Less than 9 months ago I had a "normal" job in an office, now I am injecting sick camels in Kenya - how did that happen?!
To explain that one, there are a number of camels on Lewa that are used for walking safaris. One of them got sick and the guys who run them asked for my help. They seem to think that because I look after the horses, I might know something about sick camels!! I can safely say that I don't, but decided that antibiotics for the swelling / infection it has under its stomach might work. Trouble is how much does a camel weigh? If you don't know that, you don't know how much to inject so it's kind of tricky. Also discovered that camels have skin like leather and it was not happy about being injected - teeth barred and spitting. Have decided it is easier to just give the camel guys the drugs and some needles so that they can administer it themselves going forwards - I have enough problems of my own to deal with right now as I have a very sick little foal.
So in the early hours of Christmas morning, a foal was born (2 weeks early but the mare had milk a few days before so I wasn't that surprised). He is a huge foal, light bay and just adorable. Sadly not that bright and needed help learning how to drink from mum. It's her first foal so she wasn't that helpful either. Unfortunately on day 2, the foal just got really weak and we nearly lost him. His temperature was almost 40 degrees and his heart was racing. After speaking with the vet, we injected him with super strong antibiotics and got him on a drip. Trying to find a vein on a 2 day old foal is not easy let me tell you!! He started to improve though only to relapse again the following day. This time he seemed to have colic as he was lying on the stable floor groaning. For the second time in 24 hours, I definitely thought we would lose him. For the past couple of days, he has been too weak to get himself up so he has to be lifted up every hour and put on the mare to drink. The poor syces (grooms) have worked so hard keeping him alive through the night. Amazingly, he has started to improve and has just spent his first two hours out in the paddock with mum as he can now stand up by himself and walk really well. I am feeling more positive that he will make it, but I also know that he might relapse at any point. We will just have to wait and see - he is certainly a little fighter. Will be devastated if we lose him after all this..
Suffice to say the last few days have been quite stressful and tiring. I could not even begin to count how many times I have driven back and forth from the farm where the mares and foals live (it's a couple of miles from the main stables here at Wilderness) Also busy with lots of guests riding. I saw a cheetah out riding the other day which was just so brilliant - we were just metres from it whilst it sat in the grass looking at us. That was an afternoon ride but I particularly love going on the morning rides with guests as we surprise them with a bush breakfast. Once we reach the breakfast destination, the horses are untacked, let loose and they make their way back across Lewa to the rest of the "herd" (usually they head off in the right direction but sometimes they decide to go on a little adventure first. I worry about them as they usually end up cantering and the terrain is so rough and full of holes, but they are used to it and its fun to watch them go). The guests then enjoy breakfast in the bush before taking a camel or jeep ride back to Wilderness.
Also before Christmas and the foaling dramas, I found time to get one of the Masai guides to take me walking in the bush. It was so cool as there is that sense of danger all the time as you never know what might be round the corner. We were able to sit on a rock and watch a big herd of elephants crossing the river 100 metres below us, and also see a rhino and her calf at the same time - pretty cool I think.
So that's the latest news from Lewa. Another foal due in less than 2 weeks..
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