Today we have a special guest blogger: Jeneria, Ewaso Lions’ Head Spotter and Assistant. Here he recounts his first time to fly in a plane.
One day we collared a male lion called Lguret [See the blog on the collaring operation here]. We went back to Save The Elephants research camp to spend the night. The following morning we went out trying to find our collared lion but in vain. We went back to camp for lunch and also to have a break.
When I was napping I heard Shivani calling me. I woke up and Shivani asked me a question “Have you ever flown in an aeroplane?” I answered “no, why?” She said “I want you to go with Paul in Iain’s plane to try and find Lguret’s signal. We went to Iain’s office and she introduced me to Iain [Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save The Elephants]. Shivani asked if I can fly with them to try and find the lion. Iain responded very nicely and said no problem.
After few minutes we drove to the airstrip where Iain’s plane is. As I was in deep thinking my friend from S.T.E interrupted me asking me what I was thinking about. I answered am thinking about flying. “Ooh no let me tell you my friend, a plane is just like a car, the only difference is you feel like throwing up and your intestines come up your chest while the plane lands or taking off.” I really became worried! After few minutes of arriving to the airstrip we got into the plane. Everybody tightened his safety belt. Meanwhile Iain started plane.
Jeneria during his first flight in a plane.
It was my first day to fly in the air in an aeroplane and it was amazing to me. We flew around Samburu trying to locate the radio signal from the lion’s collar.
Fortunately the expected falling and throwing up didn’t happened. The things that frightened me were when the plane rolled or bent to make a corner, also when we went up and down the mountains. One time the plane dropped suddenly and I shouted and all the guys looked at me and laughed. I felt so embarrassed because I discovered that in the plane everybody is wearing the big earphones and can hear each other.
After some time we landed safely and I left the plane very excited. It was my wonderful day, very great and I will never forget in my whole life.
The Ewaso Nyiro River from above.
Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Jeneria, Paul, and the plane.