HOW I GOT THE SHOT
Francesco Lastrucci on capturing
the serenity of Rome
The photographer discusses the
highlights of his recent assignmentFRANCE
Five alternatives to Saint-Tropez
to explore this summer
Five timeless and glamorous
coastal retreats to discoverLONDON
The former public toilets in
London you can actually visit
From bars to galleries, a world of
subterranean entertainment awaitsTRACKING CHEETAHS IN
KENYA’S LAIKIPIA COUNTY
Reporting from her grand prize trip, the winner of last year’s Travel Writing Competition
meets conservationists tracking some elusive predators. Words: Bronwyn Townsend
TOP
STORIES
Here’s what you’ve
been enjoying on the
website this month
White-knuckled, I grip the barrel of my camera
lens with my left hand, while my right hand
braces me as I clutch the side of the jeep. As I’m
being jostled, my eyes water as cool morning
air whips my face. I can feel the excitement
brewing; like thousands of tiny ants crawling
on my body, the adrenalin has taken hold. We’re
fighting time and I hope we’re going to win.
A phone rings, breaking the stillness of
dawn. Jacob, my guide, slows to answer.
“Jambo,” he says, greeting the caller on the
other end, but my limited Swahili leaves
me lost after this. I sense the change in
Jacob’s tone — I’m sure he’s asking questions
as his pace increases, ear pressed to his phone
while the engine of the Land Cruiser idles.
Turning to me, Jacob announces there’s been
a sighting of a cheetah.
“We haven’t seen him for nine weeks,” he
says. “But he’s been spotted about nine miles
away. Hold on!” We shift into gear, picking
up speed, hitting every bump in the road
carved by tyres and seasonal rains. A plume of
copper-tinged dust kicks up behind us as we
rejoin one of the paths cleaving through Mugie
Conservancy in Kenya’s Laikipia County. Flocks
of starlings launch from trees nearby, startled
by the sudden commotion.
According to Jacob, cheetahs are the most
elusive of animals. There’s only one radio
collared cheetah at Mugie — Zuri — and just a
few others elsewhere in the region. Sightingsof the big cats across the almost 200sq mile
expanse are rare. The conservancy plays a
vital role in capturing information for the
Cheetah Conservation Initiative, an Africa-
wide programme that aims to coordinate the
protection of species such as cheetahs and
African wild dogs. Zuri’s movements and
behaviour provide a valuable insight into how
animals use the region’s wildlife corridors.
Here on the eastern side of the conservancy,
low-lying vegetation is sparse, spindly and
bleached from the dry conditions. As we hurtle
across the plains, sunlight crawls over acacia
trees stripped bare by hungry giraffes.
THE TRAVEL WRITING COMPETITION 2022
IS NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES, SEE P. 172