monkeys. It is their "reward". Karen will hold still for this procedure with the patience only a very vain beauty would muster.
But that is not all. When the monkey cannot find any more choice bits and Karen's fur is clean of parasites, off it is to the next "parlor".
There's more happy news at the cat house...
Our Sokoke Forest cats must be feeling very proud indeed, they just produced their third litter of cute little kittens, all true copies of their parents.
It brings closer the day of reintroduction of these once wild inhabitants of the Sokoke forest on the Kenya coast.
Karen just fits under the mouth of Bahati the orphaned wildebeest growing up at the Orphanage. Bahati dutifully licks Karen's russet coat until it is spotlessly clean and glistens in the early morning sun.
Only now she is ready to face the world, gaining compliments from all she meets. Our little Orphanage "star".
