7 February 2023

Kenya 2022

I was lucky enough to spend most of 2022 in Kenya, doing fieldwork for my PhD. From my base at the Mpala Research Centre in Laikipia, I took mammal-watching expeditions all around the country, seeing over 150 species in the course of the year.

Amongst the many highlights were Aardvark, Naked Mole Rat, Maned Rat, Tana River Mangabey, Harrison’s Giant Mastiff Bat, Caracal, Aardwolf, Zorilla, African Clawless and Spotted-necked Otters, Giant Forest Hog, Weyns’s Duiker and Hirola.

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Mammals of Kenya 2022

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bnchapple
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11 Comments

  • 8 February 2023
    Charles Foley

    Great report Ben. You really swept up on the Kenyan species.

    2
  • 8 February 2023
    Antee

    Nice report!

    Just a thought. Isn´t the Blue monkey at Mt Kenya in fact Sykes monkey?

    1
    • 9 February 2023
      bnchapple

      Thanks! The Mammal Diversity Database has Cercopithecus mitis as a single species that I refer to as Blue Monkey. The Blue Monkeys on Mt Kenya are C.m.kolbi – Kolb’s Monkey

      1
  • 16 February 2023
    dactylor

    Wow Ben amazing report such a wealth of information and amazing effort to put it all to paper.

    2
  • 20 February 2023
    Jon Hall

    I have only just gotten around to lookng at this. Bloody hell. Amazing report! Thanks for taking the time to write all this up

    1
  • 20 February 2023
    Ian Thompson

    This is the most epic trip report I have ever read. Congratulations, Ben!

    2
  • 20 February 2023
    vnsankar

    Finally got the time to give this amazing document a detailed read. Congrats, Ben, on all the great species & photos! And happy I could help in a small way with this success. I’m glad to see it was another Kenya report that broke my record 🙂

    3
    • 23 February 2023
      bnchapple

      Thanks so much, Venkat – I’m very grateful for all your help. And I can scarcely imagine how many species you’d have found in 10 months!

      1
  • 24 July 2023
    MrFotoFool

    Great sightings and I am particularly envious of the black leopard. (Too bad you didn’t see black serval in Aberdares, which are reportedly common there). I was surprised to see you state there are (or were) as many as six black leopards in the Laikipia area. I do know there is one currently being seen with regularity at Laikipia Wilderness Camp.

  • 11 February 2024
    arne secelle

    Great report Mr Chapple. Amazing views. We went to Kenya last september for 1 week to the Laikipia area and had amazing views (sometimes coming up to the car) on several days of the melanastic leopard (they call her Giza). We were told that there are at least 3 other black leopards (a new cub also) there, but far more elusive and shy. And we then went fo 1 week to Aberdare NP. I have always wanted to go there , because I have read that there are chances of melanstic serval (Mr FotoFool is right). We had 3 amazing encounters with a black serval. Once walking up to the car and then on eye level passing only 2 metres next to the car. Crazy view, and a crazy trip seeing 2 melanastic cats in 2 weeks. Caracal has eluded us so far: any suggestions where to go.

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